[jetskidia]

......... which one?

I recently bought a Hitachi Camcorder but had to sell it because I couldnt get any recording off the camcorder and on to my pc, let alone do any editing if I had got it off

Can someone please recommend a camcorder that uses or comes with software that even someone as technophobic as me would be able to use
I dont have any problem using a camcorder, I just have a problem doing something with what I have filmed

Are these "pistol" type camcorders any good?
The ones similar to the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 pistol-grip camcorder

[senu]

Originally Posted by jetskidia

......... which one?

I recently bought a Hitachi Camcorder but had to sell it because I couldnt get any recording off the camcorder and on to my pc, let alone do any editing if I had got it off

Which sort?

Can someone please recommend a camcorder that uses or comes with software that even someone as technophobic as me would be able to use

They are all usable . However software may let the side down

I dont have any problem using a camcorder, I just have a problem doing something with what I have filmed

Are these "pistol" type camcorders any good?

The shape may not say which formatthey record to . that is simply a design

The ones similar to the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 pistol-grip camcorder

I believe that is a 1080 i AVCHD camcorder. You should be able to easily down load off an SD card but if you are based in PAl land it recored at 30fps . This isnt ideal for creating SD DVDS as it will have to be transcoded

The other problem with AVCHD is that although a uniform standard ( mpeg4 AVC /H.264) , the actual codecs used diiffer from brand to brand and there is no guarantee " standard software will support it
This is in addition to needing a decent C2D PC (or quald core) with at least 2gb RAM
would help with suggestions I imagine stating a abudget and the end use of your footage

[jetskidia]

Originally Posted by senu

Which sort?


They are all usable . However software may let the side down

The shape may not say which formatthey record to . that is simply a design

I believe that is a 1080 i AVCHD camcorder. You should be able to easily down load off an SD card but if you are based in PAl land it recored at 30fps . This isnt ideal for creating SD DVDS as it will have to be transcoded

The other problem with AVCHD is that although a uniform standard ( mpeg4 AVC /H.264) , the actual codecs used diiffer from brand to brand and there is no guarantee " standard software will support it
This is in addition to needing a decent C2D PC (or quald core) with at least 2gb RAM
would help with suggestions I imagine stating a abudget and the end use of your footage

Forgetting budget, which camcorder would you suggest, ideally the cheaper no frills option would be fine

[jetskidia]

134 views

only one answer

Anyone else

[tobygunnee]

Originally Posted by jetskidia

134 views

only one answer

Anyone else

I looked into camcorders a lot as was in the same position as you. I'm still very much a novice though and so just hunted round on review sites etc etc. I wanted HD, and eventually narrowed it down the Canon HF10 and Sony SR11E. I went for the Sony because I got a great deal. However, I've now been scared because I have been informed that you can easily lose your data on the HDD if you bang or drop it and am now thinking it would have been best to go for the flash drive canon. I'm going to start a new thread later to see how succeptible HDD's are to data loss through knocks etc. Hopefully I'm worrying over nothing, like every other issue I've posted on this forum so far

[senu]

Originally Posted by tobygunnee

Hopefully I'm worrying over nothing, like every other issue I've posted on this forum so far

You are

[senu]

Originally Posted by jetskidia

134 views

only one answer

Anyone else

You dont like my answer then?

Seriously, your end use: You tube PC or SD DVD AVCHD disc Bluray matter
As do if you want Hi def or Standard def
as well as recording media
Tape , SD card or HDD preferences
These should help suggestions come easier
Also did you want to edit? If so on the PC or mac?

Im not a fan of the Sanyos myself but it has its friends. the pistol grip shape is just a design . Its the lifestyle/ gadget desing ethos over video quality, using nonstandard formats that make me less warmy dispoased but you may not mind
Naming a budget helps to create a realistc shortlist
Also just to make confuce us Panasonic, Canon ansdSony have juse announced new models for 2009 , no less than 5 each
This doesn not make the 2008 models less worthy ( indeed it might mean you get them cheaper) but it does muddy the waters .. a bit

HTH

PS: Hitachi camcorders seem to be " Curries" specials and may not even appear on Hitachi s own website
You didnt say what the problem was with editing its content though

[tobygunnee]

Originally Posted by senu

You are

Haha, thought I would be. I can worry for England ;-)

Thanks for all your help on my posts by the way

[jetskidia]

Originally Posted by senu

You didnt say what the problem was with editing its content though

I couldnt understand how to get the film off my camcorder and on to my PC, let alone edit it?!?!

I need some real user friendly software to come with my new camcorder

[senu]

Whic sort of camcorder was it?.. and going on to my next post
All software can be learnable but you need to get the footage on the PC first

[jetskidia]

It was this one, or very similar to this one.

Hitachi DZ-HS500SW HDD DVD Digital Video Camcorder

[senu]

Originally Posted by jetskidia

It was this one, or very similar to this one.

Hitachi DZ-HS500SW HDD DVD Digital Video Camcorder

This is a hybrid DVD/ HDD camcorder

For DVD just burn the DVD and simply copy the files for editing

HDD: Depends. some camcorders are seem as USB mass storage devices in windows and contents oof the HDD can be copied by drag and drop or copy paste
Others need you to install drivers for Windows to recognise them . It is this that can lead to issues
Nonetheless any camcorder you buy now should either not need drivers or have drivers that work well
I dont like DVD camcorders myself and a Hybrid DVD/HDD one even less

As I said state:
Budget
Media type ( recording)
SD or Hi Def
Then simply buy with confidence
Software shouldnt be hard to learn:Its always best not to rely on bundled software though

[jetskidia]

Originally Posted by senu

As I said state:
Budget
Media type ( recording)
SD or Hi Def
Then simply buy with confidence
Software shouldnt be hard to learn:Its always best not to rely on bundled software though

Budget - It will be used once or twice a year so no need to spend a lot
Media Type - What do you recommend?
SD OR Hi Def - Dont mind

[senu]

Originally Posted by jetskidia

Budget - It will be used once or twice a year so no need to spend a lot

£200, £300 £500?.. you might end up using it more

Media Type - What do you recommend

?
Personal preference
I would chose an SD card model although Im pretty happy with HDD or tape myself

SD OR Hi Def - Dont mind

That would depend on budget
Obviuosly Hi def would look great on HDTV but would need a decent spec modern PC to Play and edit

[jetskidia]

My problem is not the camcorder but the ease of getting what I have filmed off the damn thing and then editing it!!!!!!

So with that in mind which one do you recommend??

[senu]

Originally Posted by jetskidia

My problem is not the camcorder but the ease of getting what I have filmed off the damn thing and then editing it!!!!!!

So with that in mind which one do you recommend??

SD card

I have however used all and found them pretty easy. I have tape models now but have used all media formats
SD card placed in a card reader and transferred by USB is really very easy but even using firewire ( for tape transfer ) is not that hard
I don't think you understand what Im saying here.
Ease of transfer isn't not hard on any.. you need to look at Video quality/ VFM over the ease of transfer which is unlikely to be a big issue

I think your Hitachi has just put you off

[Ken42]

jetskidia: You need to look around this forum and learn something about the technicalities of each camera/medium.

In some cameras, you can edit out duff footage in camera (eg Panasonic SD9), but you will need a powerful computer to do other things with High Def footage, and quite a powerful one to edit Standard Def footage. You need to consider both the camera, the computer and the medium you intend for ultimate viewing - TV, projector, DVD player, computer, etc.

If you're a technophobe and intending infrequent use, then maybe you should just buy a cheap camera and watch the footage on TV direct from the camera. Save the memory cards/DVDs/tapes for furture viewing and forget about editing.

[rotorua]

At the risk of being shunned...I took out the WHICH trial (30days for £1) and checked out their recommendations for Camcorders. I'm going to stick with MiniDV for the moment. I want to transfer to PC and edit and make DVDs using Pinnacle Studio 12. ( I first have to solve my Video Capture Device issue - another thread). According to WHICH and their readers/users Panasonic and Sony came out on top. So... budget restrictions steer me towards the Panasonic GS230. However, not tested by them, I'm also drawn to the Panasonic GS 330 at about £80 more expensive. Anyone got an opinon on either of these? Would I be getting my money's worth if I opted for the GS330? I'm going to be buying over the next few days one way or the other ...

[senu]

Get the Panasonic by all means 330 ( not 230)

Nobody will shun you for reading Which.. I do . I just dont pay anyattention to thier opinions on Camera and camcorders , AV kit or Mobile phones or computer kit

They are fairly good with domestic appliances , Groceries Customer service surveys and in many cases Financial products though

[A n d r e w]

I've tried both Panasonic's GS330 and their SD9. I ended up keeping the SD9 because the picture is sharper. The GS330 has its advantages (instant backup in the form of tapes) but not enough ultimately to justify it. If it had a microphone input, I probably would have kept it. The GS330 seemed to me to be marginally better in low light shooting indoors, though only marginally.

You should be able to find the GS330 for well under £300.

You'll need a firewire interface on your PC to import video from a mini-DV camcorder.