New HD HDD Camcorder wanted .... where to start?

[CasDon]

Hi,

Been a while since I've been in this forum.

Anyhoo, I'm looking into getting a new HD HDD camcorder.

The old Sony HC20e is flakier than a box of kellogs these days with random switching on and off and I have 2 important events coming up during the next 12 months, the wife's graduation and my sister in laws wedding.

So being in the market for another camcorder I want to get a Harddisk one (no more tapes for me) and I want High Definition.

I'm probably willing to go maybe as high as £500 if necessary but ideally I'd like to go around £350 which I have seen a JVC & Sony capable of 1920x1080 resolution as I want to keep a bit of cash back for any upgrades I may need to the PC to deal with AVCHD editing

So an recomendations, personally after 2 bad experiences with Sony AV products I'd like to avoid them.

[nwdave69]

Hello all,
I had the pleasure in joining this forum a few days ago and it helped me with my decision to purchase a Canon HF100 as it suits my needs and I don’t require the extra HHD storage of the HF10.

So now it was matter of price and after lots of hours spent I found the below business that enabled me to buy an ex Canon own demo for £399!!! What a bargain!!! Well I thought so!

I spoke with the shop today and it’s in the back of a van winging its way to me as we speak so if it helps others save a few quid then I've done my bit!!!

They also have other Canon items at daft prices and only have a few of the HF100's left!

http://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/pro...categoryid=440

[rogs]

Not again! - I'm having trouble finding posts, at the moment, that aren't freebie adverts for somewhere called 'Harrison cameras'. I think this is the 6th in two days.

Sounds like they are a bit desperate --best avoided?

[nwdave69]

Actually they are not desperate at all.
I am a customer that first took time here and on the stuff forum pages to research the best product for me, then I spent hours trying to find a good deal.

I found Harrison's via a google search and gave them a bell, the staff were very helpful in particular Simon so I offered to post them here to help them and others like me that were looking for a great camera at a knock down price as they only had a few remaining.
I accept your observation but I would strongly advise checking your facts and perhaps a little help to my earlier posts asking for advice would be far more helpful than making assumptions about the credibility of my posts.

Can you perhaps suggest where a Canon HF100 could be bought now for £400??? Maybe you could suggest a better cam with a better deal for the poster of this thread???

As its been a bank holiday I am awaiting the camera to turn up as it says in my posts and I'll be happy to post the results.

Of course you could ring Harrison’s and find out for yourself?

[rogs]

If you check, you'll see that my comment about 'desperation' and 'avoiding' are followed with a question mark - they are not statements of fact, merely a personal viewpoint.

I can quite see why you would be keen to share the availability of a good deal with other forum members -I've done the same myself. What I've not done is post the same thing in 6 different threads. I'm surprised the mods haven't removed at least five of them!

Why would any trader pay to advertise on this forum, if he could get better coverage for free?

It's not uncommon for people to promote a specific commercial concern in this fashion. Usual signs - new poster, all posts about the same deal on several different threads.

Of course, I may be completely wrong, and you may simply be a keen beginner, who does not understand forum etiquette, in which case I apologise.

But it does look like a blatant attempt at free advertising.

[A n d r e w]

Originally Posted by rogs

it does look like a blatant attempt at free advertising.

Agreed.

[CasDon]

Sorry to be a bit picky here guys but I put this post on here to get some advice about what HD HDD camcorder to look at, it now seems to be getting hijacked on the subject of this company.

While I appreciate the post about Harrison's I'm not interested in ex-demo stock, if I'm buying via the web its brand new goods only.

I do at least have one candidate to look at - the canon (thanks for that) now any others?

[rogs]

Personally, I don't see the advantage of HDD cameras -- (internal 'moving parts' device - more to go wrong?).
With the price of SDHC cards now reasonably cheap - and falling - you might like to consider some of the card only cameras. You'd probably get more bang for your bucks, if you don't have to pay for the internal HDD.

I like Panasonic cameras - my SD5 is now about 18 months old and has performed flawlessly - but everyone has their favourite makes.
There really is no substitute for 'hands on' though. Just because a camera gets a good review doesn't make it ideal for you.
Do you want a viewfinder, or are you happy with using the LCD for framing?
Do you want an auto only camera - or would you prefer to have the option to adjust focus manually? And then would you prefer a manual focus ring, or would you be happy to use an LCD menu to activate the function?
Unfortunatley the list is endless. Most models have been reviewed online, and it can be useful to read through those to find the functions that appeal to you. But in the end, it probably would be a good idea to try and handle any models you like the look of, before purchase.
One thing I would suggest, that often gets 'pushed into the long grass', so to speak.
If you can, go for a camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) rather than for one with Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS). OIS cameras can generally produce much more stable images, especially when hand held.

[nwdave69]

When I last attended school a sentence followed by a question mark is indeed a question. So I am sure you can consider your question answered!

As for your post being one of an opinion I am interested to see how reading my posts even if they were splashed around a bit gives you or anyone else the feeling that Harrisons should be best avoided?

I can now inform you all that not only did my HF100 turn up via UPS yesterday as promised but it is in mint condition with a carrying case and a SD card. I myself failed to find one for £399 which is what I paid and I think the poster will struggle to find a camera anywhere near as good as the Canon for under £500 now that Curry’s etc have sold out.

I am fairly new to the site and if you read my very first post I was asking for help in the choice of my camera and received no help at all, however when I made to be fair the same post on a number of threads I get a very swift reply... how does that work?
If I had not have answered this thread I bet no one would have bothered to have done so either.

I neither know the shop in question nor work for them, a bit hard to trek from Southport where I live to Sheffield to work behind a counter all day I think? So it’s not an advertising stunt and I would be happy to meet the moderator of this site to prove it.

I find this whole episode disheartening and I will not be posting here again, I only hope that I have not damaged the reputation of a good honest retailer that has certainly matched my expectations and by the looks of other shops and web business is a rare find.

Good luck.

[cherokee1111]

well said nwdave69, polite and intelligent answer.

Please dont be put off by a few 'assumptions' people have jumped to, I have experienced similar on other forums but this one is certainly better so have a break, a cup of tea and a fag (if you smoke) and come back with any other help you need or can give, as Forums are about a community communicating and supporting and this one does just that.

[senu]

Originally Posted by nwdave69

I am fairly new to the site and if you read my very first post I was asking for help in the choice of my camera and received no help at all, however when I made to be fair the same post on a number of threads I get a very swift reply... how does that work?
If I had not have answered this thread I bet no one would have bothered to have done so either

.
There are sometimes similar threads withthe same sort of request and it makes sense to post there rather than open a new thread

I neither know the shop in question nor work for them, a bit hard to trek from Southport where I live to Sheffield to work behind a counter all day I think? So it’s not an advertising stunt and I would be happy to meet the moderator of this site to prove it.
I find this whole episode disheartening and I will not be posting here again, I only hope that I have not damaged the reputation of a good honest retailer that has certainly matched my expectations and by the looks of other shops and web business is a rare find

.
Thanks for taking the time to post and explain
Im pleased Harrisons matched your expectations: The link has not been removed in this post
Im sorry you feel your initial post was ignored. Sometimes it takes time

However on the Point of linking Harriosns You did appear to duplicate the same post up to 5 times (? unwittingly), most of which were edited only to remove the link ;
This was on the assumption that you linked Harrisons in good faith but 5 X was always going to raise a few eyebrows..
FWIW you were not contacted by PM or email by myself or any other mod with an annoying query as there was always the possibiltiy you were doing it in good faith but companies have ( in the past) done this sort of thing

As such, with all due respect to your stated sincere intentions It really does look suspicious when you have that sort of multiple post withthe same link , I think you have to consider how it would look to others

As for not posting here again I would hope you change your mind as I wold not encorage anyone to push any other person away but given my explanation above I imagine the responce in any other forum would be similar

Good luck with your purchase