If you want to upload videos to the computer easily, what is the best camcorder to have?

Question

Is it better to get a DV camcorder, even though it requires a firewire port? Is it better to get a hard drive or sd card camcorder? I don't want a flash memory camcorder, but most importantly I want a camcorder with good video quality on the camera and the computer once it is transferred.

Answer 1

The best video quality continues to come from video captured in DV or HDV format. For consumer camcorders, that means miniDV tape. There are external hard drives for  camcorders typically with a firewire port - from companies like Focus Enhancements (FireStore) - but even those external hard drives save to DV or HDV format.

Internal hard drive or flash memory based camcorders typically store the captured video in a very compressed MPEG2 (standard definition) or AVCHD (high definition) format.

DVD camcorders compress even more into their VOB or VRO format files and their video is not menat to be edited - though people try by ripping the video, the quality is not very good.

Video compression = discarded data = reduced video quality.

Firewire400 ports are typically cheap to add

http://shop2.frys.com/search?search_type...

if your computer has an available PCI port.

If you use an Apple Macintosh, they have had firewire ports for almost ten years... the only exception is the new Mac Air.

From my experience:

MiniDV tape: Lock the tape, then rewind to where you want to start the import, click import, go do something else until the import is done. The clips are a single huge file in the editor, but making the individual clips is as easy as dragging them to the desktop outside the editor window. Store the tape in a cool dry place, nice long shelf life. Camera dies, get another camera. Do not reuse tapes.

Hard drive or flash memory: Since all the files are individual (and there will be more than you expect because the largest file is 20 minutes - there is no frame drop, but there is an extra step to put the clips back together when editing), and copying to your computer is fast - some computer operating systems may need an additional file conversion step. Before you start editing, make another copy of the files for archiving... another hard drive or burning discs (data DVDs, not video DVD format). Camera dies - let's hope all the files were transferred, otherwise, the internal HDD is not removable, so get to know folks like http://drivesavers.com/ and open your wallet REALLY wide...