help buying a new video camera, please

[shaun1982]

hey guys, im new here and i am looking for a new camera, im from australia and the price range for me is under 900 australian dollars. heres a link to 2 sony cameras.

http://www.sony.com.au/dis/catalog/p...tegoryId=22122

http://www.sony.com.au/dis/catalog/p...V460,MENUITEM2

the 2 models are
Sony DCRTRV265
D8 HANDYCAM WITH V.LIGHT & USB STREAMING
$699.00


Sony DCRTRV460
D8 HANDYCAM W/MS SLOT & TOUCH SCREEN LCD
$899.00

are they any good, what do u guys recommend that compares to those 2 products. i have a dvd writer on my pc, so i want to connect it to my pc and put the videos on dvd-r.

can any one help me

thanks
shaun

[MJS]

Sorry about the delay in posting, a rat got into my rafters and chewed a hole through one wire on my DSL connection. It took me a long time to find the break.

Is there any reason you are looking towards D9 instead of MiniDV? I don't really know how much longerj the D8 will be supported. I believe you will find what you are looking for in a Mini-DV with slightly better quality.

[glenpinn]

hi shaun.

m8, do yourself a favour and get a mini dv camcorder, this is and has been the future of videography for some time now, and also do yourself a favour and save up a few more $$$ and get yourself a PANASONIC NV-GS120 3ccd dv camcorder. i have one + the panasonic NV-GS400 + a new CANON XL-2 for all my pro videography work.
i just noticed the date of this thread you posted, dam im slow, but anyhow, hope u got a camera sorted by now, just thought id throw my 2 cents worth in anyway.....GLEN

[Skyman]

if it is not to late, mini dv is a better format to digital 8, the 460 only offers the ability to playback hi8 and 8mm analogue tapes. there are sub $1000 AUD mini dv cameras, the canon mv 700i and the panasonic gs11 spring to mind. if it is simply for home movies, the 3ccd gs120 model will not give you a noticable improvement in terms of picture quality or features from either of these models. oh sony's official line is that digital 8 will be supported for many years to come, however that may mean 12months and there have been no announcements for new D8 cameras for some time now.

[glenpinn]

hi there again.

skyman, just a note about your comment re no real noticable dif in the pan NV-GS120 3ccd cam to the 2 sony models that shaun mentioned. all i can say to that is u must see things very differently to me, because although there isnt much cost difference between the way over priced canon and sony single ccd cams, and the panasonic 3ccd cams, its the color difference in the 3ccd cams that gives you the better overall image quality.
panasonic has done a brilliant job producing these lower end 3ccd cams (gs120,gs200 and gs400) and its about time sony started to produce some better cameras overall, and started to produce some lower end 3ccd cams to take on the panasonic.
panasonic now produce much better quality electronics goods than sony of late, and most retailers will back this up too, and if anyone is still thinking that "because its sony" it must be the best is absolutely kidding themselves, go get panasonic or canon at least, and put the extra money u save from not buying a sony towards some accessories, u wont regret it.

thats my say....GLEN

i now run a new canon XL-2 3ccd dv cam, my old cam is a panasonic DVX-100A (pal/ntsc) which is now my backup or second unit when required for a bigger shoot, and for a small hand held cam , i use the brilliant panasonic NV-GS400 3ccd cam.
these 3 cams are arguably the best cams available in thier respective price/quality ranges and the reason for using the canon XL-2 over a new panasonic model was i got it for free from a client who bought it to shoot his own corporate video, and found it wasnt so easy to do, so he asked me to shoot it for him and i accepted the camera as 50% payment for filming and finishing his video.....was a great deal, and is a brilliant camera to top it off.

[Skyman]

Skyman turning rant mode on:

i have used an extensive range of digital video cameras in my time, from early generation single ccd models, to 3ccd cams, dv cams, dvc pro cams, digi beta cams and hd cams. compared to some of these cameras the xl2 or even the xl1s is a toy. that being said, the main reason 3 ccd cameras were invented (going back to 3ccd vhs cameras and earlier) was so that colour could accurately be controlled in multi camera productions. especially in the days of analogue editing and live to air television. mostly the difference between a 3ccd camera and a single is in the extra information they record, however this extra info is primarily used to calibrate the cameras and requires a waveform monitor for any difference to be noticable. in a home dv there is very little (not none) appreciable difference. case in point, whilst i was still at uni i shot a short documentary. at the time the uni's camera of choice was the XL1 so that is what we used. however about halfway through the shooting, all the uni's cameras were being used so we grabbed the next best thing, a little panasonic gs 38 (old model now) and completed about 3 days worth of filming. this documentary was screened at the valhalla cinema (those in sydney will know it, the one in glebe) so we are talking the best possible medium to show up any deffects. in the audience was not only my proffessor but several studio types checking out the talent. they all commented on the quality of the cinematography and how great my use of the canon was.... i didn't dare inform them. admitedly i very carefully whitebalanced every shot. and spent a little more time making shure the lighting was good, but at the time a aud $2,000 single ccd camera was shown to be equal to a aud $10,000 3 ccd camera. as for sony, i agree they are overprised generally but generalisations are dangerous when technology is concerned. and at about $6,000 in the aussie market the hd1 3ccd hi definition and true widescreen camera has all of the feature of the $8,000 canon xl1s with the exception of xlr mic inputs, but the sony is high definition and the more expensive canon is not. i still think the canon is more usable for filmakers but then maybe that is simply because i am more used to its layout.

rant mode off

at the end of the day any camera that meets your needs is the best for you and often this can come down to something as simple as wether of not the camera is comfortable in your hands straightaway.

[glenpinn]

thx skyman, you put it nicely i guess, and m8, i should have pointed out that i filmed that corporate video, not with that guys XL-2, but with my own older DVX100-A.
i accepted it as part payment for doing the shoot, but because i hadnt used the XL-2 b4, i used my pana DVX100 cos i knew the camera, and was no time to sort out the XL-2.
i went out the other day (just after i posted my first reply here) and i spent the day sorting out and testing out the XL-2, and all i can say now is im dumping it cos i simply cant work with the tiny lcd screen, its a great cam but sad about that stupid lcd, and i just dont like the feel of it. i guess i still prefer the more conventional, better balanced cams that i use already (older DVX100-A)
im now selling the XL-2 and getting what i like best, and thats the new PANASONIC AG-DVX100-AE and will run my older DVX100-A as my second unit if i need it.
i found a distributor in new zealand who is doing me the PAN DVX100AE for au$4600 inc gst and freight (retails at about au$7000 in aust) and is available thru some ebay stores at about $5500.
this company can do an XL-2 for au$5600 which retails for about au$8000 here in oz.
he is setting me up with some new lights, batteries, lenses etc for the new DVX100-AE so ill be selling some of my older stuff soon.
btw, i have already found a buyer for my XL-2 for $6000 with extra gear, so that will pay for all the new stuff im getting.
i did like the sony HDR-FX1E, i had a test run yesterday with another videographer friend who just got one recently, and i can get it for the same price as the DVX100-AE, but it doesnt have the 24p capture and the 1080i feature isnt a bother to me, i just dont think its a very well balanced camera, and for me the DVX100-AE is a nicer all round package and gives as good as any other sub au$10,000 dv cam.

good luck everyone and cheers.....GLEN

skyman, what outfit are u running at the moment, and what is your fav or choice for a sub au$10,000 dv cam

[MJS]

I just got done playing with the Sony pro HD and will be getting one next year, along with bumping up one of my Avid Xpress Pro's to HD. What a sweet set up that will be.

[Skyman]

blushes

at the moment i am using a panasonic gs 70 yes it is a toy but it meets my needs. i am about to change jobs but am not really doing any hi end video stuff at the moment. i will be building a new edit suit and getting hopefully a better camera and lighting as part of this job (communications assistant for a large youth services organisation) but as with all not for profit orgs budget will be on the tight side so i will have to compromise.

as for what dv cams i prefer, at the moment i am leaning to the panasonic ones. if in australia check out rexel as they are the distributers.

incidently can anyone recomend good cheapish capture cards for a pc (i would prefer a mac but i think the new job won't have the budget) that can handle say 3 video channels, i fx channel and one title track real time with maybe 30 realtime audio tracks, for what they wont me to do that is probably the bare bones. also what does anyone know about laptop edit suites, i am used to boxes, but i may have to take work home.

[MJS]

Now a days, its all about processor speed, memory and hard drive space. Get the most of everything that you can afford. I have been real luck with the ADS Pyro basic card, also called the API-310.

[brookemeister]

I am also buying my first digital camcorder. I am interested in the Panasonic VDR-M95. Any helpful hints? Does anyone know how many CCDs and the CCD size of this camera? Has Panasonic fixed the noise problem? Thanks for any help!

[GTP 200]

I know this may be a little off-topic, but where seems to be the best place to sell a digital camera?

Ive got my SONY HDV on e-bay, but not getting any bids yet.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....tem=7525149557

cam

[Skyman]

I know this may be a little off-topic, but where seems to be the best place to sell a digital camera?

In Australia the trading post for video cameras. not such a huge market