Cheap camcorders any good?

[Artie Fufkin]

I have seen various DV camcorders for £179 and less. The only feature I know I would like is widescreen recording and the Canon 890 has this, as does Samsung VDP361 and some others too.

Although I have read through this forum, I am not sure if these cheapies lack what would be considered "essential features." What benefits would I get from spending a bit more?

I'm not looking to make a hobby out of this and don't care to be editing much...just want something cheap to record holidays, etc. and play back on my 42" PW7.

Thanks.

[redsox_mark]

More than features, the biggest difference is in the picture quality. Cheaper camcorders have cheaper lenses, physically smaller CCDs, etc. You are most likely to notice the differences in less than ideal conditions - e.g. low light, fast movement, etc. In ideal conditions, good lighting, it is harder to tell the difference.

Features do come into it as well, you tend to get more features with higher end models.. but not always.... e.g. the Canon MV890 has a microphone jack, while the excellent Sony HC3 does not!

Some features (not a complete list) you may want to consider:

- Widescreen support (you mentioned this already)
- Mic input: to attach an external mic for improved audio
- Image stabilisation: Optical or Electronic
- DV input (so you can output back to tape)
- AV input and/or pass through (so you can convert from external source to DV)
- Additional manual controls: E.g. manually set shutter speed, exposure, white balance.... also physical controls like a manual focus ring
- Still photo function on memory card
- Megapixel stills for higher stills quality
- Optical Zoom: Ironically, the better camcorders tend to have 10-12x zoom, while many cheaper ones have higher.
- Built in lights
- Accessory shoe (to mount microphones, lights, etc)
- Size and quality of LCD

[Artie Fufkin]

Thanks for the reply mark.

Looks like it's a case of spending a little more - not the first time I've said that since joining AV forums.

I know you like the Canons...I like the look of the MV930 but am not sure how it'll cope with indoor filming. Will it give acceptable pics? [not great, just acceptable will do]

[redsox_mark]

The MV930/960 (they are the same quality wise, the difference is the 960 has DV/AV input) actually does pretty well in low light.

See this review of the ZR700 (which = MV960):
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content...der-Review.htm

You can improve your indoor footage a lot with lighting. Even just turing on more ordinary lights in the room will help.