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  1. #1
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    Oct 2010
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    Question Best $150 or under HD camera for beginner? Focus and wider angle view being key.

    This budget is small. Micro. I know you cannot buy a superb camera with $150. But my God, the choices... I've spent maybe three weeks researching and barely scratched the surface. :mad2:

    For every review that states the camera does such and such well, I find reviews that state the opposite. This is making my head hurt.

    Here is what I know... My MiniDV TRV50 from Sony handled low light fairly well and was decent with focus. That's not surprising considering it cost me $1300 eons ago. Unfortunately for me, I am not familiar with anything modern in regards to cameras. Maybe that makes me old.

    It would be nice if I could find an HD camera that handled focus without trouble and also low light.

    Of great importance: A stable image while hand held. My hands are fairly steady, but I know just the slightest movement can trip up cheap cameras.

    So three things that are likely not going to happen, but what can get me close for $150? This is a stop gap. Have some fun. Learn. Experiment and then in a year buy something that doesn't suck.

    Resolution? 720p or 1080p, whatever. Just as long as I can get a 16X9 progressive image. I've read a lot about 720p mode looking better than 1080p modes on many of these small flip cameras so it just doesn't matter to me. A shame 24p isn't possible.

    My budget cannot go up. The camera must must must cost no more than $150. I am willing to spend some money on an external mic, of course.

    Then there is editing: A camera that captures in a format that is not troublesome for PC's and Macs would be great. Should I shoot some short film footage it would be edited in Final Cut. Personal stuff would be edited on my PC.

    This is a lot to ask, I know and I am sorry to bother you experts. I hope you will humor me.

    EDIT: The two best reviewed cameras are the Zi8 and the FLIP Ultra HD. There is also the Sony Bloggie and others. The rub is this, one respectable website or magazine will trash the Zi8, while another will praise it. This goes for all of them, so it's as though no two groups of people can agree on these cameras. This makes decisions for guys like me impossible. Hence, my asking for help.
    Last edited by msp1518; 10-28-2010 at 07:53 PM.

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