[crobo]

I'm tempted to get an HDD camcorder and it's just for basic stuff so I don't want to spend a fortune. The obvious entry-level models seem to be the Sony SR32 at about £310 or the JVC MG57 for about £250.

Is one of these clearly better than the other? I've done a load of searching but the opinions are often so contradictory. Any help appreciated.

[senu]

Originally Posted by crobo

I'm tempted to get an HDD camcorder and it's just for basic stuff so I don't want to spend a fortune. The obvious entry-level models seem to be the Sony SR32 at about £310 or the JVC MG57 for about £250.

Is one of these clearly better than the other? I've done a load of searching but the opinions are often so contradictory. Any help appreciated.

That you want to use it for basic stuff doesn't mean you should limit your budget. I would hazard a guess and say the Sony may offer better IQ ( marginally) but the JVC may have one or 2 more manual features.
Beyond that I try not to be brand driven although Sony does make consistently good Camcorders and Ive found JVCs offerings to be hit or miss at times ( This is strictly an observed personal opinion, not based on any independent statistics )

Realistically, I feel that both are almost identical The price difference notwithstanding (Sony are not known to be shy in adding a bit more for the "Sony name")

This thread illustrates my point

However It would seem that the more you spend upfront,( for range) the better your videos ( basic or otherwise) are likely to be. One of the things that takes the greatest hit at the Budget level is lowlight performance and lack of any manual features ( which may come in handy for enhancing the quality of even basic stuff during shooting)

[crobo]

Thanks for the input senu, it gives me something to think about. One or two of JVC's other HDD camcorders got poor reviews on Amazon and I was basically wondering whether they were considered to be generally inferior to the Sonys.

[Jedfordski]

I just picked up a JVC 275 and am really happy with it. Bear in mind that I have no experience with other camcorders, so the picture quality might be rubbish compared to others, but it seems pretty good to me.

The reason I went for the JVC over the Sony is that I'm off to Hawaii next month and in the unlikely possibility that I fill the 40Gb HDD (9 hours at top quality) I can throw in an SD card to carry on recording and dump that straight into my Epson P2000 portable media storage unit. That also has a 40Gb HDD. The Epson doesn't take the Sony memory stick ...

Plus my missus preferred the slightly smaller JVC.