So I have had numerous cameras and one camcorder (Flip mino HD) and it is really high quality but long story short it broke and it is DEFINITELY not worth fixing or buying a new one. So if you could tell me what you use that is relatively inexpensive that would be awesome because I’m in the midst of making a video! 
I have two, but the one I have that’s under $300, is the sony w290. It’s a small point & shoot that also shoots in High definition wide screen 1280x720 30fps.
Thanks but those are cameras and I’m looking for a camcorder
Yeah, but it records like a camcorder, and shoots VIDEO in HD! I just like it since it’s so small, light and easy to transport.
I have a Jazz HDV178… It can film in HD, but the only way to edit it is to use the program that came with the camera, and when you use that the quality gets just like Shit!
No edited clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSMhwZWvKY
Edited clip:
That’s the only reason I dont like it:(
you cant get anything thats good quality for under $300. you should save up till you get about $600 and then get one.itll be worth the wait.
you stated your half way through filming a video,you can wait until you get a new camera and not rush into it,by the time you got a new camera youll be heaps better at riding and most likely not use the current clips you have filmed.
jaco-i think you need to change the render settings to get a good quality edited video.
I can I do that? Because if only I could use WMM it would already be better. But I have to use the crappy editor to use my clips.
I have the Sony CX100, I got it on eBay, brand new, for $400. I think its great, its got FULL HD 60fps, super slow mo 240fps, touchscreen, and its really easy to use. If you can, I’d recommend getting that.
Only problem is unless you have good editing software, then you can only edit with the camera’s software. I use Vegas Pro, and it works fine
All the HD widescreen shots in this video were made with my sony w290. Records in standard MP4.
have you tried a different editor? i recommend vegas movie studio 9.its a great programe.
when i got my canon HD camera it came with a crap editor that was similar to what yours has done and it was hard to use,so i got a different programe and its fantastic how well it works.
My friend tried a clip from my camera with Sony Vegas(Pro I think) and the clip just didn’t worked, I can’t put it on WMM without saving it in the crapy editior that ruins all the quality, WMM just closes if I try to put it on WMM.
that sound quite gay
Pocket size Camcorders are pretty good in terms of quality!
Gilby, could you please set up a “which video camera to buy” forum, for the recurring threads of this nature? 
When the main purpose is video, a dedicated video camera is usually going to do a better job. Especially on sound, but also in a larger zoom range and a few other features. If your main need is stills, you can get some pretty good video capabilities in some point-and-shoots, but they might not be able to zoom while filming, will almost always have crappy sound if the wind is blowing the wrong way, etc.
This isn’t your best option probably, but sometime soon they’re going to include an LCD monitor so you can frame your shots better. Might even be in a few weeks, I’m not sure.
The cool thing about the GoPro setup is the quality is pretty damn good at 1080P, the audio does a good job of cutting wind noise (although that might require some futzing), and the accessories (helmet mount, bike bar mounts, etc.) are cheap and open the door to a lot of creative possibilities. I’ve played with one recently at a car shoot, we ended up destroying it but the shots were surprisingly good. I’m pretty sure I saw them using these during Olympics coverage, on skier helmets.
The lack of a live view really sucks. There is a hack to get a live feed but it’s a hassle.
If you are going to spend under 300 get something like a kodak zi8 or a point and shoot camera, canon or sony are usually pretty nice, and like it has been pointed out they can be hd quality. Compared with a camcorder under 300 the picture is so much nicer. The thing you lose is the zoom and they usually arent as stable for moving shots. Honestly standard def camcorders these days are crap when it comes to the picture quality. Its not worth the waste of money they are.
In my opinion, you really should save up and spend around 500-600, at least… Its worth the extra money. But if you cant, just get something like I pointed out… I would much rather watch a nice video with no zoom than a crappy one with the zoom…
Dude! when I was a kid I made a zipline with a tire swing for someone to get in and film us riding over a technical trail, like in 1988! I set up a reel system driven by a heavy duty drill to move the camera man above the rider…
your unmanned version is brilliant! I like how it’s transportable and works so well. does someone have fishing line to temper its speed, or do you just set up the slope on the line? nice work!
one word. ffmpeg. don’t know about support for windows, but look it up. it’s a bit to learn, but worth it if you work with video much.