For Camcorers, which recording format is the most convenient for personal use?

Question

I am shopping for a camcorder. I was doing a research on them. but I just can't figure out which recording format(DV, dvd, flash memory, sd, etc) I should get. and they are confusing me.. thank you..

Answer 1

Easiest to archive:

MiniDV: On tape instantly.  Always there.  No finalising. No compatability issues.  No backing up HDD recordings.  On tape. Lock the tab, put it in its case.  ÃƒÂ‚£1.10 per hour tape bought from amazon (go for Sony premium in packs of 10) Job done.

Easiest compatibility: MiniDv camcorders have firewire outs on them.  Capture through your chosen sofware, edit then output in the format of your choice.  Firewire will work with iMovie & windows movie maker, both free with your OS.  None of this USB streaming nonsense, none of this AVC nonsense, none of this DVD+/- nonsense.

MiniDV: job done.

Compact size:  Okay SD cameras win out here.  DVDs do not. MiniDV and HDD are on about a par.

Image quality:  DVD & HDD use MPEG2 compression, which is great for an output format, DVD and digitl telly are MPEG2.  Not so great for an origination format, needs a lot of compression. MiniDV AVI format is better capture format.  The semi pro HDV camcorders have powerful encoders on camera. The £199 camcorders dont.

Price: Per function miniDV offers the best value.

Define your price and then look at the comparative specs.

For maximum bangs per  buck, buy Panasonic MiniDV with 3ccd.  For maximum image quality per buck buy a sony HC, event, if you must have HD then make it a sony HC prefix model.

Answer 2

The choice between a Hard Drive, DVD, SD or MiniDV camera depends on your intended use.

A MiniDV camcorder, records at a higher quality picture (less compression) than a Hard Drive, SD or DVD camcorder. This is particularly important if you ever want to edit the video on your computer. You can edit the video from the other types, but because they record in MPEG2, the finished result will have more compression artifacts and rendering will take longer. The average user will probably not notice the difference in quality.

With a MiniDV camcorder, in order to get your video into your computer you have to “capture” the video in real-time, i.e. an hour of video will take an hour to ingest into the computer for editing. A Hard Drive, DVD or SD camcorder records files that can be copied to your computer in seconds.

Because a MiniDV tape holds one hour you have to stop and change tapes each hour of shooting. A Hard Drive camcorder can record for many hours if the hard drive is empty, as long as you have a multi-hour battery. The DVD and SD types are more limited in capacity. However, a hard drive or SD camcorder will fill up and you have to transfer the video to either your PC or a DVD in order to record more video. With a MiniDV camcorder, you simply put in another tape and keep going. The MiniDV tape is very durable and great for archiving your raw footage. Tapes ran about $2.50 each from places like www.tapestockonline.com.

Most MiniDV and DVD camcorders have an eyepiece viewfinder as well as the flip-out LCD. Most Hard Drive and SD camcorders do not have a viewfinder, so you have to rely on the LCD for shooting and that can get real tiring as you hold the camera out in front of you. It is also harder to hold the camera steady in front of you. A viewfinder allows you to hold the camera against your cheek for added stability.

If you expect to do heavy editing, want the best quality picture, and want a good permanent backup of your original footage, the MiniDV tape based camera will be better. However, to get your video into the computer you will need a Firewire interface unless the camcorder uses USB. Make sure your USB or Firewire interface is OHCI compliant to allow the capture software to control your camcorder.

If you don’t care about a viewfinder and don’t expect to do a lot of editing, the Hard Drive camcorder will be easier for casual shooting, but make sure you have plenty of computer hard drive, or a DVD burner, to offload the files as your camcorder’s hard drive fills up. There is no compelling reason to chose a DVD camcorder given the other choices. An SD camcorder only offers small size.

Keep in mind that there are other differences between models, such as the presence of microphone inputs, headphone outputs, AV in and out jacks, etc. Make sure the camcorder you buy has the features you need.