[LizG]

My husband is looking at getting a camcorder before we go on holiday to Hawaii for my son's wedding. He will mainly be using it for video of steam engines but no doubt might also be persuaded to use it for our new little granddaughter.

He has been advised that a Carl Zeiss lens is best and has a budget around £225.

What sort of features does he need to take into account when whittling down his options. At the moment he is considering a Sony DCR SR 37ES or a JVC G2 MG 330.

Thanks you

[senu]

To be honest , I dont think there is a big difference in those 2 although I would go for the Sony.. but I would be surprised if in a compartison you could tell any difference in video quality
They should also both be user friendly and simple to master
Saying that the Carl Ziess is just marketing as that is the brand Sonys Go for and they are not all equal in optical ability .. some sporting "vario sonar" ect

Im not sure how good these pocket friendly camcorders are for
Battery life
Low light ability
Auto focus speed
ability to retain colour info
I would probably get one in advance with the option to return if it dissapoints

I would have advocated a tape model at this pric but they are now rare and firewire sockets on PCs are getting rarer. Also a lot of folk just want the instant download to PC by USB ( dont blame them TBH) but these come at the expense of big sensors which capture better in subdued light

My advice would be to try before you buy .. you might like it.. if not you are not stuck with it

If you can .. up your budget and get a costlier hi definition model