DVD camcorder

I have a vhs c camcorder and i am looking to buy a dvd one…cheapest one is around 500 but i heard they are no good
should i buy dvd or minidv? i like the fact that i can record it directly into a mini dvd and u can play on any dvd player..i heard sony 403 is suppose to be really good

Re: DVD camcorder

MiniDV's offer the best value for money right now, IMO. Technology is mature, prices are reasonable, more variety in screen sizes, and built-in still cam can be of very decent quality.

I considered a DVDcam a while ago, but at that time the price was too high for the feature set, and reviews were kinda mixed. Although to be fair, the biggest complaint all reviewers had was the miniDVD's do not allow basic editing functions on the camcorder, but honestly how many people do editing on the camcorder, anyway. My first preference is to just move the movie to my computer before doing any kind of editing. With miniDVD, you can just pop the DVD in your computer and copy it to your hard disk. After that you can playing with it for editing and effects etc. I may still reconsider miniDVD again in the fall, when I am likely to replace my current miniDV cam.

Another intriguing choice is the JVC line for harddisk-based camcorders. Extremely interesting idea and pretty decent reviews, but my hesitation is still on two fronts. #1 technology is very new, and #2, these cameras, by design will be noisier than miniDV (with the hard disk spinning). Not sure I'd recommend anyone to be the guinea pig for such a brand new technology. I am sure we have plenty of gadget geeks who will get it just to be cool, anyway, so they may as well test it out for the rest of us.

Re: DVD camcorder

With HD models now under $1000 there's plenty new to choose from. HD displays are very common now and it makes sense to make your next video camera HD too.

There are models that use SD cards which will be light and small making these new models just palm sized fitting in a coat pocket. Convergence is getting better too, 5+ MP digital camera features are not uncommon.

Take a look at the Sanyo HD1

Re: DVD camcorder

i want to basically make dvds…would i be able to do that with minidv ones? i want to be able to ship those dvds to my relatives in pak…i am not so much into movie making…i just wanna be able to make simple movies and share some with my family

i dont know if this is price mistake or not but when i see price of 999 and when i put in the cart, it comes out ot 340…should i try to get this one?

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/JVC-Everio-Camcorder-GZ-MC200US-/sem/rpsm/oid/116329/catOid/-13063/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Re: DVD camcorder

it's one of those Circuit City specials where their price is the best.. it's about $100 cheaper than the rest of the market.. definitely a good deal..

don't know much about the camcorder though.. looks good.. takes microdrives.. they're readily available and affordble too.. u can get an 8GB one and be able to record upto 2 hours.. BUT u'd have to sit on the computer, download the video and then convert to DVD.

Re: DVD camcorder

ok i bought sony dvd 405...i am reading great reviews for it

one thing concerned me is that salesman said you have to have lenses aligned every year cuz its a dvd camcorder...is it true? he says its 100 bucks for it...i bought 4 yr extended warranty for 180 and it won't even cover the allignment issue

also does anyone know if i can copy this mini dvd into the regular blank dvds?

Re: DVD camcorder

any more wisdom on dvd camcorders. my mini DV finally kicked the bucket and I am in the market for a new one, dunn have to be feature rich n shyt, not planning to pay for stuff i would not use or hardly use..as long as it records and zooms and has decent quality I am all for it.

so any favourites?

Re: DVD camcorder

Canon DC40 DVD Camcorder :love: great camera for an awesome price!

The price range for this varies so much though, lowest i’ve seen is $579, and the highest, $980!

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=171&modelid=12927

checkout the full review from CNET:

Re: DVD camcorder

what makes it worth the extra moey from dc2o 0r dc100

Re: DVD camcorder

biggest difference for me, 4.4 MPx CCD for the dc40 VS 2 MPx CCD for the dc20 - dc100 uses a lower CCD resolution most likely, its not even mentioned on the canon or cnet site...so the image quality difference is gonna be huge...

plus a whole lot of features for the dc40 compared to the dc20 and the dc100...

only $100 - 150 more for a dc40, i'd go for it :)

Re: DVD camcorder

so how important is 4.4mp vs 2mp for a casual video maker..just family..kid really.

Re: DVD camcorder

Fraudz - if you can easily afford to pay extra $100-150, I'd say go with 4.4MP. Obviously, the difference between the two is big but 2mp should be enough for your needs if you don't want to pay extra.

Re: DVD camcorder

Are you using the DC40 yourself? I'm asking because I'm also browsing the market for a new video camera.