Another noob looking for budget camcorder advice

[stadleroux]

I'm thinking of getting myself one of the cheaper MiniDV camcorders. My dad has just bought the Sony DCR HC-28 and I've used it a couple of times. It's OK, but I would like to know if there's anything better in that price range or a little higher.

I've looked at the Canon MD140's features at an online shop and they seem pretty cool. I suppose lens quality at this price range is pretty much of a muchness, right, but for a little more money than the Sony you get 35X zoom instead of 20X and it comes with a remote, something I've found very irritating not to have when I was looking at footage on TV and having to get up to control the camera every time.

Does anyone here have any experience of the Canon MD140 or other Canon models? Someone at a local shop rated a Canon higher than the Sony, but I can't remember which model it was and it could've been larger commission talking too, of course...

Oh, and one other thing: what the hell are the manufacturers THINKING is the purpose of these 800X, 1000X and 1200X digital zoom facilities?!? Are they into perverse abstract imagery or something? I don't get it...

[redsox_mark]

I find the budget Canon models to be good value. I’m not familiar with the MD140; that is probably a model specific to some chain of shops, their standard models are the MD101 and MD160. Both are good value for money.

I wouldn’t get too excited about 35x zoom vs. 20x. You would probably find 20x more than enough. And never use digital zoom so I’d ignore that. They just like big numbers.

[stadleroux]

Originally Posted by redsox_mark

I find the budget Canon models to be good value. I’m not familiar with the MD140; that is probably a model specific to some chain of shops, their standard models are the MD101 and MD160. Both are good value for money.

I wouldn’t get too excited about 35x zoom vs. 20x. You would probably find 20x more than enough. And never use digital zoom so I’d ignore that. They just like big numbers.

Yes, I must say, so far I've only seen the MD140 at one shop and that was online, so it could just be a typo too.

Edit: I've noticed only the MD110 and MD160 being referred to here, but strangely, on Canon Europe's site they only list the MD110, MD130 and MD150, so the MD140 and MD160 may be the latter two under other model numbers, I suppose...

[redsox_mark]

They have different models in different countries, on the canon UK site you will see the MD101 and MD160.