Camcorder for beginner

[Sladey]

Hey

I am Uni Student currently getting into video editing and filming. I am doing a basic introduction module but we are still expected to produce good work, So as a learner I want something that will allow me good results.

I have a budget of around £300 but can go slightly over. I have been looking at hard-drive camcorders as I reckon they will benefit me in the long-run with no need to buy tapes/dvd/mini dv's. That is still good for video editing isnt it?

I have been looking at some very nice Sony Handycams for just over £300 but I notice they only have 1 ccd. Is it worth paying a bit more and going for the Camcorders with 3 ccd's that cost around £400. Or is the fact they are cheap with 3 ccd's mean they are not worth it?

Lots of questions I know but if someone could reassure me I am not on the wrong track and perhaps recomend me some cameras it would be great

Thanks

Chris

[redsox_mark]

Chris,

DV camcorders give (in general) better quality for the money at any given pricepoint. And if you are going to be editing, DV is actually a better format than MPEG2 (used in HDD cams) anyway.

1 CCD vs. 3 CCD: Well if you have your heart set on HDD, there is only one 3 CCD HDD cam I know of, the JVC M505 which is well over your budget. If you are looking at DV, the Panasonic GS models (GS180, GS300) have 3 CCDs and are very good. You are right that just because a camcorder has 3 CCDs and another has 1 CCD (or CMOS) you can't conclude that the 3 CCD one is better, but generally 3 CCDs is a good thing. The Panasonic GS300 for example is very good, the 1 CCD Sony HC96 is very similar. (Physical) size of a CCD/CMOS also is a factor, and the affordable models with 3 CCDs have small 1/6" ones.

I would look at the Panasonic GS models as they have the most manual controls, something that will be useful to you.

[Sladey]

Thanks for the reply

I read about the fact editing MPEG-2 isnt very easy so may have to go for some kind of media. Will end up getting expensive tho

I assume its all those mini dvds and not tapes anymore? Can the DV's be used more than once?

[redsox_mark]

DV (or miniDV, to use the full name) uses small tapes. It is a very lightly compressed format, so is easier to edit. By easier, I mean editing software can respond quickly, even when doing complex edits.

DVD camcorders use MPEG2, as do HDD camcorders.

Now in the old days (a couple of years ago...), very few editing applications performed well with MPEG2 on an average machine. Today the editing applications handle MPEG2 much better, and PCs keep getting faster. So today you generally can edit MPEG2 much the same as DV. Still - if you are doing advanced editing (e.g. changing the colour, and want to get it very accurate) DV is better.

You can purchase DV tapes on-line from amazon at £1.30 each. You can use them multiple times, but I generally don't, keeping the original as an archive. A tape lasts 1 hour (or 1.5 in LP mode).

[DaviesEE]

I have just bought the Sony DCR-HC96 and just had a little query. I was just wondering is it normal that when you slightly zoom in or out that the camcorder loses focus for about 10 seconds. It is just that with my older camcorder this did not happen. Many thanks.