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Jim Young
12-12-2005, 9:12 AM
Well, I need a new video camera. I searched the site but didn't find anything on this subject.

I am looking for something not too expensive, but still a good unit. My price is in the $500 range, if there is a must have that I don't know about yet I can be persuaded to spend more. What should I look for in good quality units? I am not a big video user so all the fancy stuff will just go to waist. We will mainly use it for thaose family outings and I may try to put some clips on my web site.

Any help would be appreciated.

Jim Becker
12-12-2005, 10:06 PM
Well...if you can goose the funds just a little more...I absolutely love my Sony HC-90. Incredible video (including 16:9 wide format which I specifically wanted) as well as a very good 3mp still camera built in for added flexibility, especially when traveling. They do have some models in your price range, too.

The optics is what really counts and the better cameras excel in that area. That's one of the reasons I chose the Sony. I also like the MiniDV format. At the time I bought, I found it for about $775, but it may be available for less now.

Vaughn McMillan
12-14-2005, 7:02 PM
I've got a Panasonic camcorder, can't recall the model number offhand, but IIRC mine has a 28x optical zoom. Looking at the Panasonic site, mine might be the PV-GS31, which has a 26x optical zoom. (Sometime my brain is more fogged than San Francisco.) Looks like it's now been passed up by the PV-GS35, with a 30x optical zoom.

For my needs, having a lot of optical zoom was more important than high megapixel still camera capabilities. It's a single CCD unit, but I couldn't justify the additional cost at the time for an improvement in picture quality that I might not be able to see. I've been very happy with the ease of use and the video quality from the Panasonic.

As Jim mentioned, Sony is well known for good optics, and there are also several other good brands available now. With very few exceptions, I think any of the major brands will have a camcorder that'll suit your needs and budget, with quality we could only deram of 5 years ago.

Hope this helps -

- Vaughn

Jim Becker
12-14-2005, 7:18 PM
Sony is using Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar optics on the model I mentioned. And I agree with Vaughn, there are a lot of good choices. I'll also make a suggestion...get to a "big" A/V store that has a lot of cameras you can touch and hold. Part of finding the right cam-corder is making sure it's comfortable in your hand. Really. It's important.

Glenn Clabo
12-14-2005, 7:27 PM
Jim,
Do you have...or are you planning to get a HD TV? If not...stop reading.

If you are the Sony HC1 is AWESOME! I've had one for a month and I can't tell you how cool it is to sit and watch your own videos on HD. The recent visit to Cape Cod has been relived many times. NOW...it's triple your price range right now...but it won't go out of style for a long...long time. Kind of like woodworking tools...buy what you want to use for a very long time. I do understand though...money is an object.

Jim Becker
12-14-2005, 7:34 PM
Glen, I don't know about Jim Y, but I have HDTV. (You're surprised?? LOL) The new Sony HC1 HD cam was a little too rich for me at the time I was buying and wasn't actually released yet. But for the current street price of about $1700, it's a winner for anyone interested. But the picture quality of the HC90 really is excellent and I shoot only in 16:9. It displays wonderfully on my Sharp Aquos system as well as off DVD letterboxed on other sets.