View Single Post
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 12-09-2009, 06:07 PM
ThisIsNot ThisIsNot is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 853
Default

JVC has a 1080p camcorder coming out in Japan (which means it is months away from a U.S. release). It packs a 120GB hard drive in the world's smallest package (for a hard drive based camcorder). The unit weighs 270 grams (wouldn't that be a mass?).

What would you need out of the camcorder? Hard drive camcorders are rather stable these days but they aren't recommended for video shoots that require running, jogging, jolts, bumps, etc. SSD/SDHC camcorders would be able to handle this. However, you often get more bang for your buck with the hard drive camcorders.

The Canon you linked us to looks pretty solid. The 1080p/24 recording capability is an added plus as many HDTVs are now accepting true cinema 1080p/24 (that is 24 fps) input and are playing the videos at that framerate.

JVC has some other camcorders that have 60GB hard drives with (pretty much) the same features as the Canon you linked to for about $500-$550. I have had experiences with JVC, Canon, Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic camcorders. I feel that Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony all charge a high price while others (like JVC and Canon) offer comparable camcorders for less. The only thing is that Sony often includes small features such as a touch screen and other little things. These normally aren't worth the extra $200-$300 that Sony charges when compared with Canon. I still have a Canon MiniDV camcorder that works without issues. I had to replace the battery but the camcorder still records video just fine. I think it is about 6 years old now and was one of the first "micro" models (ie it was about the size of 6 decks of cards) on the market.

However, one of the best thing you can purchase is a dedicated lighting instrument. I have seen these pocket HD camcorders produce great videos when the shooting area is properly lit. Consumer grade lights often produce a drab, yellow tinge that comes across as being a dark brown through the camera. A dedicated shooting light would ensure that you get white, bright (but not too bright) light when shooting videos.
Reply With Quote