Hi

I recently found the Sony DCR-DVD91E on amazon for £338 and free delivery.
Thought this was a good deal so in a flurry of activity (unusual for me) I ordered it - and now after reading around the subject a *lot* more I'm worried that I've bought a duffer (MPEG2 image quality, VOB editing woes etc.).

My requirements are mainly to have a camcorder that is easy to use, and gives decent quality pictures (i.e. better than old VHS camcorders) - I'm very familiar with PC's (I'm a programmer) - but never been into photography. I would like to do some basic editing (just titles maybe, and cuts) and 'proper' DVD creation.

Should I consider swapping to a miniDV unit like the Canon 750i? Budget is around £350.

Thanks for any advice or thoughts,
Chris

[MarkE19]

IMO you should only buy a DV camcorder. DVD cams are prone to loads of problems and therefore lower quality. Do a search on here for more info on DVD cams, and I don't think you will find many people that like them.
Once recorded onto a DVD the picture is highly compressed and this will cause problems with any editing that you want to do. However they are very easy to use as you remove the disc from the cam, put it in a compatable DVD player and you can watch your recording. But adding chapters and a menu will require you to rip the contents onto your PC, author the new DVD and then burn back to another disc.

PQ should be better with both a DVD or DV cam than the old VHS cams, but digital cams do tend to be fairly poor in low light conditions ie in the house.

Mark.

Thanks for taking the time to write down your opinions Mark.


So, I think the DVD one is going back. Now I'm looking at the Canon MVX200 or MVX300; does anyone have any experience of these camcorders or similar? I have a very limited budget of £350 max.

Cheers,
Chris