Minidv hd, or avchd for new camcorder, or stay with Gl1??

Question

I want to get a new camcorder that is smaller and easier/faster for editing video...

I am currently using a Canon GL1, but it is to big to cary around while snowboarding..

I dont like having 100's of tapes and editing tapes is a pain, so i have heard about avchd and I use final cut express to edit so I know it is compatible, but i have heard that the quality is not as good

The quality is very important and I want to move to a HD camera, anyone know which is the best?? or is it worth sticking with the GL1??

Answer 1

I'm a bit split on this topic too. It is inevitable that HD will become the media standard, but that does not mean standard definition is becoming obsolete any time soon. Sure, HD is nice, but a bit impractical at the moment. Even with Blue Ray players becoming more approachable, HD is still problematic in editing. For one thing, Hd footage takes up a lot of space on the computer. And that also presents a problem of how to view your HD footage. Blue Ray burners are still out of the question, so the best method would be to Re-Export the edited video back to HDV, then playback on the TV via HDMI. So, it may not be a bad idea to stick with your GL1.

Of course, it's always tempting to keep up with the latest HD gadget, and in that case: I'd recommend HDV over HDD (hard drive). As an avid HDV user, I completely understand the frustration you have with the tape-based workflow. It is very annoying editing on tapes, but HDV is by far, the best choice for the following reasons:

1) QUALITY: As you have mentioned yourself, HDD compresses quite a bit more than HDV, meaning worse quality. It's not bad by any means, but not as good as HDV.

2) COMPATIBILITY: I believe you mentioned this too. MiniDV is compatible with virtually EVERY editing system out there. HDD has a few options, but you are still limited. Final Cut Express, and Sony Vegas are options, to name a few.

3) STORAGE: This is the biggest factor for me. HDV gives you the cheapest, safest, and most practical means of data archiving. You can permanently store your footage on cheap miniDV cassettes. With HDD, you are limited to the camcorder's Hard Drive, and that of your Computer. Of course, you could store files on an external hard drive, but that's not as practical.

If you decide to go HDV, here are some I recommend:

CONSUMER:  

  Canon HV30   $780

  Sony HDR-HC9  $1,000

PROSUMER

  Panasonic HVX200A, Sony PMW-EX1, JVC GY-HD110U, Canon XH-A1,

PROFESSIONAL

  Red Scarlet (not available until 2009)

Answer 2

there is no such thing as a best vidcam. its a matter of what you want to do with it. you won't really find an hd vidcam under $800. and if you do, the lens is junk. avchd is not recommend (by me). it compressing the file so much that when its actually uploaded on the pc it is almost triple the file size. also if you dont have the lastest pc it can take up to 10 hours to upload the files. HDV is used in prosumer vidcams for a reason. hard drives again compact the files but not as much as avchd and can also make the footage look kind of flat compard to HDV. i would stick within the 800-1000 range. don't be tempted to get that avchd cam for 1299. TIP: the black colored 800-900 vidcams produce much better quality then the older siver styles.these are my opinions. take what you want from it. im sure everyone has their own opinion