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Posted: 5/7/2003 9:10:46 PM EDT
Prudence (not my wife's name) dictates I suspend the purchase of new firearms [>Q] and momentarily change focus to photographic gear so I can start building the family albums. [0:)]

So, I ordered a Canon G3 last night and now I want a video camera.

What's the deal with Hi8? Do they still make those things? Has digital replaced it? I don't want to spend more than $400, if possible, but if it's worth it I can spend up to $600.

Please help me, oh wise ones, for I am clueless. [?]
Link Posted: 5/7/2003 9:14:46 PM EDT
[#1]
Mini DV is the norm. You can get several name brand camcorders for well under $600. Try Wal-Mart or Best Buy, you will be surprised and most will even have a mediocre digital still camera integrated.

Edited to say - I just noticed that you are in CA. Frye's, Frye's, Frye's. I love that place.
Link Posted: 5/7/2003 11:27:37 PM EDT
[#2]
Link Posted: 5/7/2003 11:33:20 PM EDT
[#3]
Link Posted: 5/7/2003 11:34:37 PM EDT
[#4]
Quoted:
Definitely MiniDV.  
View Quote
Link Posted: 5/8/2003 12:04:07 AM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
Definitely MiniDV.  I have one of these, [url=http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-6342639-1304-6145072.html]Sony DCR-VX2000[/url] and it rocks, though definitely out of your price range.
View Quote


If I was in the porn business, I would buy that one. [:)] But for home movies, no friggin' way would I spend $3 grand. That's dipping way too deep into my gun fund. [;)]

So, MiniDV gets you 100 screen lines over Hi8 and what else?
Link Posted: 5/8/2003 3:53:35 AM EDT
[#6]
DVDTracker, your video is just excellant. Very helpful demo. Can you make one for the Colt 1911 or another handguns? [hail2]
Link Posted: 5/8/2003 3:53:24 PM EDT
[#7]
I just did the same search and I came up with the Canon ZR60 (a miniDV camcorder).  I got mine for $405 shipped from [url]www.buydig.com[/url] with no sales tax (I'm in California too).

I've only had it a couple weeks and haven't done much filming yet, but it seems easy to use and compact.  It's got a firewire connection and also AV to DV pass through (you can run an old analog camcorder through it and then onto your computer for editing).  Pretty good optical zoom (18X) too.

I checked some of the reviews on cnet.com, and people complained that it doesn't work well in low light and also there were some noise issues (some people said it records a mechanical noise that's kind of irritating).  I figured that even if these were problems, they could probably be fixed with an external light or microphone, and I would still be paying less if I had to do this than I would be for a comparable Sony camcorder.

A buddy of mine has a Sony Digital8 camcorder and it's outstanding, but I wanted to go miniDV, and I think the ZR60 is a good starter camcorder at a decent price.

Hope this helps,

Ed
Link Posted: 5/8/2003 4:09:26 PM EDT
[#8]
Sony makes everything to integrate with the Vaio computers and proprietary DVGate software that comes preinstalled on Vaio's. You probably don't want to buy it all now, but you can add to it later. Whatever you choose, check out mysimon.com and pricewatch.com before you buy. You will save hundreds of $ over Best Buy, Ultimate Electronics, etc plus you don't have to pay sales taxes on out of state internet purchases.

PS: Does your wife know about "Prudence"?
Link Posted: 5/8/2003 4:56:30 PM EDT
[#9]
Do not get an analog video camera bite the bullet and go Mini-DV. The picture quality of Mini-DV is miles ahead of any consumer analog format.

With Mini-DV, a moderately powerful computer, and a Firewire capture card you can produce video of broadcast quality. Very sophisticated video if you have the artistic talent, there is no way you can do this with any other analog consumer video format.

Bottom line DV is a format you can grow with analog including Hi8 is a dead end.

Do some research get reviews on Mini-DV camcorders... Sony and Cannon are your best bets.
Link Posted: 5/9/2003 4:23:56 AM EDT
[#10]
Cool, thanks for the info guys. They're more dough than I thought.
Link Posted: 5/9/2003 4:59:27 AM EDT
[#11]
1. Mini DV

2. get from jandr.com  just ask for their best price or go to some other site and get a really low price ant tell them- they generally match or get real close.  all my sony crap i got there for hundreds less than any local store.  Plus they are a Sony authorized dealer.
Link Posted: 5/9/2003 10:53:06 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
Cool, thanks for the info guys. They're more dough than I thought.
View Quote


[url]www.bestbuy.com[/url]

has 10 mini-dv camcorders $600 or less
a few at the $400 range
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