Camcorder mic issues

[Jon12345]

I want to create a number of videos using a Camcorder but an issue I have is regarding the built in mics. I'm sure they are fine for a non-commercial product but what if you want to create a video where you are in a noisy bar or out in the street or you want to create something where you are at a desk but want a lapel mic or something?

There are some new JVC (Eviro?) hard disk camcorders out that appeal to me. But they have a built in mic and no input jack, as far as I am aware. Is this common for camcorders nowadays? What do you do about it? Do you have a seperate recording device or what?

I'm a bit of a newbie on this as you can probably tell!

Thanks,

Jon

[Brian110507]

you could use a seperate recording device but then you are landing yourself with a quite difficult synchronisation task when you combine sound and picture. For most of us amatuers the only real answer is a camcorder with a mic input socket.

[MarkE19]

Camcorders at the lower end of the range tend to have fewer features, and a mic input is very often one of the features left out. Many of the midrange cams and up will have a mic input, but I'm not sure if any of the HDD cams will as they tend to be the more basic point & shoot type models.

Mark.

[Jon12345]

What would you classify as midrange? Which kind of price?

[MarkE19]

Well its a fair while since I've been looking at buying a camcorder, but in miniDV cam terms I would guess we would be looking at the £500+ price range to be sure of getting the additional features - but that is just a guess.

Mark.