Camcorder recommendtions < £750

[barcrawler]

Hey all, im hoping you can help a noob (me) and recommend a good camcorder for less than £750, here are my basic requirements:

Ideally Hard Drive (less to carry around!)
Good low light/indoors
Dont want HiDef (dont have TV and not sure my laptop can cope!)
Excellent picture
Ideally excellent stills
If MiniDV/etc miles better than harddrive will go with minidv....

Im continuing my research but any help greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance

Joe.

[redsox_mark]

A budget of £750 screams out to me "High Def", even if you don't want/need it now...

If you want HDD and to stick with std def, given your wist list I suggest the Sony SR290 (or the 190... though stills are better on the 290). Large sensor makes it decent in low light.

Or, consider a HDV tape model, like the Canon HV20. With these you can shoot HD now, but if your PC and kit can't cope, have the camcorder downconvert to DV. The quality of the DV is excellent DV (will be as good or better than say the SR290). And you can keep those tapes and when you eventually get a faster PC and a High def screen, reissue in high def.

Note HDV isn't so processor instensive as AVCHD (High Def on non-tape media), so you may even find your PC can handle it.

[barcrawler]

good shouts, i wasnt aware you could "downgrade" footage to normal std ........ in which case it makes sense to be hi-def......

I am using a laptop, what sort of specs are needed for software converters? that way i can retain Hi-def, hard drive and convert to std to watch....

so which Hi-def, HDD and software converters are recommended???? *heads of to search for himself too*

THANKS for your help!!

[redsox_mark]

With HDV (tape) the camcorder can do the conversion.

With AVCHD (HDD/flash), it needs to be in software. The cams all come with some basic software which can do this. Or editing software like Sony Vegas or Ulead Studio can. You should be able to convert on most any PC, but on a slow one it will take a long time. If you are editing (and need to preview your edits), you need a fast PC, e.g a core duo processor.

[barcrawler]

I dont mind if slow to convert and wont be using it for editing (or if i do then will upgrade PC )

Which is the best hard drive, hi-def model at the moment then? Or should i stick with HV20 (or wait for HV30 next month).

Massive thanks for your help, my baby daughter is growing so fast and want some memories stored (as my actual memory is shocking!!).

Thanks

[redsox_mark]

Canon HG10 is probably the best current HDD-AVCHD cam. Or the Sony SR7/SR8.

Whether you go for that or a HDV model depends.. your expected work flow, how you will backup and archive, etc. There are pros and cons. Quality on the HDV models tends to be a little better, but it's close.

[senu]

HDV with tape will limit you to 1 hr and download time to the PC is real time they also tend to be bigger ( slightly) and tape look Soooo "80s" ( Some of us dont mind though)
That is "the bad" ....the rest is all good
you get
Arguable better Video ( not a great deal to be fair the gap is closing up but HDV still shines with low light and rapid movt)
Your tapes are your archive .. and even if you edit you can returen the edit to another tape for storage and viewing
The footage can be downconverted "on the fly" while capturing meaning you need not do it in software and test the limits of your PC ( and you stil retain the HDV material as HDV
However the HG 10 as a high def camcorder HDD camcorder is highly praiseworthy even though it isnt "perfect" ... but then none of them is
It delivers the goods where it counts

[barcrawler]

well I think I am going to go for this: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content...HV30-34020.htm

The HV-30, replacement of the HV-20. Longer battery life and 3mp photos being the reasons for getting the newer version (so long as its not over priced - he lives in hope!)

I like the idea of having tapes as hidef backups, 80's will always be cool (he he) and i can get over having to carry tapes/1hr limit to shooting.

Thanks for all your help and I will get back with a review of the HV-30 when I receive it :D