Mini DV Digital Camcorders
Discussion
I am in the market for a new digital camcorder. Budget upto £1000. Must be easy to use, have a decent optical zoom, and be small enough to attach to the rear view mirror of the Chim for track day movies etc...
Will probably want to edit on the computer, so fire wire connection + interface card would be nice.
Any recommendations?
Will probably want to edit on the computer, so fire wire connection + interface card would be nice.
Any recommendations?
I just got one for all the same reasons as you.
I got a Canon MV550 which came as a kit complete with a firewire card for the computer and software and so on.
I can't compare it with anything else as its the first one I've owned but the quality seems very good, its easy to use and its light enough.
I attach it to the car with a kit from these people
www.b-hague.co.uk
Which came with a suction plate system and also a clamp. I use the clamp to bolt the camera to the roll bar of my Boxster. The suction cup would easily hold the camera to the windscreen of the Chimaera...
I got a Canon MV550 which came as a kit complete with a firewire card for the computer and software and so on.
I can't compare it with anything else as its the first one I've owned but the quality seems very good, its easy to use and its light enough.
I attach it to the car with a kit from these people
www.b-hague.co.uk
Which came with a suction plate system and also a clamp. I use the clamp to bolt the camera to the roll bar of my Boxster. The suction cup would easily hold the camera to the windscreen of the Chimaera...
I have a Sony IP55E. It may be a bit over your budget, it runs on the micro mv format and it is most probably the smallest camcorder money can buy? It also has a network function via a bluetooth phone to send live pictures to any e-mail address. A 1.2 MP camera facility too. All this from a bit of kit that easialy sits in your jacket pocket.
I`ve just bought a JVC GR-DVL 767 from Comet for £599 - gone down to £549 this week!! Has what you`d need for high quality pics plus DV in/out and USB. Very pleased with results. Must also recommend PC software Studio Pinnacle 8 - brilliant, get the one for around £79 at Jessops which includes PCI card (was easy to fit)and DV cable - outputs to tape, mpeg, wmv and DVD etc. If you want to see what can be done with this setup, email me and I`ll send you our first attempt of in-car filming and editing done in medium quantity but still about 3MB for about 1.5 mins!! You`ll also need a half decent computer.
derestrictor said:
Stig said: Just bought a JVC GRDX95EK from PRC Direct. Saved a fortune, only cost 522 and is a great piece of kit which has all the features of far more expensive cameras.
I know somewhere that's doing this for £507.56 inc VAT and P&P.
The primate's repro organs, no less.
Good price!
Especially considering Tesco's knock them out at £799!!!
Funnily enough, I've been doing this exact same research over the past couple of weeks.
Top of my list came the Canon MV650i (22x optical zoom), which is a direct replacement for the 550. Unfortunately for Canon, its rather larger than I would like (looking for something truly pocket-sized).
Next best IMO is the above mentioned JVC GRDX95, which is tiny but still has a 16x optical zoom with DV in/out + USB.
Think I'll be getting one fairly soon...
{edited to add} Not sure whether ot not Micro-DV format is going to take off yet, so I was only considering Mini-DV, as there's a large user base for this already (i.e. is not going away any time soon)
>> Edited by pdV6 on Tuesday 20th May 12:12
Top of my list came the Canon MV650i (22x optical zoom), which is a direct replacement for the 550. Unfortunately for Canon, its rather larger than I would like (looking for something truly pocket-sized).
Next best IMO is the above mentioned JVC GRDX95, which is tiny but still has a 16x optical zoom with DV in/out + USB.
Think I'll be getting one fairly soon...
{edited to add} Not sure whether ot not Micro-DV format is going to take off yet, so I was only considering Mini-DV, as there's a large user base for this already (i.e. is not going away any time soon)
>> Edited by pdV6 on Tuesday 20th May 12:12
pdV6 said: Funnily enough, I've been doing this exact same research over the past couple of weeks.
Top of my list came the Canon MV650i (22x optical zoom), which is a direct replacement for the 550. Unfortunately for Canon, its rather larger than I would like (looking for something truly pocket-sized).
Next best IMO is the above mentioned JVC GRDX95, which is tiny but still has a 16x optical zoom with DV in/out + USB.
Think I'll be getting one fairly soon...
{edited to add} Not sure whether ot not Micro-DV format is going to take off yet, so I was only considering Mini-DV, as there's a large user base for this already (i.e. is not going away any time soon)
>> Edited by pdV6 on Tuesday 20th May 12:12
Did the same research but having handled the 2 cameras, the JVC is leagues ahead in terms of build quality and seeing as mine will spend a lot of time strapped to various car rollcages, it was a no brainer. Cheaper and better featured too.
Have to agree with you.
I was dead set on the Canon until I went to a shop & had a fiddle with them. The JVC definiately 'feels' better, although the picture quality of the Canon is supposed to be slightly higher.
Don't suppose you have any example footage from the JVC uploaded anywhere, do you?
I was dead set on the Canon until I went to a shop & had a fiddle with them. The JVC definiately 'feels' better, although the picture quality of the Canon is supposed to be slightly higher.
Don't suppose you have any example footage from the JVC uploaded anywhere, do you?
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