drivesafe
24th May 2006, 06:01 PM
Hi folks, I do a bit of video work ( not that I ever get time to do anything with it ) but I was watching Channel 7 this morning and they had their electronics guru on talking about some of the digital video camcorders on the market.
Late last year, I needed a new camcorder and I went through all the hassles of trying to find out what was on the market and what were the pros and cons relating to the different makes and formats that were available.
If anybody is thinking of buying a new video camera/camcorder, the details I found out about the different cameras may be of some assistance to you in making up your decision on what to get.
I started off by looking at the new Hard Drive types and was very quickly turned off them for a number of reasons.
The main reason is that, although these cameras are pretty robust, the Hard Drive can be damaged with rough handling and repairs would be exorbitant. The DVD type is even more susceptible to problems caused by rough handling. As I use me cameras in 4x4 situations, rough handling is a major consideration.
Also both the Hard Drive and DVD require a spin-up time before they are ready to shoot and although only slightly longer than the MiniDV type camcorders, from experience, any additional delay is a problem.
Both the newer Hard Drive and DVD type along with the now well established MiniDV formats are really intermediate formats but more on that later.
This left me with only having to decide whether to go all the way to another 3 chip camera ( Panasonic = 3 CCD / Sony = 3 CMOS ) or just stick with the standard single chip camera.
After talking to a number of camera retailers and seeing how good these new cameras are, I decided to get get a single chip camera and spend up on quality lensed cameras with the highest OPTICAL magnification.
Through personal experience, I don’t have anything to do with Panasonic products anymore. They have an unbelievable contempt for customers that require repairs, but thats another story.
After looking around at a number of different cameras and talking to people who use their cameras in a similar manor to my requirements, I ended up buying a Sony MiniDV Handycam.
This camera is so small that when not in use, it fits easily in my T shirt pocket and this availability has meant that since buying it late last year, I have taken more video than ever before.
A number of things to look for, depending on how you intend to use your camcorders. I already have a semi pro Panasonic 3 CCD and I take a lot of rail video which means a fair bit of tripod use. The Panasonic’s poor design means that when it’s time to change the MiniDV tape, the camera has to be take off the tripod, the tripod shoe has to be unscrewed and then you can get access to change the tape and then back through it all again, in reverse to get the camera set up again.
A nifty idea, copied from still cameras, that is now appearing on camcorders is the built-in automatic lens cover. Turn the camcorder’s power on and the cover opens, turn the power off and the cover closes. No more loose lens covers blowing around in the breeze, knocking against the camera and the noise being picked up by the mics.
Now back to the 3 format, MiniDV Tape, DVD and Hard Drive. All three have advantages and disadvantages, but in my case i have found the established and well supported MiniDV to be the best system, for now.
In the not too distant future, Solid State technology, similar to that now being used in USB Memory Sticks, will be of such capacity and small enough to use in camcorders and when this happens, all other formats will rapidly fall by the wayside and will not be supported for very long. This was probably, more than anything else, the main reason I went with another MiniDV camcorder. There’s lots of them out there so they will more than likely be supported longer than anything else.
As to how soon Solid State camcorders will be available is only known by those working on their development, but once they do, the advantages will be many and the more obvious will be almost instant point and shoot operation, the ability of the camcorder to withstand very rough treatment with little effect on the camcorders. Much longer battery operating times and so on.
Anyway, the above is based on research I did before making my last camcorder purchase and I would be interested to hearing of the experiences of others, both looking into buying a new camcorder or using them now.
Cheers.
Late last year, I needed a new camcorder and I went through all the hassles of trying to find out what was on the market and what were the pros and cons relating to the different makes and formats that were available.
If anybody is thinking of buying a new video camera/camcorder, the details I found out about the different cameras may be of some assistance to you in making up your decision on what to get.
I started off by looking at the new Hard Drive types and was very quickly turned off them for a number of reasons.
The main reason is that, although these cameras are pretty robust, the Hard Drive can be damaged with rough handling and repairs would be exorbitant. The DVD type is even more susceptible to problems caused by rough handling. As I use me cameras in 4x4 situations, rough handling is a major consideration.
Also both the Hard Drive and DVD require a spin-up time before they are ready to shoot and although only slightly longer than the MiniDV type camcorders, from experience, any additional delay is a problem.
Both the newer Hard Drive and DVD type along with the now well established MiniDV formats are really intermediate formats but more on that later.
This left me with only having to decide whether to go all the way to another 3 chip camera ( Panasonic = 3 CCD / Sony = 3 CMOS ) or just stick with the standard single chip camera.
After talking to a number of camera retailers and seeing how good these new cameras are, I decided to get get a single chip camera and spend up on quality lensed cameras with the highest OPTICAL magnification.
Through personal experience, I don’t have anything to do with Panasonic products anymore. They have an unbelievable contempt for customers that require repairs, but thats another story.
After looking around at a number of different cameras and talking to people who use their cameras in a similar manor to my requirements, I ended up buying a Sony MiniDV Handycam.
This camera is so small that when not in use, it fits easily in my T shirt pocket and this availability has meant that since buying it late last year, I have taken more video than ever before.
A number of things to look for, depending on how you intend to use your camcorders. I already have a semi pro Panasonic 3 CCD and I take a lot of rail video which means a fair bit of tripod use. The Panasonic’s poor design means that when it’s time to change the MiniDV tape, the camera has to be take off the tripod, the tripod shoe has to be unscrewed and then you can get access to change the tape and then back through it all again, in reverse to get the camera set up again.
A nifty idea, copied from still cameras, that is now appearing on camcorders is the built-in automatic lens cover. Turn the camcorder’s power on and the cover opens, turn the power off and the cover closes. No more loose lens covers blowing around in the breeze, knocking against the camera and the noise being picked up by the mics.
Now back to the 3 format, MiniDV Tape, DVD and Hard Drive. All three have advantages and disadvantages, but in my case i have found the established and well supported MiniDV to be the best system, for now.
In the not too distant future, Solid State technology, similar to that now being used in USB Memory Sticks, will be of such capacity and small enough to use in camcorders and when this happens, all other formats will rapidly fall by the wayside and will not be supported for very long. This was probably, more than anything else, the main reason I went with another MiniDV camcorder. There’s lots of them out there so they will more than likely be supported longer than anything else.
As to how soon Solid State camcorders will be available is only known by those working on their development, but once they do, the advantages will be many and the more obvious will be almost instant point and shoot operation, the ability of the camcorder to withstand very rough treatment with little effect on the camcorders. Much longer battery operating times and so on.
Anyway, the above is based on research I did before making my last camcorder purchase and I would be interested to hearing of the experiences of others, both looking into buying a new camcorder or using them now.
Cheers.