Just curious why you are restricting yourself to local retail stores? Once you find the camera you want do a rigorous search online. Many times you can get free shipping and if it is from out of state there is no tax included. I have done that with most of my electronics purchases and have saved a lot off retail. If you are buying an item that you expect or will need support it can be worth paying more at a local store.
I just stated those stores because those are the 4 main choices of where I can buy the camera from. With me, I would be looking online for one, but for this purchase, it has to be from a store, because this will be for a Christmas present that my mom is gonna help me get.
She said if I can find one at one of those stores, for that price range, we can get it. Thats why I am asking for the main basic info on choosing a good camera. Then once I know that info, ill be able to go to the stores and make the best decision camera wise.
Last time I checked my Sunday paper, Circuit City had a 6.1megapixel camera with a 3" inch screen or something for only 250bucks. CHeck your sunday paper for deals/offers. Craigslist.com or the local classifieds might help too.
Yeah, it’s better than photo-quality. It’ll probably have a decent video feature and stuff. But plan to invest in like a 1gig memorycard/stick, because you’ll need it to store those large photos. Check e-bay or Amazon too. Just DO NOT BUY ANY ELECTRONICS FROM HONG KONG EVER!!!
Sounds like you want a video camera, not a still camera like Catboy is describing. $300 is at the bottom end for video cameras so the best you’re going to get is something that doesn’t suck.
Catboy, what happened with Hong Kong? It’s not like that’s a brand name, there are millions of stores there, all competing with each other. I don’t know that much electronic stuff is actually made there these days. I do remember the prices being great on my three visits there.
MiniDV tape is better than the other stuff because:
Anything that records to a memory card compresses your video; poorer quality picture
Tapes are reusable, unlike recordable DVDs
some/many of the recordable DVD cameras also compress their video
There are many brands of tape to choose from
Limiting yourself to four stores should make your choice fairly easy. Go to their web sites and list all the cameras they have in your price range. It shouldn’t be too many. Then search around online for reviews of those cameras, to find out which ones scored best in the areas that are important to you.
Your first point is incorrect. You have the choice of using DVD-R disks or DVD-RW diskks. Obviously, the DVD-RW disks are resuable, hense the name, rewritable.
I am unsure about your second point. Though I haven’t noticed any difference in quality when i play a normal DVD, then my recorded DVD, if this is what you mean.
To save space, many cameras do not record raw video to the DVD, they compress the signal first, using lossy formats that pixelate the image, especially if there’s a lot of difference from frame to frame. Sounds like your recorded DVDs don’t compress, or do it only to a level you don’t notice, which is fine in your case.
Also that may be something you have to settle for in a $300 camera.
Hopefully I can get maybe a 400 dollar camera, as long as it will produce a decent video image, and use mini-dv tapes, that’s pretty much all ill need.
Ill be shopping around looking for one tomorrow at the stores listed. If there is any more little facts or factors I should consider while buying my first video camera, please respond.
Ummm, how fast it can film at, like when you are looking at the display model, shake it around up and down to see how fast you can move it when you are actually filming.
Hey Jerrick, seems you’re in the same situation as anyone with a budget and who wants to get the best for their money… For $300 I reckon you’re limited to a Compact Digicam with video record feature, so something like a Sony (which has great video and lets you record for as long as the memory card can hold) would be perfect if you can get one cheap enough.
If, like John says, you look on each stores website, list the ones you can afford then go to www.steves-digicams.com and look up his reviews, you’ll get really comprehensive info and example images in most cases.
Thanks, if I cant find anything that is good enough in the 300-400$ price range, ill go the route you mentioned. With a large enough storage, the digicam will be almost as good.
No, still cameras generally shoot low-resolution video, sometimes at low frame-rates, and compress them mightily to save card space. If you want video, buy a video camera. There seem to be several on the Circuit City web site under $300, though I didn’t look beyond that.
Generally “good” from a digital camera with video feature is 640 x 480 (VGA) at 30fps. That’s as high as it goes. I think purpose-built camcorders do better than that. Also, take note of the fact that some digicams can’t zoom while shooting video. Mine, which does excellent stills and is otherwise a great camera, doesn’t. Plus mine only shoots at 1/4 VGA size.
If you want good stills, same situation. Video cameras aren’t going to do it for you. A still camera will shoot higher-res, faster, with more features for less money than a camcorder.
If you’re willing to shop on ebay, you can get a good deal on a Panasonic Pv-gs320 or 300. It’s one of the best camcorders you can get besides HD, because it has 3 chips or whatever in it compared to one in just a normal resolution camcorder. Mine fell off a desk and broke, but I’m trying to win one on ebay right now. Dont steal it : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150402249450&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Here’s one video I did with mostly clips from this camcorder, before it broke. I bought a $30 fisheye for it which helps with street filming and things and lets you get up close in the action.
Edit: You can read some reviews and stuff like at Cnet . Spencer Hochberg also used to use this camcorder, in his older videos.
thanks for the recommendation! but i won’t get it.
the canon fs200 is crap for the price. i’ve decided against it. all the youtube test vids i saw looked terrible. my digital cam that i currently record my videos with look better than it.
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