HDD Camcorder advice and buying from eBAY!

[nsmundra]

I would like your advice please guys... I'm looking for a HDD camcorder which I'll be using it once in a while to film the family. It doesn't need to be hi-def as the footage will be burnt to DVD or posted on the net to share with family abroad. I don't want to go with miniDV just because of the time it takes to download footage to the PC and the fiddling about with tapes. I haven't really set a budget but around the £300 mark would be good!

I've been looking around ebay and there seem to be good deals to be had with buying camcorders from Electronic-King and DigitalRev in particular.

I understand I could get stung for import duty but other than that is there anything I need to be aware of? Would there be an issue in compatibility?

[rhubarbe]

You also need to know that Electronic King only sells NTSC camcorders. Whilest this isn't so much of a problem with HD (high defiition) it is for SD (Standard Definition) because you'll need an NTSC capable DVD player and TV, which most are not, in fact 99% are not in the UK.

You will also most likely get stung for VAT and possibly Duty, and maybe even a Customs clearance charge by the shipper (£13 Parcelforce and the others, like DHL, UPS, the first figure they thought of, doubled for fun).

DigtalRev is based in HK and its cams are PAL but they don't bear the EU "CE" mark and will not have a warranty in Europe.

Also with eBay one has to be very very careful because of hijacked accounts and other scams, though there are undoubtedly some real bargins sic to be had.

[ragpicker]

DO NOT GO THERE !!!!

E-bay is for second hand bargains, and when I say a bargain I mean just that.
Like you'd get at a car boot sale. It simply isn't worth taking the risk. If anything goes wrong, even if its covered by the so called Paypal protection, it will take ages and ages to get your money back, if indeed you do.

E-bay has got far too big and greedy for its own good. If you sell something, now not only do you pay an insertion fee ( fair enough ) but they rob the seller of something like 7.5% of the final price, then they'll add 17 1/2 % VAT to the invoice and just to rub salt in the wound, if you've received payment by Paypal they take their cut as well.

Its just a fun way to buy and sell junk. Thats all it was originally intended for.

[ragpicker]

DO NOT GO THERE !!!!

E-bay is for second hand bargains, and when I say a bargain I mean just that.
Like you'd get at a car boot sale. It simply isn't worth taking the risk. If anything goes wrong, even if its covered by the so called Paypal protection, it will take ages and ages to get your money back, if indeed you do.

E-bay has got far too big and greedy for its own good. If you sell something, now not only do you pay an insertion fee ( fair enough ) but they rob the seller of something like 7.5% of the final price, then they'll add 17 1/2 % VAT to the invoice and just to rub salt in the wound, if you've received payment by Paypal they take their cut as well.

Its just a fun way to buy and sell junk. Thats all it was originally intended for.

[rhubarbe]

Well, I don't know if I'd go that far....

[Tatra-Man]

Originally Posted by rhubarbe

DigtalRev is based in HK and its cams are PAL but they don't bear the EU "CE" mark and will not have a warranty in Europe.

Just bought a Panasonic HS9 from SimplyElectronics who have an office in Newbury and import from Hong Kong and it does have the CE mark, as does its battery and power supply. Simply give their own 12 month warranty and probably can't exempt themselves from the UK Sale of Goods Act anyway.

[rhubarbe]

There's one in the eye for Mr panacamcorder on the other thread, then.

[Tatra-Man]

From the HS9/SD9 thread:-

Originally Posted by Tatra-Man

Just had a look on the bottom of my HS9 and it has the CE mark. So has the battery and the charger.

[rhubarbe]

You want to borrow my camp bed, while I do some work for a bit?