Which camcorder best fits my needs?
I`m going to do sort of a world tour and I wanna record High quality images for a documentary and artistic music videos
Even though im considering to take 2 cameras (one bigger in size and one smaller for certain occasions) I dont want to buy anything really big. Its a trip, after all
Ive come accross these models
pro
Canon XH-A1S 3CCD HDV
Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS
smaller
Sony HDR-CX130 Handycam Camcorder
Panasonic HDC-SD80K HD SD Card Camcor
Ive seen some people testing them on youtube but they all look good
any suggestions?
Hi Tiago:
Looks like you found some good models to consider. The first two (Canon A1 and Sony FX7) are both in the $2500 US price range, and are both mini-DV tape format recorders (which will give you excellent quality video files to edit with).
The Canon allows the use of pro-XLR audio connections for external mics or audio mixers, but the Sony does not. For music videos this might be a major selling point.
On the smaller cameras (Sony CX130 and the Panny SD80) the Sony has the larger sensor (1/4″ versus 1/6″ CMOS) and will also take Sony MemorySticks as well as SD cards (the SD80 is SD-only). Both are in the $450 US price range and have similar zoom-range optics (the Sony zooms out a little wider-angle: 29.8mm vs 33.7mm). Both use AVCHD file format for recording, and have Standard Def options. But the AVCHD compression used for flash-based recording might be a drawback for both models.
If I was planning to shoot and edit footage from two different cameras, I’d at least want the same file format (and compression codecs) used for all content. You might re-consider your model choices for the smaller camera you buy. Look at some models (possibly older, even discontinued models) that use the same mini-DV tape format as your larger camera will shoot. The quality of your raw video will be way-better to start with (less compression) and the end results will edit together much better.
If I have time, I’ll post a couple of models of small mini-Dv Camcorders (I’ve used both Sony and Panasonic in the recent past) that would still keep in the same size and price range as the others you looked at.
UPDATE Edit: Both Canon & Sony have HD-capable miniDV tape format small camcorders available (I’ve posted B+H Photo dealer pages for reference). The Canon VIXIA-series HV40 is in the $650 US price range (see: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/597424-REG/Canon_3686B001_VIXIA_HV40_High_Definition.html ). And Sony’s HDR-HC9 is a bit pricier at $1098 US, but is less than half the price of the bigger Sony HDR-FX7 (see: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/537980-REG/Sony_HDRHC9_1_HDR_HC9_MiniDV_High_Definition.html ).
hope this helps,
–Dennis C.
TOP 10 FULL HD Video Camera – Best Price up to 95% off
|
|
Indy Jib 12 Ft Camera Crane Jib Boom w/ Crane Stand – No Tripod Necessary $495.00 Indy jib camera cranes feature the best quality at the best price. If you’re looking to achieve that “floating camera” shot that is littered in every motion picture today, then choose Indy Jib. Independent film makers can set apart your film from the rest of the crowd. Special Event videographers can achieve a level of professionalism that your competition can not compete with. Built from solid, l… |
|
|
SanDisk Extreme SD 16 GB SDHC Flash Memory Card SDSDX-016G $26.44 HD VIDEO… |
|
|
Sony DVC60PRL Mini DV Tape 60min Premium Data Cartridge 10 Packs $19.89 Watch your videos come alive when you record using SONY DVM60PRR Digital Video Cassettes. Each tape provides 60 minutes of premium quality digital video in a convenient pack. They feature metal evaporated tape, with a diamond-like carbon coating protective layer, which improves durability and helps prevent shedding and dropout. Start recording now with a SONY DVM60PRR 10 pack…. |
|
|
Panasonic AY-DVM60EJ5P MiniDV Tapes (60 Minute, Pack of 5) $5.09 Panasonic Mini DV Cassette AY-DVM60EJ5P Video Cassettes… |
|
|
Drift HD170 HD Action Video Camera with 4X Digital Zoom $329.99 The Drift HD170 action camera is arguably the most feature-rich hands-free video camera on the market. It’s loaded with features that many of its high definition predecessors lack – like an LCD screen for lining up the perfect shot and an RF remote to shoot shorter clips, saving precious storage space, batteries and edit time. In fact, the Drift HD170 is the world’s first full HD wearable action … |
|
|
Panasonic Professional AG-HMR10 Handheld Solid State AVCCAM Recorder $1,549.00 The AG-HMR10 handheld AVCCAM HD solid-state recorder puts the flexibility of recording and viewing high quality 1080 and 720 AVCHD content directly in the palm of your hand. AVCHD recording is superior to HDV, providing double the recording time and higher quality than older MPEG-2 compression used in HDV formats. The battery-powered HMR10 can be teamed with the optional ultra-compact AK-HCK10 Fu… |
|
|
Panasonic AJ-CS455 Mini-DV / DVCAM Compatible Cassette Playback Adaptor for Select DVCPRO VTRs $129.95 Please note this is for select DVCPRO Vcrs and Will not play in VHS DECK… |
|
|
Video Shooter: Storytelling with DV, HD, and HDV Cameras; DV Expert Series $4.95 Video Shooter is a guide to both the mechanics of the video camera and the craft of shooting. Written by a veteran in the industry and utilizing an engaging, conversational style (including illustrative anecdotes from the author’s many years of experience), the book takes the reader beyond “button pushing” to teach the complete range of skills required to capture compelling images. Topics include … |
|
|
Movie Edit Pro 15 Plus [Old Version] $29.75 The video editing software with more options for creating perfect videos: MAGIX Movie Edit Pro 15 Plus unifies highly precise video editing tools and numerous uniquely customizable special effects with professional audio dubbing! Transform your PC into a high-quality film studio. 99 tracks, a flexible user interface, multi-cam editing, 3D title animations, numerous cinematic special effects, cryst… |
|
|
Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Upsell from Premiere Elements [Mac] $490.55 Improve the video production process with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 software. The 64-bit, GPU-accelerated Adobe Mercury Playback Engine provides rock-solid performance and stability, even at 4K and higher resolutions. Work natively with the latest tapeless formats and DSLR cameras without transcoding or rewrapping. Accelerate production with an efficient script-to-screen workflow, rround-trip editing… |