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Help buying first Digital Camcorder

  • 23-09-2004 7:52pm
    #1
    sticker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,061 ✭✭✭


    Hey guys,

    Looking to buy my first digital camcorder, and after much searching found this
    There's no mention of any night feature...?
    Is this a worth while investment?

    What do you think? price? spec?

    It's essentially for home use...

    Cheers

    Conor
    Dublin


Comments

  • #2
    sticker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,061 ✭✭✭sticker


    Anyone?!


  • #3
    lodgepole
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,810 ✭✭✭lodgepole


    That model doesn't appear to have a FireWire IN function.

    If you want to edit the footage you shoot on a computer, you need to have a FireWire OUT function to get it onto the computer and a FireWire IN function to get it back onto tape. This is of course made redundant if you either don't want to edit the footage, or will be using DVD or VCD for your outputted work.

    Besides that it seems a good price, as long as you don't expect a huge amount beyond the basics.


  • #4
    sticker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,061 ✭✭✭sticker


    Lodgepole wrote:
    That model doesn't appear to have a FireWire IN function.

    If you want to edit the footage you shoot on a computer, you need to have a FireWire OUT function to get it onto the computer and a FireWire IN function to get it back onto tape. This is of course made redundant if you either don't want to edit the footage, or will be using DVD or VCD for your outputted work.

    Besides that it seems a good price, as long as you don't expect a huge amount beyond the basics.

    Would you consider it a worthwhile investment or should I go for something a little more advanced like this one

    PS - Excuse my ignorance, But what kind of storage is used on Digital Camcorders? Is it simular to a digital camera - in card format or is it essentially a small hard drive?

    Will I have to allow for the price of storage when buying?


  • #5
    lodgepole
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,810 ✭✭✭lodgepole


    A MiniDV camera uses a MiniDV tape stock. It's digital storage, on a tiny video tape. They are more expensive than VHS, but they are dropping in price all the time.

    The "i" at the end of the product code could indicate that it has a firewire IN function, since FireWire is sometimes called iLink. This is only important, like I said, if you plan on editing footage on your computer (where it is stored as a digital video file... mov, avi etc) and sending it back to a miniDV tape on your camera.

    There are several ways you can take the video off your computer. Burning the digital video to either DVD or CD is one. Exporting it via your video card's "s-video" port is another, this can be sent directly to a VCR. The other is via the camera, which can also export to a VCR.

    Be very careful of asking for advice in shops, staff rarely have any experience with the equipment they're selling and are quoting manuals. Go into a smaller camera shop if you want to get proper advice on how mini DV cameras operate and what you think might be the best option for you.

    edit, just checked, that model does have DV in and DV out.


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