Advice needed - Camcorder shopping

kardarie

Hi

Now sure if i have the right forum for this question but was looking to buy and good camcorder for family use etc. I really haven't a clue what kind to go for but have been browsing through the usual websites and come across these two. Just wondering if anyone knows anything about either of them or similiar suitable ones. My max budget would be €300. Thanks.

Panasonic HC-V100EB-K full HD or Canon Legria HF R306 full HD.

WiDu

my advice, just get a dslr that can shoot video. you get the best of both worlds then.

for example; http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/fujifilm_finepix_hs30exr_review/

this is one of the best photography sites on the net.
heres a link to its list of best compact cameras
http://www.photographyblog.com/articles_best_digital_camera.php

Morph the Cat

WiDu wrote: »

my advice, just get a dslr that can shoot video. you get the best of both worlds then.

That's bad advice IMO. He wants it as a video camera primarily, so getting a DSLR is not the solution at all. I use a Canon 7D for video, but I need accessories to do it in a functional way - there is no auto focus when shooting video - so who'll pull focus for him when he's just shooting his family messing around? You need a range of lenses, and I need to use a shoulder mount to hold it properly, since it doesn't have a handle, etc - otherwise you need to grip it with 2 hands. It's too finicky for home use.

OP - get a camcorder. The Panasonic one you linked to there is good, and it can take photos.

WiDu

Morph the Cat wrote: »

That's bad advice IMO. He wants it as a video camera primarily, so getting a DSLR is not the solution at all. I use a Canon 7D for video, but I need accessories to do it in a functional way - there is no auto focus when shooting video - so who'll pull focus for him when he's just shooting his family messing around? You need a range of lenses, and I need to use a shoulder mount to hold it properly, since it doesn't have a handle, etc - otherwise you need to grip it with 2 hands. It's too finicky for home use.

OP - get a camcorder. The Panasonic one you linked to there is good, and it can take photos.

If you read his post you would see its for FAMILY use. He's not trying to make movies here. So no need for lenses and accessories. As for needing a focus puller, good one. More overkill. DSLR would be fine.

Fionn

those two cams would be ok for you, they do use a recording format called AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) because of the heavy compression of this format you need a pretty good computer to be able to view and edit AVCHD files. There are workarounds but it'll depend on how much time and money you want to invest.
Lots of people have bought into the new solid state camcorders only to find that they needed to up-grade their computers too.

Morph the Cat

WiDu wrote: »

If you read his post you would see its for FAMILY use. He's not trying to make movies here. So no need for lenses and accessories. As for needing a focus puller, good one. More overkill. DSLR would be fine.

So how do you propose he films his kids playing and keeps it in focus?

Chavways

Morph the Cat wrote: »

So how do you propose he films his kids playing and keeps it in focus?

Autofocus

ScumLord

I wouldn't have thought you'd get a good DSLR that can do video for €300.

I'd say get a dedicated piece of equipment if you can. DSLR can pull of some impressive video but it's just not intended to be a dedicated video shooter. A camcorder will be easier to use and easier to work with at just about every stage.

WiDu

Morph the Cat wrote: »

So how do you propose he films his kids playing and keeps it in focus?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSG3w3upW7s

paulztag

looking to pick up a camcorder for basic family use too. Any comments on the link below?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5635346/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C14419436/c_2/3%7C19780865%7CCamcorders+and+accessories%7C14419485/c_3/4%7Ccat_14419485%7CCamcorders%7C14419490.htm

Thanks

zenno

I picked up a panasonic hc-v10 from littlewoods last week and it's a fine camera i have to say. It has 70x optical zoom and a lot of other good settings that are in higher end cameras. It cost me just €150 so i think it was a good bargain camera. Great zoom capabilities. Video below on the zoom... It's not full HD but it is 720p.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMyzm1dENzg

I used this littlewoods code to get 10% off valid for 4 weeks 29V8A