Camcorder Virgin needs help

[raven219]

That's me!

Don't even know where to begin in this field, but as the first little one is on the way, I would like to be able to film some stuff for the in-laws in Oz. I would like to get a simple to use camcorder that I can then connect to my PC and burn a DVD. The PC has all the burning softwre etc and even a firewire connection (on my soundcard).

I presume all I would need is some editing software and the camcorder itself. Recommendations on what I should be looking at.

Cheers

[ush flynn]

The most common format is miniDV which is like a small DAT cassette if you remember those.
To get this onto your computer you will need a connection called firewire or DV-in or ieee 1394 or I-Link (all the same thing!!!)

These days DVD camcorders are becomming common especially after sony showed on thier advert people whipping discs out of thier camcorders and watching them straight back on thier dvd player... It doesnt work like that and to be honest with the compression they use, expensive media, shorter recording times and pain in the neck useability, id steer clear

Then there is some solid state camcorders. You know... like a memory card with a camera attached. These are the same quality as the dvd cameras (ie. not as good as miniDV) but potentially offer faster transfer to PC, longer recording times but even more expensive media (although you can re-use it, unlike DVD-R)

What you should be looking for is something from panasonic, canon or sony. At the entry level prices these offer you the most for your money while retaining image and build quality. Dont go by zoom size! the panasonic will be tops here on something like 25x optical zoom, bear in mind this will me image shake to the max. Something around 10x-15x is much more sensible while still very powerful (if you know cameras then think 28-300mm lens)
Sonys have infra red night shots (night vision to you and me)
Canons can sometimes pick up camera noise (like you clicking buttons or fumbling with it in your hand) but tend to offer superb outdoor images
Panasonics are just good all rounders, they sometimes offer LED lamps for night illumination

all in all, max you should pay is about 350 these days and that will include some accessories

[MarkE19]

The firewire port on your soundcard may be more trouble than it is worth and therefore a good idea to use a dedicated firewire card instead. In the past I have seen loads of reports of not being able to capture via a soundcards firewire port. This is apparently down to these ports not being 100% ieee1394 complient. Try it first as it may work for you, but if you do have trouble then just put a ~£10 PCI Firewire card in the PC and use that. The card should be supplied with the cable to connect the camcorder to it as this wont be supplied with the cam.

You say you already have burning software to create a DVD. As long as you are useing Windows XP you also have good basic capture & editing software called Windows Movie Maker, but you will need Nero etc to burn a DVD as MM can't do that. Full help and advice on useing MM can be found Here. If you want something more advanced, either now or in the future, then just do a search on the forum as this question gets asked on a regular basis and there is already loads of advice on what to use out there to be found.

As for which camcorder to get, well you really do need to state a budget as they range in price from around £200 up to over £2000. I would advise going for miniDV or HD if your budget is big enough. These formats offer the best quality for the money and are the best for editing on a PC or Mac. My personal choice of makes are Sony, Canon & Panasonic - in this order. There have been a fair few threads going lately with the 'what cam should I get' question and a lot of good advice on picking the right cam has been offered. I suggest a search to see if any of the advice already given helps you to pick the perfect camcorder for you.

Good luck,
Mark.