What type of camcorder is right for me?

Question

I want to record me and my friends playing basketball and transfering the videos to my computer so i can edit and put it on sites like youtube, myspace. etc. Also make short films.

What type of camcorder should i get?

Answer 1

well theres lots of good camcorders to find here:

http://www.decadesoffun.com/z6.html

if you dont see it at first refresh the page until you do

Answer 2

Well, at circutcity they have really good ones. But, my advise, don't look for cheap ones. Cheap ones usually mean BAD QUALITY!!!!! Unless it's on sale. So, make sure you have the cash to get the camcorder don't depend on your parents, it's soooo wrong. Especially when we're this old,old enough to take care of ourselfs.

Answer 3

If you have FireWire, you could get a nice Canon MiniDV Camcorder for somewhere between $200 and $300.

If you want to see some great camcorders, check out this website:

http://www.jr.com

Answer 4

my recommendation is to use a camera with mini dv and if the budget stretches go for HDV.

here are some things to think about:

first, look at budget and then work out the best you can get for the money spent. try to steer clear of second hand units as they are usually more trouble than they're worth.

second, decide on a format to suit your style. most people are getting Hard drive cameras without thinking of the implications of the design. i will keep using mini dv tape myself until the bitter end as i think they are still the best format for low budget film making. you can use them in many HD cameras and will offer better archival storage and far superior image quality compared to DVD and HDD.

stick with mini dv - you can't miss. (btw mini dv only comes in 2 sizes - 60 min or 80 mins - it's true that you can set cam to shoot Long play and get 90 mins + on a tape but it's not worth it - always shoot SP)

third - what sort of shooting are you looking to do? indoor studio? or outdoor sporting events etc. many cameras are good for one but might be lacking for the other. try to find something that suits your needs and work out features you may find useful. eg - night vision sounds great but it's highly unlikely that you'll use it regularly. but if you found something with decent mic inputs and separate sound controls you may find that FAR more useful.

fourth - HDV is the next generation of camera. more and more people have HD tvs showing in widescreen and you can (in most cases) plug the cam in via HDMI straight into your HD tv and it looks AMAZING. SD or standard def is on the way out so you'll be stuck with a cam that you don't like the images for.

fifth - all cams are good for youtube. even a digital stills camera. most computers accept usb or firewire to upload images to an editing suite.

consider you applications, decide your format and look at how much you want to spend. make a short list then try them out.

ps - i use a sony hvr-v1p. i am smitten. it looks like super 16mm film! I shot a feature on it and it's broadcast quality.

Answer 5

a flip its a really good camcorder