With part of my tax refund, I’d like to “invest” in a digital camcorder in the $200 range. I’ve read a couple of good reviews on the Canon ZR series, but some of these reviews are a couple of years old and possibly outdated. This being the most intelligent message board on the internet, I would like your recommendation.
What I’m looking for :
- I’ll be using this camera mostly for goofing around with. I’d like to chronicle the good times - parties, weddings, to annoy people, etc. Nothing too fancy.
- I’d like it to perform well in darker situations. I know that it won’t be very bright in any kind of dark situation, but I’ve seen a lot of videos that are pitch black when the moon was out and the porch light was on. Basically, if I can see people with my eyes, I’d like the camera to do a reasonable job of picking them up.
- I’d like to be able to easily transfer videos from my camera to the PC. Am I correct in assuming I can transfer everything to PC and reuse MiniDV cassettes?
- I would like decent battery life
Other than that, I wouldn’t even know what to look for in a camera. I have no legitimate need for it - I’ve just always wanted one. Any ideas from the gurus out there? Thanks!
I’m no camcorder expert either but I’ve been kicking around the idea of buying one too. Stuff I’ve learned:
Get a copy of the annual Consumer Reports electronics buying guide. It comes around once a year but you might be able to order a back copy.
Image stabilization is worth the money.
Optical zoom is worth paying for. Digital zoom is a cute gadget feature of limited usefulness.
There are two types of image sensors available; CCD and CMOS. Details here, you want a CCD type for low light if you can find / afford it. Sony has a line of Nightshot cameras that can sense near infrared which are supposed to do well in low light.
Give careful thought to the type of data storage you want. You will be married to it for a long time. I would consider something that uses the SD Card or Compact Flash format rather than a tape mechanism that can wear out and/or get misaligned. Capacities are rising by the week, they are relatively cheap, and you can keep a few spares for more recording time. Plus I think they take less battery power.
When come back, post whatcha bought so we can kibitz!
At Christmas time we bought a Canon ZR950 for $280 (CDN), our decision was based largely on the review from Consumer Reports. It uses a MiniDV or SD card as storage. We haven’t tested the limits of the battery yet but haven’t had any issues with battery life yet either. I’ve found the controls are fairly intuitive and the video quality is quite good. We’ve been pleased with it and would buy it again if we had to do it over.