Newbie to Camcorders - Help please

[Jimmathie]

Hi all,

I would really like some help please. Expensive year this year, wedding, honeymoon, new house, DVD recorder and now a new camcorder!! Oh and now a baby looks like it is on the horizon!! So I need a new gadget to calm myself.

With the wedding coming up in September my good lady has decided to LET me buy some new kit to play with and record the ceremony - I actually thought I would be in the ceremony and not filming it, maybe she has other plans. The trouble is I know nothing about them! This is new ground for me.

I do know what I would like to see in the camcorder though. I need it to be small as I am the one carrying it around all day. I would intend copying the movies to a DVD recorder and editing with a PC ot vice versa? Also Still images are important, really good quality if possible. I intend to print onto photographic paper so quality stills is a must. Price really isn't an issue as long as it does all of the above. I know this seems to be the jack of all trades but I really want a small camcorder that does everything and not to have a seperate stills camera as carrying the stuff around on holiday is a real pain.

Thanks in advance,

[MartinImber]

Look at Sony

TRV33
TRV60

or

DCP105

[woody67]

I think that you will get rubbish still images from a camcorder.

If photos are more important, what about a good stills digicam with a movie facility?

There are some small Sony and Canon models. I have a JVC GR DX100 which is pocketable and takes good quality movies - but crap stills - and it has a 1.3 mp sensor!

For a good tiny digital, have a look at the Pentax Optio and Casio Exilm - which are no trouble to carry.

But my advice would be to keep the baby, buy the gadgets, but don't bother with the other things you've planned for this year. lol

[witters]

I can't believe Martin has recommended Sony

[Jimmathie]

Hi,

Thanks for the help. I have been looking at a few models and I have sort of decided to sway towards the Sony DCR-PC330?! I have read some good things about this and it has 3MP stills so it seems to fit the bill. What do you think? I have seen it for £940, do you think this is a good price?