I appreciate the link ctjcad, but the topic is 2 years old.. camcorders have moved on somewhat since then, I think
No kidding, I'm struggling to decide. It's gotten to the stage that if I can find one of the ~5 camcorders I want for under €350 then I'm just going to get it..
Try to look for one with about a 1/3" sensor Here's an easy list to check with (US) prices as well to see which comes close to the €350 range: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php# I had the Sony SR-11e but software for the avchd codec was/ is still pretty poor so returned it (and my pc was not up to the task ). Would also prefer flash storage over harddisk (weight) but it's still developing so I'm still in the wait-and-see mode ... (now deciding between a dslr or getting a vidcam again) I see the Canon HV-20 in the list for US $399.99. Doubt you can find it for €350 over here but if you can you should go for it (if you don't mind using mini dv tapes that is). Also uses HDV instead of avchd which is easier to deal with for slower pc's. In any case in my decision proces #1 was sensor size for indoor filming.
In any case, whichever 5 models you have in mind, that site was pretty usefull for me so I'm sure it'll have reviews of most of them
Found a great deal on the Canon HR 10 here in Holland: €335 (€340 delivered), next best deal €~400. A comparable camera to the HV20 and HG10 (same exact cmos sensor, 1/2.7"), difference being: dvd, mini dv and harddisk respectively. Other good deals for the JVC GZ-MG730 at €369 (€374 delivered). Maybe you can find similar deals over there. That HR 10 deal is worth some serious consideration for me , although it's so very convenient to have a harddisk/ssd like the JVC for instance.
Just remembered why dvd was my least prefered storage medium: no capacity at all . Read it was something like 14 minutes at the highest HD quality setting, which was already lower than the highest one on the mini dv and hdd one. Useless for recording badminton ...
Hey, demolidor, sorry to interrupt your conversation with yourself The main camcorders that I'm interested in are the Sanyo Xacti HD1010, and the Canon HF100. Both of them are about €450 now, but the thing is they've both been replaced (HD2000 and HF200 respectively), so I'm hoping that they'll come down in the coming months. However, that might be a foolish hope, as I see that the Sanyo HD1000 is still very similar in price to the HD1010 and indeed the HD2000. That's the problem with camcorders.. the difference between cameras always seems so small even when there is a chasm between their levels of performance. It's so tempting to just keep thinking "I can spend €50 more.. and €50 more..". I started off with a budget of €200! I agree about the DVD format. I would never buy a DVD camcorder. MPEG2, rip-and-reencode = Do Not Want. I think I'd prefer a flash camcorder, purely for the size. Also, the price difference between inbuilt storage camcorders and removable ones is generally not justifiable. If you see the price difference between the HF100 (SD card, no inbuilt), and the HF10 (SD and 16GB inbuilt), it's something like $150. For that price you could get more than two 16GB cards ... I have also though about getting one of the high-zoom Point & Shoot cameras, like the Panasonic FZ28 or the Canon SX1 (pricey though, the Canon). However, there's a problem with these too. For some reason (perhaps the .mov format they record in), the recordings are limited by filesize, regardless of the size of the card you have in your camera. With the FZ28 you could record up to 2GB in 720P, and with the SX1 you can record up to 4GB in 1080P. Beyond this restriction which I believe applies to both US and EU models of the cameras, there's also the EU import tax regulation which restricts the recording length of something taxed as a "camera" - "camcorders" have a further 12.9% import tax. SO. STILL NO CLOSER TO DECIDING. :"(
What do you intend to use your camcorder for? 1. Is this just to record your badminton games? 2. Is this to record other personal, trivial activities? 3. Is this to make professional recordings of tournaments? 4. Is this for some indie film-making on the side? In basic terms, your final output should decide what you buy. If recreational video is the target, any camcorder will do. The one on your phone is probably over-qualified, even for YouTube.
1. No, not just badminton games, but I would imagine that it would be used for that at some stage (hence not getting a time-limited camera) 2. Yep, recording other stupid stuff too. Nothing specific, really. 3. I don't plan to make money from it if that's what you mean.. 4. Ehh.. maybe. My phone (Sony Ericsson K800i) is notorious for having terrible video quality- it's QVGA. When I buy stuff, I usually research obsessively and generally try to get top of the/my range.. saves me having to buy another one the next year.. Ty Oldhand
Hi Kwun, When shooting badminton with your 1dmark3 what settings do you use? AV Mode? This would help me. Cheers