First Camcorder Decisions

[WiZeR]

Hi all

I am a camcorder virgin and require some opinions from this forum. Going to be a Dad soon, so looking for something for home movies. I have done some research and decided I would like a HDD camcorder and am looking at a JVC Everio GZ-MG275. I considered going for HD but I don't have a HD TV atm and I don't think I'll personally be bothered by the difference in quality.

Is the GZ-MG275 a good choice? Or is there something else I should be considering in this area.

Any help appreciated.

[rhubarbe]

Yes. Imagine that your baby was born twenty years ago and that you had captured the event, and the growing, on an old VHS camcorder. Imagine that you're now playing it back and wishing that you had been foresighted enough to have gone for the new Digital8 camcorder that would have given you your memories for ever in much higher quality.

Get an HD camcorder, or in 20 years time you'll be regretting it just like the guy in paragraph one above.

[gritstone]

Originally Posted by rhubarbe

Get an HD camcorder, or in 20 years time you'll be regretting it just like the guy in paragraph one above.

Not quite true IMHO... you won't regret any of the memories to manage to capture, whether it's on HD or not, a photopraph or whatever...

There's more to getting good quality 'memories' than the hardware.
But it's probably easier with decent kit.

[rhubarbe]

I don't think I said he'd be regretting the memory. I was trying to point out that since in 20 years time EVERYBODY will be watching TV and video on an HDTV, and that as we are at the dawn of a new age in video, to pass up the opportunity of capturing those priceless and unrepeatable memories by shortchanging on bandwidth for the sake of a couple of hundred quid, would be a shame.

[WiZeR]

thanks i'll consider your thoughts.

So was the camcorder I posted above anygood? If I was to go for a HDD HD, what might it be?

[rhubarbe]

Well, here's the review of the GZ-MG255, its little brother:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content...view-33196.htm

The cheapest HDD HD camcorder is the Sony HDR-SR5 at about £570.

Alternatively, there are camcorders that take solid state memory cards, the cheapest HD version of which is the Panasonic HDC-SD1 at about £620, though this is being replaced by the new HDC-SD5, due soon and slated to be cheaper.