Camcorder Tech

Wolfpack

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Anyone here have any advice on purchasing a camcorder? I've never owned one but am interesting in recording some video of our new baby.

Would like to store video on one of our Window Laptops...do I just need a USB port camera? How about puting video on a disk from the laptop?
 

Yeagermeister

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Wolfpack;2034862 said:
Anyone here have any advice on purchasing a camcorder? I've never owned one but am interesting in recording some video of our new baby.

Would like to store video on one of our Window Laptops...do I just need a USB port camera? How about puting video on a disk from the laptop?

Buy the most expensive one :D
 

vta

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You really can't go wrong with Sony.

Circuit City has some good deals on some.

If you don't go with miniDVD format and go Hi-8 or something else, try to get a Firewire connection, as USB is slow in uploading video.
 

Wolfpack

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vta;2035026 said:
You really can't go wrong with Sony.

Circuit City has some good deals on some.

If you don't go with miniDVD format and go Hi-8 or something else, try to get a Firewire connection, as USB is slow in uploading video.

Thanks, whats Hi-8?
 

Kangaroo

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USB is not slow if you are using USB 2.0 and that depends on how old your laptop is most laptops do not have firewire and it would add a bunch more cost to your laptop to get the card that does and you lose speed form the pcmia card bottleneck

On the camcorders not sure have not kept up with the changes in the market

Here you go some reviews and look here this top end starting at just under 3k :eek:

They also have others but it has indepth review and pictures etc

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Red-Digital-Cinema-Unleashes-the-Scarlet-34906.htm
 

vta

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Wolfpack;2035105 said:
Thanks, whats Hi-8?

A Tape Format. It's like a mini VCR tape.
I don't even use my VCR anymore, I just plug the Camera into the Computer, via Firewire and copy it over. Of course it has to be there to record on, but I never use it for playback.

I have a bunch of little tapes hanging around with labels on them.


hi8pic.jpg
 

vta

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Kangaroo;2035259 said:
USB is not slow if you are using USB 2.0 and that depends on how old your laptop is most laptops do not have firewire and it would add a bunch more cost to your laptop to get the card that does and you lose speed form the pcmia card bottleneck

On the camcorders not sure have not kept up with the changes in the market

Here you go some reviews and look here this top end starting at just under 3k :eek:

They also have others but it has indepth review and pictures etc

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Red-Digital-Cinema-Unleashes-the-Scarlet-34906.htm

Compared to Firewire, USB is slooooooww.
On a laptop, the best idea is probably go for DVD, to avoid that sort of thing anyway.
 

hairic

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I'd go with a HD camcorder. I'm currently trying to decide between one of them or a DSLR camera. I've been saving for a couple years, so it's gotta be good.

It's just the HD camera isn't quite as simple as SD/widescreen, but it'll last this generation (HDTVs, Blu-Ray, etc).
 
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