What is the BEST camcorder to get nowadays?

Question

I'm looking for something not too expensive, nothing over $400, i am only going to use this camcorder for home videos also wanting to take pictures with the camcorder, i've seen a few that does that. Here are a few that I was interested in, if these aren't any good, please let me know.

Panasonic VDR-D220

Sony Handycam DCR DVD201

Sony Handycam DCR DVD308

Answer 1

I am not sure about the pricing these days, but I highly recommend that you pick up a hard drive-based camcorder! They really worked out for me. These will allow you higher capacity and take still pictures as well!

Answer 2

PLEASE do mot get a DVD camera. I used to have a Panasonic. It was horrible.

        Nomatter what kind of video you are shooting, get a miniDV camera. I have the Canon HV30. Best camcorder on the market!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

Please do not get a DVD based camcorder. The single sided discs only record 20 minutes, If you get double sided discs, you have to stop when side 1 is full, take the disc out and flip it manually... and the video data is so compressed the quality is not very good. And if you want to get the video to your computer for editing and possibly uploading, the video quality will get worse. Of the currently available video storage media available for consumer camcorders, the DVD based camcorders are the worst.

Please do not get a DVD based camcorder.

The next best camcorder storage and video quality are the flash based and hard drive based camcorders. They, too, highly compress the video stream, but the video is a little easier to work with - and it transfers to your computer via USB.

Please do not get a DVD based camcorder.

The best available quality continues to come from miniDV tape based camcorders - in your price range, there are a few - specifically in the Canon ZR family. MiniDV tapes come in 60 minute and 80 minute lengths for SP (best quality) DV format. You will transfer the video from the camcorder to your computer using a Firewire (IEEE1394a, i.Link - all the same thing) cable. Your computer needs a firewire 400 port - if it does not have one, they are typically easy to install 0 but we don't know what computer you have so it is difficult to know for sure. Apple Macintoshes have had firewire 400 ports for many years (though the new Mac Air does not have one).

Answer 4

At http://www.jr.com, you can find the Canon ZR850 MiniDV Camcorder for just $200.

With 35x optical zoom and 1000x digital zoom (just don't use digital zoom--optical zoom is great though), the Canon ZR850 is well worth the price.

There's also an SD card slot perfect for taking high-quality photos.  There's a built-in mic, built-in light and some live effects, including black and white, mirror and quite a few more.

The battery pack that comes with the Canon ZR850 lasts for 50 minutes, but you can buy longer-lasting battery packs.

Also, if you plan on editing, you'll need to purchase a FireWire cable (make sure your computer has a FireWire port and, if it doesn't, you can get FireWire installed into your computer--all Macs have FireWire and are great for editing videos).

Here's a direct link to the Canon ZR850:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?...

You also might want to check out the $258 Canon ZR950:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?...

I highly recommend either a Canon or a Sony MiniDV camcorder between $200 to your $400 limit.