Mini DV Camcorder advice please
Discussion
I have an old and well used Sony Mini DV (TRV 10 I think). Viewfinder has gone kaput and don't think it's worth repairing due to being more than 5 years old.
Looking to buy a replacement - probably another Sony. Requirement are:-
1. Decent optical zoom (ideally 20X plus) - for wildlife in Africa.
2. DV in/out, USB streaming etc etc.
3. Viewfinder (ideally colour) as well as decent screen. Nearly bought a JVC hard drive until I discovered they have no viewfinders! In the African bush, it is impossible to use a screen in the very bright light plus it knackers the battery quicker.
4. Not interested in HD yet but want good quality for editing and then burning onto DVD.
5. Not interested in stills as have Canon SLR digital camera.
6. Good battery life as difficult to charge in middle of nowhere.
Question - optical zooms - why is it that the cheaper the camera, the larger the optical lens? Expensive camcorders only have 10X optical. Don't understand the logic.
Any thoughts/advice out there?
Brent
Looking to buy a replacement - probably another Sony. Requirement are:-
1. Decent optical zoom (ideally 20X plus) - for wildlife in Africa.
2. DV in/out, USB streaming etc etc.
3. Viewfinder (ideally colour) as well as decent screen. Nearly bought a JVC hard drive until I discovered they have no viewfinders! In the African bush, it is impossible to use a screen in the very bright light plus it knackers the battery quicker.
4. Not interested in HD yet but want good quality for editing and then burning onto DVD.
5. Not interested in stills as have Canon SLR digital camera.
6. Good battery life as difficult to charge in middle of nowhere.
Question - optical zooms - why is it that the cheaper the camera, the larger the optical lens? Expensive camcorders only have 10X optical. Don't understand the logic.
Any thoughts/advice out there?
Brent
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=239964&f=109&h=0
I spent months looking for the "best" cam and am hoping that this beauty will be arriving today.
The bigger and consiquently better the sensor, the harder it is to fit in a big zoom. Most important thing with cams is the sensor size. Most cheaper ones have a 1/6" one and better cams have a 14/" or 1/3" one thats better, but to make the zoom the same, all the optics would have to be much bigger so you loose the compact size.
Some cams use 3 ccd's as the one I bought does, this gives 1 ccd for each of the RGB colours and hence much better and brighter colours.
The Hard Drive cam issue is that they only record at around 8mbps at the moment and the vquivelent minidv is about 25mbps, so the quality is nowhere near as good on a big screen. Its the same difference as the film v digital camera for stills argument.
It was only about a year ago and with the Nikon D70 (iirc) that the digital res was comparible with 35mm film in a consumer camers.
Hard drive cams will have their day and will kill off miniDV, but not for a few years yet.
check out www.camcorderinfo.com and www.simplydv.co.uk
caminfo site is a USA site and some of the cam numbers and names are different.
Reading their (and most) best buy sections you will quickly see why I bought the GS250.
Also look at www.purelygadgets.co.uk for the best prices by far!!!
HTH
Greg
I spent months looking for the "best" cam and am hoping that this beauty will be arriving today.
The bigger and consiquently better the sensor, the harder it is to fit in a big zoom. Most important thing with cams is the sensor size. Most cheaper ones have a 1/6" one and better cams have a 14/" or 1/3" one thats better, but to make the zoom the same, all the optics would have to be much bigger so you loose the compact size.
Some cams use 3 ccd's as the one I bought does, this gives 1 ccd for each of the RGB colours and hence much better and brighter colours.
The Hard Drive cam issue is that they only record at around 8mbps at the moment and the vquivelent minidv is about 25mbps, so the quality is nowhere near as good on a big screen. Its the same difference as the film v digital camera for stills argument.
It was only about a year ago and with the Nikon D70 (iirc) that the digital res was comparible with 35mm film in a consumer camers.
Hard drive cams will have their day and will kill off miniDV, but not for a few years yet.
check out www.camcorderinfo.com and www.simplydv.co.uk
caminfo site is a USA site and some of the cam numbers and names are different.
Reading their (and most) best buy sections you will quickly see why I bought the GS250.
Also look at www.purelygadgets.co.uk for the best prices by far!!!
HTH
Greg
I was the chap with the blue "L plate adorned" noble.
Had a great day apart from the cold.
Would have liked to have had the new cam for then, but couldn't make my mind up in time.
The price had slumped recently as there is a new GS-300 coming out, but apparently its not as good, has no A/V in (needed for a bullet cam) and is going to be £3-400 ,ore than I just paid for the 250.
Bargain!!
I paid £600 for the cam, spare supersized battery (4 hours) 6 tapes and the GS-250 semi hard shoulder case.
Currys are still selling the cam alone for £999 !!!
G
Had a great day apart from the cold.
Would have liked to have had the new cam for then, but couldn't make my mind up in time.
The price had slumped recently as there is a new GS-300 coming out, but apparently its not as good, has no A/V in (needed for a bullet cam) and is going to be £3-400 ,ore than I just paid for the 250.
Bargain!!
I paid £600 for the cam, spare supersized battery (4 hours) 6 tapes and the GS-250 semi hard shoulder case.
Currys are still selling the cam alone for £999 !!!
G
Greg - I have a good photo of your Noble complete with L plate. Tried to "filter" out the dirt on your car but Cokin don't make that filter yet!!!! I was in the light blue Tuscan - had the wife in tow so couldn't hang around for too long - shame about the purple Tuscan that had the unfortunate "off".
I think the guys you bought your camera from are just near to my office here in Docklands - I did speak to them about a Sony and asked them to confirm if the supply was from Sony UK and they said no. Guess they do a Pixmania and get the kit from cheaper markets in Europe or buy in from Hong Kong.
I think the guys you bought your camera from are just near to my office here in Docklands - I did speak to them about a Sony and asked them to confirm if the supply was from Sony UK and they said no. Guess they do a Pixmania and get the kit from cheaper markets in Europe or buy in from Hong Kong.
Ypu, they are fromthere.
I don't think it really matters where it is from does it? They give an 18 month warranty which should be long enough. (fingers crossed!!)
Felt very sorry for the Tuscan owner. Not a happy chap! Must have been rather embarrasing being the only car to off (with damage) and being on a Noble only day!!
Hope he gets it fixed ok.
G
I don't think it really matters where it is from does it? They give an 18 month warranty which should be long enough. (fingers crossed!!)
Felt very sorry for the Tuscan owner. Not a happy chap! Must have been rather embarrasing being the only car to off (with damage) and being on a Noble only day!!
Hope he gets it fixed ok.
G
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