Camcorder recommendations? [modified]
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How about sony webbie ?[^] [Edit] Oops... forgot to check previous comments [Edit]
modified on Monday, June 8, 2009 12:37 PM
Thanks just the same!
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
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Sony makes a line of digital camcorders called Webbie HD [^] that might fit your bill. They use memory sticks and cost < $200
Steve _________________ I C(++) therefore I am
I'd actually looked at that on Amazon, but even though I'll be using YouTube, I'll also be using this in promo materials and thus need higher quality of video. Appreciate it, though!
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
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It doubtless would, but you have to remember the quality of the subject material we're working with here. I need something to make me actually look good, and I lost my magic wand in a poker game last week. :-D
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
Christopher Duncan wrote:
I need something to make me actually look good, and I lost my magic wand in a poker game last week.
I think the Sonasonic MakeOverTM HD, might be out of your price range. :)
Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.”
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I'm working on some video show ideas that I'll be releasing via YouTube that will be in the standard talk show / sitting at a desk format. I'm also hitting the speaking circuit again soon and need something to catch the gigs and throw into the promo bucket. The cheap little JVC camcorder I have doesn't handle indoor lighting very well, and also doesn't have the option for an external mic. I don't have anywhere near the background in video that I do in audio, and I could really use some advice on a camcorder for these uses. External mic input is a must so that I can control audio quality (especially on speaking gigs), as well as the ability to produce reasonably decent quality in standard room lighting. Decent zoom options also a plus so that I can get the correct focus for either the show or the speaking gigs. From there it'll mostly be fire & forget - stick it on a tripod and turn it on. I use Vegas for video editing, if that matters. I know the pro gear can get run several thousand dollars, but I'm not a video pro and can't justify that kind of expenditure at present. I don't know if this is realistic or not, but I'm hoping I can find something around the $500 range that'll fill these two needs. Can you offer any suggestions on a camcorder that fits the bill? I can't promise you fame or riches in return, but I have a friend here who apparently has the inside track on rent-a-babes... :-D [edit] Although I'll be using YouTube, I actually need better quality than web cam oriented products as both the talk shows and the speaking gigs will be included in promo materials that require a better presentation. [/edit]
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
modified on Monday, June 8, 2009 1:11 PM
Oddly enough, I've just spent 4 days shopping for camcorders for the company. I've looked at JVC (GZ-HD300B), Sony (DCRSR47), and several Canon models. One limitation I had that you might not is that I have to have it in one week, and so was limited to what's stocked locally - very little. There were others I glanced at (Hitachi, Samsung, Panasonic) but all were low end models for filming baby drool events. Of the lot, I settled on the Canon Vixia HF20 as having the most bang for the buck. Our goal is to produce high quality video documenting the projects we do for the tribe for marketing purposes. A sub-goal was to find a model that can be used for inspecting well casings and possibly sewer ift stations. I was unable to find anything for <$1000 (my budget) that could provide that capability. At $899.88 (Walmart) this is obviously more than you want to spend, but I think it's a good compromise for our use. For my own purposes, when I get around to actually owning one of these widgets, I'd select the Sony DCR-SR47 at $347 (Sam's Club). It's got a comfortable feel, acceptable ratings, and affordable.
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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I'd actually looked at that on Amazon, but even though I'll be using YouTube, I'll also be using this in promo materials and thus need higher quality of video. Appreciate it, though!
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
take another look at the specs: Record your next adventure with impeccable detail. The Webbie offers two video recording modes for added flexibility. Film in high-def (1440x1080/30p, 1280x720/30p) or standard definition (640x480/30p). If you want something that is true HD (1920 x 1080), take a look at the Sony HDR-CX12 [^], I have an earlier model (HDR-CX7 - 1440 x 1080/30p) and really like it.
Steve _________________ I C(++) therefore I am
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I'm working on some video show ideas that I'll be releasing via YouTube that will be in the standard talk show / sitting at a desk format. I'm also hitting the speaking circuit again soon and need something to catch the gigs and throw into the promo bucket. The cheap little JVC camcorder I have doesn't handle indoor lighting very well, and also doesn't have the option for an external mic. I don't have anywhere near the background in video that I do in audio, and I could really use some advice on a camcorder for these uses. External mic input is a must so that I can control audio quality (especially on speaking gigs), as well as the ability to produce reasonably decent quality in standard room lighting. Decent zoom options also a plus so that I can get the correct focus for either the show or the speaking gigs. From there it'll mostly be fire & forget - stick it on a tripod and turn it on. I use Vegas for video editing, if that matters. I know the pro gear can get run several thousand dollars, but I'm not a video pro and can't justify that kind of expenditure at present. I don't know if this is realistic or not, but I'm hoping I can find something around the $500 range that'll fill these two needs. Can you offer any suggestions on a camcorder that fits the bill? I can't promise you fame or riches in return, but I have a friend here who apparently has the inside track on rent-a-babes... :-D [edit] Although I'll be using YouTube, I actually need better quality than web cam oriented products as both the talk shows and the speaking gigs will be included in promo materials that require a better presentation. [/edit]
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
modified on Monday, June 8, 2009 1:11 PM
Check out the Cannon HG-21. Does true Hi-Def 1080p and has multiple frame rates (24p, 30p, 60i etc) and records to Hard-drive. Plus it has one of the highest bit-rate recording for a consumer camcorder. If you want something a little cheaper, you can get the HG-20 which is the same camera minus the viewfinder and a smaller hard-drive for about $150-$200 less than the HG-21. After looking at the cameras in that price range, I would say these are the best. Note that the HF-20 and HF-21 models are similar, but record to a SD memory card rather than HDD. Because of this, you either need really big, and really fast (ie:expensive) SDHC memory cards, or you have to record at a lower bit-rate if using a cheaper normal SDHC card. That is the reason I think the HG is better than the HF lineup. Otherwise, they are very similar equipped.
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I'm working on some video show ideas that I'll be releasing via YouTube that will be in the standard talk show / sitting at a desk format. I'm also hitting the speaking circuit again soon and need something to catch the gigs and throw into the promo bucket. The cheap little JVC camcorder I have doesn't handle indoor lighting very well, and also doesn't have the option for an external mic. I don't have anywhere near the background in video that I do in audio, and I could really use some advice on a camcorder for these uses. External mic input is a must so that I can control audio quality (especially on speaking gigs), as well as the ability to produce reasonably decent quality in standard room lighting. Decent zoom options also a plus so that I can get the correct focus for either the show or the speaking gigs. From there it'll mostly be fire & forget - stick it on a tripod and turn it on. I use Vegas for video editing, if that matters. I know the pro gear can get run several thousand dollars, but I'm not a video pro and can't justify that kind of expenditure at present. I don't know if this is realistic or not, but I'm hoping I can find something around the $500 range that'll fill these two needs. Can you offer any suggestions on a camcorder that fits the bill? I can't promise you fame or riches in return, but I have a friend here who apparently has the inside track on rent-a-babes... :-D [edit] Although I'll be using YouTube, I actually need better quality than web cam oriented products as both the talk shows and the speaking gigs will be included in promo materials that require a better presentation. [/edit]
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
modified on Monday, June 8, 2009 1:11 PM
Hi Christopher ; Check out what are the recommended 2009 consumer camcorders at www.camcorderinfo.com[^]. For 2009, the first 4 HD camcorders are: 1. Panasonic HDC-TM300 (32 Go RAM) or HS300 (hard-drive) or SD300 (SD cards only) 2. Sanyo VPC-HD2000 3. Canon HF S100 4. Sony HDR-XR520V All are around 1000$ to 1300$ (cheaper in web stores) except for the Sanyo which is around 600$, but has no OIS at all, although this feature appears in its settings (this is sarcastic, but true no less). So this camcorder is to use on a tripod only (check it out on Vimeo, the handheld videos are unbearably shaky, you are warned). All of those have a mic input. I thing you can edit AVCHD with Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9. I choose the Panasonic because it has a timelapse feature, a very good OIS, an Intelligent Auto mode (the camcorder adjusts every setting automatically), a viewfinder, and a lens ring (zoom or focus). You can watch its raw footage (.mts or m2ts) directly on a PC with the proper player either with the provided software or with freeware players + codecs. The only freeware player that worked for me till now is Splash[^], though. I could get some results with VLC although it couldn't handle the deinterlacing well. AVCHD is still a new technology, meaning you will have at least performance problems with it... NVidia video boards can decode AVCHD natively but the video editing softwares do not handle AVCHD as well until now. The Splash player can handle it well though: CPU-use = 2% on a NVidia 8600 with GPU on! This player is in beta 3 only though.
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I'm working on some video show ideas that I'll be releasing via YouTube that will be in the standard talk show / sitting at a desk format. I'm also hitting the speaking circuit again soon and need something to catch the gigs and throw into the promo bucket. The cheap little JVC camcorder I have doesn't handle indoor lighting very well, and also doesn't have the option for an external mic. I don't have anywhere near the background in video that I do in audio, and I could really use some advice on a camcorder for these uses. External mic input is a must so that I can control audio quality (especially on speaking gigs), as well as the ability to produce reasonably decent quality in standard room lighting. Decent zoom options also a plus so that I can get the correct focus for either the show or the speaking gigs. From there it'll mostly be fire & forget - stick it on a tripod and turn it on. I use Vegas for video editing, if that matters. I know the pro gear can get run several thousand dollars, but I'm not a video pro and can't justify that kind of expenditure at present. I don't know if this is realistic or not, but I'm hoping I can find something around the $500 range that'll fill these two needs. Can you offer any suggestions on a camcorder that fits the bill? I can't promise you fame or riches in return, but I have a friend here who apparently has the inside track on rent-a-babes... :-D [edit] Although I'll be using YouTube, I actually need better quality than web cam oriented products as both the talk shows and the speaking gigs will be included in promo materials that require a better presentation. [/edit]
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
modified on Monday, June 8, 2009 1:11 PM
I bought a Toshiba Camileo Pro HD a few months back and I'm really happy with it. It's small enough to fit in your pocket. Battery lasts 2 hours and can charge from USB. A 4GB SD card holds 4 hours of MP4 HD video. It's a bit grainy indoors at night but outdoors the image is bright and crisp. My only gripe would be that it could do with a slightly wider angle lens. But for £100 you can afford to take it anywhere so it actually gets used rather than sitting at home.
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I'm working on some video show ideas that I'll be releasing via YouTube that will be in the standard talk show / sitting at a desk format. I'm also hitting the speaking circuit again soon and need something to catch the gigs and throw into the promo bucket. The cheap little JVC camcorder I have doesn't handle indoor lighting very well, and also doesn't have the option for an external mic. I don't have anywhere near the background in video that I do in audio, and I could really use some advice on a camcorder for these uses. External mic input is a must so that I can control audio quality (especially on speaking gigs), as well as the ability to produce reasonably decent quality in standard room lighting. Decent zoom options also a plus so that I can get the correct focus for either the show or the speaking gigs. From there it'll mostly be fire & forget - stick it on a tripod and turn it on. I use Vegas for video editing, if that matters. I know the pro gear can get run several thousand dollars, but I'm not a video pro and can't justify that kind of expenditure at present. I don't know if this is realistic or not, but I'm hoping I can find something around the $500 range that'll fill these two needs. Can you offer any suggestions on a camcorder that fits the bill? I can't promise you fame or riches in return, but I have a friend here who apparently has the inside track on rent-a-babes... :-D [edit] Although I'll be using YouTube, I actually need better quality than web cam oriented products as both the talk shows and the speaking gigs will be included in promo materials that require a better presentation. [/edit]
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
modified on Monday, June 8, 2009 1:11 PM
I want to get the new Canon hi-def ($1k as most good hi-def ones are) but regardless of the camera you get you will need good studio lighting found in a camera store for relatively cheap. ... Talk show, huh? You know that not only do I have a big enough ego to ask to be on someone else's show but I should be in Atlanta sometime this month :p
Need custom software developed? I do C# development and consulting all over the United States. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
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I'm working on some video show ideas that I'll be releasing via YouTube that will be in the standard talk show / sitting at a desk format. I'm also hitting the speaking circuit again soon and need something to catch the gigs and throw into the promo bucket. The cheap little JVC camcorder I have doesn't handle indoor lighting very well, and also doesn't have the option for an external mic. I don't have anywhere near the background in video that I do in audio, and I could really use some advice on a camcorder for these uses. External mic input is a must so that I can control audio quality (especially on speaking gigs), as well as the ability to produce reasonably decent quality in standard room lighting. Decent zoom options also a plus so that I can get the correct focus for either the show or the speaking gigs. From there it'll mostly be fire & forget - stick it on a tripod and turn it on. I use Vegas for video editing, if that matters. I know the pro gear can get run several thousand dollars, but I'm not a video pro and can't justify that kind of expenditure at present. I don't know if this is realistic or not, but I'm hoping I can find something around the $500 range that'll fill these two needs. Can you offer any suggestions on a camcorder that fits the bill? I can't promise you fame or riches in return, but I have a friend here who apparently has the inside track on rent-a-babes... :-D [edit] Although I'll be using YouTube, I actually need better quality than web cam oriented products as both the talk shows and the speaking gigs will be included in promo materials that require a better presentation. [/edit]
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!
modified on Monday, June 8, 2009 1:11 PM
For quality and a budget, I recommend the Aiptek Action-HD GVS, which retails for about $220. See http://www.aiptek.com/[^]. Figure another $80 for a 32GB SDHC card (it has 128MB internal). I bought my wife the 720p version of this 2 years ago, and have never had a problem with it. I will soon be buying this one for her. She carries it all over the place, and we were very pleasantly surprised.