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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Greetings,
The response was so great on the computer thread, and I learned so much, I thought I'd resurect this one again.
I posted a question about camcorders awhile back. I had a Sony mini dv system for 3 years, and it finally gave up last fall. I asked some around here, and the concensus was to go with mini dv again, so I did. I bought another Sony(not sure why, really) and used it a few times before realizing it had nowhere near the features or picture quality that my old one did. It did have 40X optical zoom which was the sellig point for me, as I take it out in the boat, and into the tree stand. I thought the more optical the better.... Well, not so fast I'm told. So... I told the clerk that the footage was unnacceptable and I was able to return the rig. Saturday, I bought a Panisonic from Best Buy. It was the best mini dv system they had left. I mean, they only had 3 mini dv recorders in the store, and said they were starting to phase them out....
Could this be true? I have not opened the camera yet for this reason, but did I buy something that will not be supported in the near future?
That said, and a follow up, and even more important question. Has anyone here had experience with the new hard drive camcorders? How about the dvd rigs? I have not been sold on the dvd rigs, as they will only tape for about 25 minutes on a dvd, but the hard drive unit is a bit intruiging. I have been told that the picture quality of either, will not compare to a mini dv, but after using the last Sony, I am not so sure about that....
In short, I'd like to know if anyone has had really good luck with one of these hard drive rigs, and how easy(or easier) it is to upload, edit and burn footage to dvd vs. from the old mini dv format.
Thanks in advance for any and all help on this, and sorry again for starting another non Musky related topic. |
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| Steve and a couple other people have been running a dvr (hard drive) system all this year, and the video quality has been fine because the camera is decent and the drive has enough space to record video at high quality levels.
i spoke with Shane a couple weeks ago about his WiFi Archos unit, and that sounds very intriquing: record your video (or tv), surf the web, etc. all in one small unit...
http://www.archos.com/
check out this thread for more info:
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=38...
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Thanks Mike. Sounds like a nice setup. I should note, though, that I will be using this rig to record and burn footage to dvd for viewing on large screen t.v's mostly(we like to record and send to relatives). I know this sometimes plays into a decision on what unit to buy. People using the units for computer related projects, would probably get away with the Sony I was using..hehe. The larger screen television might show clips in a grainy nature, that would be crystal clear on a 20" computer monitor. Are people using the Archos for larger television viewing with confidence? They look nice, and fairly simple. Will look up specs for zoom capabilities, resolution etc...
Edited by Reef Hawg 1/21/2008 9:56 PM
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Posts: 32833
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | You can record at a bitrate of 2500. I'd use a Mini DV for projects where I'm shooting another subject, and the Archos when shooting anything from my personal perspective.
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | My hat is in the ring for a camcorder with the arrival of my first, a girl 7 weeks ago. The hard drive models are "highly recommended" by the retail associates and seem to be replacing mini DV versions. High Definition recorders are available as well (for twice the money) and have a obviously clearer picture. Not sure if I'll get the bang for the buckwith the HD but I'm thinking about the Hard Drive versions. I like the hotfoot and low light filming capabiltiies but there are lots of options that I am not sure I will use such as still picture capability. So.....
...for those that have camcorders (hardrive, Mini DV, etc) what options would are "must haves" for you? |
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Posts: 32833
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Much depends on what you intend to do with the video. If you want a decent quality that plays well from a DVD or CD on the TV, you can get any number of digital cameras that record to a Mini DV, Hard Drive, SD card, or other data storage. I've been using a DXG camcorder on the ice this winter that records two hours on an SD card; the video is surprisingly good and the camera cost under a hundred bucks.
If I want really high quality though, it's the Panasonic Mini DV or Canon GL. The lion's share of the independent cable TV fishing and hunting shows are shot with a similar camera. |
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | Steve,
Thanks for the info. I looked up a Panasonic DV and they have one that may fit the bill with everything I had in mind. Thanks again.
-Steve Weyers |
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Posts: 401
| How is the quality for the Archos when viewed on a TV? I am ready to pull the trigger on one but I would like to have the option of viewing on a TV screen.
Keith |
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Posts: 32833
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Norm used his video I shot at 1500 on the 504 (now have it set at 2500) on the big screen in Milwaukee, and it looked great. |
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Posts: 401
| Thanks Steve. Time to find the entire setup.
Keith |
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