Which camcorder???

[Mr Noble]

Hi chaps,

I use a D70 and an Optio S4 at the moment but have been getting more and more into video. I want one thats easy to put onto DVD and is tiny.

Will use it for filming trackdays in and out of the car along with snowboarding and other sports stuff.

I have found the JVC Everio GZ-MC500 thats not cheap but looks amazing.

Can anyone comment on it please or suggest other mini DV / hard disc cams that are very good.

I like the fact that I could do away with the optio s and use the MC500 as a cam and a very good still camera too.

Link here http://www.jvc.com/presentations/everio/

Advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks Greg

[FourWheelDrift]

How about the new Sony cam that record direct to DVD? Easy to edit the format already on the disc and transfer to another.

Click here

[406]

That looks a cool CamCorder. How long can you get on a 5 gig MicroDrive. Does it take ordinary CF cards?

Dave

406

[GetCarter]

If you're into trackdays and snowboarding, get one with AV IN - then you can place a bullet cam anywhere on the car/helmet etc.

my last bullet cam thread here: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=109&t=181946

Steve

>> Edited by GetCarter on Wednesday 6th July 13:04

[speedychrissie]

with regards to the video length on a 5G dvd disk:

my 18 month old panasonic digicam records onto min Dv tapes. when you rip that on high quality onto your hard drive it is roughly 7/8G for an hours video.

after you convert it to a decent qualtiy mpeg that is still perfectly fine to watch on a 19inch comp screen you can get it down to about 500Mg for an hour.

i dont know if you can set the sony camcorder to record at less than .avi quality, but if not you are probably looking at 2 dvd disks per track day.

chris

[Mr Noble]

The JVC 500 gets 60 mins onto a 4gb HD. But it takes sd and cf card simltaniously and you can assign it to record video to one and photos to the other etc.

Interesting point about the AV in, would be great to have a bullet cam on the side of the car or roof etc.

Have had a look a t the specs but cant see if it has av in or nt!

Thanks for help. Keep it coming.

Are there any more tiny cameras that you reccomend?

Greg

[imperialism2024]

Hmmm Nikon doesn't make camcorders, do they?

[ErnestM]

My brother in law bought one of the Sony direct to DVD things. He now regrets it because the video is already compressed and difficult to work with in a post production environment.

Sony have a couple of nice cameras available (or soon to be available):

The DCR PC1000:

This is a three chip camera and probably the world's smallest 3 chipper.

The HDR-HC1:

The world's first compact HDV camera. You will need Premier Pro, Sony Vegas or Pinnacle Liquid or some such software to capture and edit the MiniDV-HDV stream.

Interesting thing about both of these cameras is that they use CMOS and not CCD chips. Use of CMOS makes batteries last longer and both cameras have had rave reviews about thier picture quality.

Both also feature video in for bullet cams.

ErnestM

[anonymous-user]

imperialism2024 said:

Hmmm Nikon doesn't make camcorders, do they?

Nope, but Canon do...

[viper_larry]

Mr Noble said:

The JVC 500 gets 60 mins onto a 4gb HD. But it takes sd and cf card simltaniously and you can assign it to record video to one and photos to the other etc. Interesting point about the AV in, would be great to have a bullet cam on the side of the car or roof etc. Have had a look a t the specs but cant see if it has av in or nt! Thanks for help. Keep it coming. Are there any more tiny cameras that you reccomend? Greg

I emailed JVC a week or so ago asking about AV-IN on this camera - PC Pro reviewed it and gave it a recommendation - looks very small in the PC Pro pictures. No answer yet though.... I'l post when I do get one. Would be interested to know what it's like if you buy one

[umbongo]

Don't go with the JVC if you want to use it in car - I have the GZ-MC200 (basically the same as the one you mentioned but with lower res) which I think is a fantastic little unit for handheld use but it's really not built to withstand a battering in-car. The ability to copy MPG2 files directly onto your PC without messing about with capture software/skipped frames/firewire cables/re-winding tapes etc is great (although you have to rename them from .MOD to .MPG). Although it's quite pricey I have recommended it to a couple of mates who just wanted a nice point and click vid cam. No A/V in though which is limiting.

I'm about to sell mine as I had it mounted in my exige on a professional camera mount and it turned itself off everytime I hit the brakes going into Paddock Hill bend. Looks like the battery was lifting slightly and loosing connection with the cam - nothing I could do would stop it moving around and so have given up.

I used to use a old Sony Digi8 cam in car and the quality was great, can take a real hammering but I was starting to get bored with the same in car shot, that one also didn't have A/V in.

So, I've just had two bullet cams wired into the bodywork of my car, one front facing, one back facing, powered from the ignition, I have a small switch on the dash to switch between them and have an in dash satnav/LCD that I can view the image on.

I then have the output of the video feed going into a Sony DCR-HC42E cam (about £400). This was the cheapest Sony cam I could find that had tape drive (more robust that the new solid state cams) and had both A/V in and a LANC input.

I don't actually use the LANC input as the camera has touch screen controls which are just as easy to use even with a glove on. The camera is mounted on a clamp in the passenger footwell and I have a powered microphone also going into it.

Soon there should be some other solid state recording devices available at decent prices, specifically designed for in car use - there are already a few but they are upwards of £2k. Will consider changing when they appear. Then you can also look at getting video overlay units for dataloggers etc which will make it a very nice bit of kit.

Hope that helps.

EDIT - forgot to mention - direct to DVD cams will probably not work in car - the disk will skip continually - the GZ-MC200 does 1hr of "DVD quality" to a 4BG CF - to be honest I reckon the battery would run out of power first though.

>> Edited by umbongo on Wednesday 6th July 17:45

>> Edited by umbongo on Wednesday 6th July 17:47

[robinb]

Sounds like a great set-up unbongo with 2 bullets. Does that mean you are also watching the video screen as plunge down paddock? :-)

[umbongo]

Luckily I can fold the screen back into the dash without the feed being broken, I'd be arse first into the gravel otherwise. Nearly went face first into a Transit on the first run out with it when I was mesmerized watching the rear view cam. (Screaming at the the car behind "Brake!". Passengers never look out of the window anymore, they just fiddle with the cams.

On the plus side I watched a Richard Pryor video while stuck on the M25 last week ;-)

[robinb]

Umbongo, I've seen your Brands photos (great car & photos) so where abouts on your Exige have you placed the bullets?

[Mr Noble]

Thanks Umbongo, great tips. I have popped into town today to get a what cam mag and to check out a few cams. Cant find many that have AV in. Very glad that was mentioned as I would never have thought of it otherwise.

I would be happy with a cam thats older if its robust and sub 300 notes, and does all the things I need.

I would also be a bonus if it had an underwater housing available as I do a bit of diving.

Any suggestions?

GN

[406]

The Panasonic NV-DS65 has DV In/Out. These are getting on a bit now - Ive had mine for 18 months but hardly ever use it.

HTH

Dave

406

[umbongo]

Mr Noble - I just remembered that there is a new JVC mini-dv cam (GRD290) that has had good reviews and seems to have everything except a LANC input, which you may not need to use anyway if you can mount it close enough to you.

www.jvc.co.uk/product.php?id=GR-D290EK&catid=11&lid=

I think you should be able to find one of those for around £300.

Here's a link to the people I got my clamp from.
www.b-hague.co.uk/camera_suction_pads_vacuum_mounts.htm

Robinb - I've got a bullet cam mounted under one of the front spot lamps - the cables lead under the body work into the dash, the rear mini cam is mounted just above the number plate, cables go through the rear body work, into the cabin, through the transmission tunnel and up into the dash - both cams are wired to 12V regulators mounted in the passenger footwell that then link to the ignition. The camcorder is powered via a Sony in car adaptor.

I'll post some photos/video clip of the whole set up once I get chance. I'm very happy with it but it cost far far too much money to install. Kind of got a bit carried away with the whole thing ;-)

[800]

If you use Apple Mac OS - avoid Sony camcorders.

[Gruffy]

800 said:

If you use Apple Mac OS - avoid Sony camcorders.

Why's that?

Gruffy

[Mr Noble]

Think I have found the one for me chaps.

http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=SC-X105L%2fXAA

Looks amazing, and has only just hit the shops.

Comments please.

Greg