sub £200 hd camcorder advice?

freeflyer56 · 06-09-2008, 10:56 AM

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a budget HD camcorder, ie under £200, lightweight as possible, preferably bullet style like the one below, and solid state. Good autofocus etc would be good. Other than that i dont need much.

I like the look of this prakica..
http://www.harpersphoto.co.uk/produc...tal_camcorder/

The video samples i've seen seem a bit jerky though.

Oh, and it also needs the standard tripod mount.Its basically going to be attached to my hang glider, so i can take in flight flying vids, hence why hard drive camcorders are out , as its bound to get a few bumps when i nose in

. Other than that i'll just use it for everday stuff.. Good weatherproofing would be a bonus too.

Anyone any experience or suggestions?

vib ribbon · 07-09-2008, 7:53 AM

In my experience, you get what you pay for - and unfortunately, £200 isnt going to get you that great a HD camcorder..not a new one anyway.

I think you can get one of the Sanyo Xacti's for tht sort of price, which are not that bad considering the money.

**senu** · 07-09-2008, 8:43 AM

Agree entirely.. they simply arent that cheap yet ( and seem unlikely to )
Up your budget a bit, wait or get an SD model
Unless your needs are modest you will "buy cheap buy twice," if you actually get anything for that money
Even some of the compressed video on You tube or Vimeo originated from fairly decent camcorders to start with

freeflyer56 · 07-09-2008, 11:06 AM

but they are that cheap !! if you're after basic and budget. the link i posted is £160 and has some favourable reviews, its this cheap because its now relatively old. Theres also the Toshiba Camileo H10 for under £180 which only came out a short time.

I know i could spend double, thrice or more and get a better model, but sometimes the basic ones do the job if thats all you require.

My needs arent great, and features, bells and whistles are important. Image quality doesnt have to be spot on accurate, I just need a reasonable camcorder to take in flight vids with high res, and the odd family video etc.

so has anyone any experience of these sub £200 hd camcorders?

ParmMann · 07-09-2008, 11:22 AM

I'm looking for a similar camcorder for my Dad's birthday.

He isn't the most tech-savvy so quality and features aren't the most important. He'd want a camera that's really easy to use, and quality that's clear enough on a big screen.

The Toshiba one looks interesting!

**senu** · 07-09-2008, 1:40 PM

The Toshiba one is regarded by some as a cute gadget but making the point, Your need may be entirely satisfied by it
In the same way as some Mobile phones do decent Photo and movie clips quite well, the Pocket friendly camcorders may be just what you need but
A lot of the video will look great on a PC , "so so" on a Larger LCD 19" but even viewed on a 32" screen you will find out how they able to make them at such low cost
A decent video picture with few whistles and bells is great but If the emphasis is on quality You would be asking too much from the the small sensor and lens , ect of the likes of Toshibas Camelio ( said to be a rebranded Aiptek)

I think we all underestimate how much we take broadcast quality ( as a normal standard) for granted

It is in the area of quality ( handling of motion , low light, and detail) that these pocket friendly kit most often prove to be underwhelming.
A relatively sedate scene in ideal light will be fine but anything other than that.. They may find challenging

freeflyer56 · 07-09-2008, 4:16 PM

okay thanks.. to be honest the toshiba wasnt a contender, as i saw the review on the gadget show which slated it. I'm still interested in the praktika above, and also now the Samsung HD700.

Is the HD700 really as good as everyone makes out for the price? Any others i should look out for?

**senu** · 07-09-2008, 8:57 PM

The Pracktica looks good on Paper and for the money practically a no brainer

However I would be happier if it was better known and its 720p 30fps video proves to have no codec problems for playback and editing
The Samsung has had a mixed reception on here .. do a search to see past threads

freeflyer56 · 08-09-2008, 9:12 AM

the praktika is available for £139 on some sites, minus the vat thats £120

. i think its very similar to the DXG-595V , probably the same unit.
I kinda like it and the videos on vimeo look better than the HD700 vids to me? http://www.vimeo.com/1214591 .

The only other issues are the weight (is 300grams light for a camcorder?) and whether or not you can film wth the LCD closed, which is a must.

freeflyer56 · 21-09-2008, 12:46 PM

well, i got the prakica dvc5.1. very nice little camera , good image quality , and light. Ideal for my needs. However, i do wish i'd read up about cmos sensors a little more, as the skew and wobble may be a problem when filming on the back of a glider. This is yet to be proved. Why did no one mention this ??

Anyway.. will give it a go.

07-09-2008, 7:53 AM	#2
vib ribbon Ex Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sutton Coldfield Thanks: Gave 49, Got 123 Posts: 1,048	Re: sub £200 hd camcorder advice? In my experience, you get what you pay for - and unfortunately, £200 isnt going to get you that great a HD camcorder..not a new one anyway. I think you can get one of the Sanyo Xacti's for tht sort of price, which are not that bad considering the money.
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