Maybe, but HDD costs extra. You could spend that money on 3 CCDs instead, getting a better image quality. Of course, it's a trade-off. MiniDV is cheaper and *possibly* slightly better quality; HDD and DVD are more convenient.
There are more things to consider in video cameras than just 3ccd and hd when shopping for quality. 3CCDs are better than a single CCD if both are of the same size. Size of the chip matters, the bigger the better, as seen in professional cameras. A 1/4 inch 3CCD is nothing to brag about. A3/4 inch 3CCD is many times better than the smaller one. Next is hd, which means it has a minimal resolution of 1280/720. It also includes much higher resolutions like 1920/1080 (already in existence) and even some in the pipeline boasting of resolutions exceeding this. What the video cameras have not come out with are the truly magnificent lenses that are of apochromatic specs. At mid-telephoto to telephoto range with the lens at open aperture-like shooting badminton videos-apochromatic lenses should be the ultimate. Video cameras become obsolete very quickly. I have stacks of super8 films and DV tapes that I promised myself to edit and put them all on my dvd recorder hdd, but I get so discouraged at the sheer quantity that I never got off the starting block. I have no less than 7 video cameras and only one is used when I travel.
well, looking at the specs of the various models on that website MINI DV: DCRHC26 BASIC MINI DV HANDYCAM $599.00 AUD CCD 1/6" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 400k DCRHC96 3 MEGA MINI DV HANDYCAM W/STATION $1,199.00 AUD CCD 1/3" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 2,057k DVD: DCRDVD605RW3 DCRDVD605 + DPW30S2 x3 $849.00 AUD CCD 1/6" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 400k DCRDVD705RW3 DCRDVD705 + DPW30S2 x3 $999.00 AUD CCD 1/5.5" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 690k DCRDVD805RW3 DCRDVD805 + DPW30S2 x3 $1,399.00 AUD CCD 1/3" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 2048k HDD: DCRSR40 ENTRY 30GB HDD HANDYCAM $1,199.00 AUD CCD 1/6" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 400k DCRSR60 1MP 30GB HDD HANDYCAM $1,399.00 AUD CCD 1/5.5" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 690k DCRSR100 3M WIDESCREEN HDD HANDYCAM W/ 5.1 REC $1,799.00 AUD CCD 1/3" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 2,057k Hi-Def: HDRHC3 ULTRA COMPACT HDV 1080i HANDYCAM $2,299.00 CCD 1/3" - No. of Pixels "MOVIE" Rec (Effective): 1,434k I would say that 2 stand out to me: the base level mini-DV for value DCRHC26 BASIC MINI DV HANDYCAM $599.00 AUD , Pixels 400k and this HDD for pixels and convenience DCRSR100 3M WIDESCREEN HDD HANDYCAM W/ 5.1 REC $1,799.00 AUD, Pixels 2,057k And then I would want to know if the Hi-Def models were actually better, and why. Are some models better at capturing motion than others?
It all depends on your tv. If your tv is low definition then the best hd video camcorders will be wasted, in sofar as resolution is concerned. Also if the screen size of your tv is 42 inch or larger and you have a hdtv, then you should get the best video recorder. I would go for the heavier hd digital video recorders with 3 ccd of 1/3 inch. Small camcorders that you can hold in one hand, even those with 3ccd, are a gimmick. A single larger 1/3 inch size ccd camcorder will out-perform a mini 3 ccd 1/6 inch. High defintion requires a resolution of 1280 x 720, roughly close to a million pixels. However, resolution is not the most important spec in video recorders. No.1 is its contrast ratio, then colour saturation, colour accuracy, and fourth resolution. Generally, for quality, avoid sets that you can hold with one hand or put in your pocket. On the other hand you don't want to look silly carrying those heavy and bulky gears that professionals use.
For badminton, you have to take into account low-light performance, which is another way of saying that 1/3" CCDs are better than 1/6" CCDs Anyway, this is my favourite review site: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ But again be wary, a camcorder may be given a high rating because it performs very well in bright sunlight (3 CCD cams give lovely colours in sunlight)... pay more attention to low light performance if recording badminton is important. Anyway, if you are on a budget of under US$1,000, camcorderinfo rates the Panasonic GS500 as the best in that category and the reviews states despite being a 3 CCD model, it has better low-light performance than the 1/2.8" single CCD Canon competitor. So, CCD size is not determinative of low light performance.
Two other specs in camcorder you need to look out for are the type of zoom used and the type of image stabilizer. Optical is best for both; electronic or digital is poor.
