Okay, haven't seen this one yet...anyone have recommendations for a good digital video cam? I'd use it mainly for family trips, birthday parties, etc. I'd also like to use it for the occasional still photo, but since I probably won't be printing any larger than 5x7, I don't think the resolution needs to be "that" great.

Any thoughts?

I'm actually shopping for a Digital Camcorder as well. I haven't made a purchase yet, but I'm looking closely at the Canon ZR70MC (http://www.canondv.com/zr70mc/). We are expecting our first child in November and I do want to get a camcorder before then.

You didn't say what your price range is, but this one is running around $699 at most places. I particularly like its 22x analog zoom, image stabilization features, and the ability to record short JPEG videos that are optimized for emailing.

That last feature is particularly attractive since I also have a wireless PDA that takes SD cards (that camcorder has an SD slot). This gives the potential of quickly being able to email short video clips without having to get to a computer. This could be particularly useful if the baby does something cute that I want to quickly send off to the grandparents... :)

This model does take still photos at 1024x768 resolution. That isn't a particularly high priority for me since I do have a digital still camera already, but I would imagine it will be useful occasionally.

-Jeff

Thanks, Jeff! I knew I could count on you on the latest gadget help! By the way, I'm still looking for a PDA, so I may need you to help me refresh my memory later on!

I think $699 is within my price range. That Canon sounds good. I'm partial to Canon's...I've got an old EOS Rebel, and I'm been thinking about getting the new Digital Rebel. We really need a digital video cam, though, so I'm going to get that first. We already have a Kodak digital cam (my husband's...couldn't even tell you what model...surprised I even remembered it was a Kodak).

1024x768 doesn't sound too bad, especially if I don't plan on print big pictures. I was just reading up on it, and it's certainly hard to find any digital video cam that can give you decent still pics. That's okay...like you said, we already have a digital cam anyways. I was just hoping we could avoid having to carry two cameras while on vacation!

I'm working my tushie off to save up and buy the Canon Optura Xi (http://www.canondv.com/opturaxi/) for Doc by Christmas.

My husband says it's more of a hybrid of a digital still camera and a digital camcorder. It's a 2 megapixel camera. It will let us connect our old Sony Hi-8 Camcorder to our computer and convert our hi-8 tapes to DVD. The memory isn't the Sony memory stick and we like the flexability of that. Plus SD cards have a higher memory capacity than smart media and memory sticks.

The street price seems to be around $1100-$1200.

Adrienne

Originally posted by adriennek
The street price seems to be around $1100-$1200.

Yes, but how much does it weigh?

Being around cameras in my TV Porduction class which cost up to $16,000 i drool over this (http://www.canondv.com/xl1s/xl1s_flash.html) :geek:

Probably not what you're looking for.


I guess I wasn't much help was I?....Sorry. :(

(Thanks for starting the thread though. I'm also looking for a camera. I wish I could afford the one mentioned above:crying: )

Congrats on the child JeffG.:D

(I'll stop now)

We actually just got around to buying our digital camcorder. I ordered it late last week and we are expecting it to arrive tomorrow. I ended up buying it at Sears (actually through their website, but with "in-store pickup" to avoid shipping charges) as they had it on sale for $50 off last week and were also offering 12-month 0% financing with a Sears card. None of the local stores had it in stock, which is the reason why we have to wait until tomorrow to get it.

Instead of the model that I had originally mentioned earlier in this thread, we ended up going with the Canon Optura 10 (http://www.canondv.com/optura10_20/optura10_20_flash.html). The Optura 10 was the exact same price as the ZR70MC, but I decided I liked its feature set a bit better.

While the ZR70MC does have the advantage of a larger optical zoom (22X versus 16X), the Optura generally has better optics overall, taking higher resolution images (both video and still) as well as having better low-light/night modes. Since I'm not expecting to be taking a lot of distance video, I felt that the improved optics were more important to me than the increased zoom.

I'll likely post more once I get the camcorder and find some time to play with it a bit.

-Jeff

JeffG, I can't wait to hear your review. adriennek told me about her choice over the weekend, and I'm so jealous. I don't think we'll be able to spend that much money, so I'm going to wait and hear about your Optura 10.

Well, I guess if I win the lotto this month or make a ton of money at work (neither of which is likely right now)....

I agree that I'm not likely to be doing much distance video, so I definitely like the improved optics.

I do like that the Optura Xi can convert old videos, but I just don't have that kind of money right now...and I do want/need to get this digital camcorder within the next 30 days.

JeffG, have you received your camera, and have you had a chance to play with it yet? I'm curious to read your review!

Edit: Whoops, should have realized that you guys are looking for digital VIDEO cameras. . .my bad. . .move along. . .move along. . .nothing to see here. . .ignore rest of post.


Check out the following two sites, they have EXTENSIVE and very detailed reviews. I find them very useful.

Imaging Resource (http://www.imaging-resource.com/)

DP Review (http://www.dpreview.com/)

Originally posted by Dlandmom
JeffG, have you received your camera, and have you had a chance to play with it yet? I'm curious to read your review!

Yes, I did get it a couple weeks ago. I haven't used it too extensively yet, but it does seem to work well. The video quality on the various test videos has been quite good and the still photo quality is very acceptable, particularly for pictures that are being posted to the web or emailed.

The camera does seem to be pretty feature rich, but still not exceptionally difficult to use. The LCD screen is a bit small, but it is sharp and the viewing angle is easily adjustable. It also lets you use the regular viewfinder, for situations where that is more appropriate.

I'd say that the biggest down side so far is that the basic package is a bit incomplete, pretty much mandating some additional purchases. The battery that comes with the camera has a pretty short life (less than an hour of recording time) and the SD memory card is only 8MB, which holds so few pictures that it is practically useless. I immediately went out and bought a larger battery (4 hours recording time) and a 256MB SD card. The battery was around $75 (for a non Canon-branded one) at Frys and the SD card was $60 at Costco.

The camera also has no light for night-time recording and no flash for stills. A combination video light/flash costs around $100 and is probably something I'll end up buying fairly soon. Another inconvenience is that the only battery charger included is built in to the camera. Since it would be very helpful to be able to charge one battery while using another, I suspect I'll be getting an external charger soon as well.

The other shortcoming in the basic package is that the included PC connectivity software is really limited. It does include fairly basic software for transferring and managing still photos (essentially the same software that came with my Canon digital still camera) via USB as well as drivers for accessing the camera over a Firewire connection (only the USB cable is included, so I did have to buy a Firewire cable). It also includes some software for using the camera for video messaging over the Internet when connected via Firewire. What it doesn't include is any video editing software at all. I have done a little experimenting with video editing via the "Movie Maker" software included with Windows XP and it does work. That software is >really< limited in features, though.

On a plus side, Canon does have a mail-in offer currently going where you can send in proof-of-purchase for the camera and they will send you a 32MB SD card and a copy of Pinnacle's Studio 8 video editing software. It supposedly takes 4-6 weeks to get them and I haven't received mine yet. It would definitely be nicer if these were just bundled in the box...

One thing that I have used the camera for so far was to take some pictures and a short video to put up on our website for various friends and family after my wife and I recently purchased a new car. This link (http://www.bigbeaks.com/car/) takes you to that page. All the pictures and video came from the camcorder.

-Jeff

Thanks for that review, JeffG. It gives me more food for thought as I ponder which, if any, I'm going to purchase!

The standard battery thing is pretty, well, standard among video cameras..

Sony does the same thing. And ditto with the memory card. It's laughable what they all come with nowadays.

Thomas

Considering the cost and life of batteries, compatibility became a big issue for me. I ended up buying a Sony Digital Video Camera (PC-9) and Sony Digital Still Camera (DSC-S85) which have interchangeable batteries. That way, I only need to lug one battery recharger on trips and can swap batteries in a pinch.

Okay, I'm finally getting my act together, and we're going to get our camera...hopefully this week.

My husband likes the Canon Optura 300. His co-worker has one and really likes it. I haven't had a chance to compare features, but generally it sounds sufficient for our needs. It's original price was about $1300, but we can get it for $720 this week.

Just thought I'd bring this thread back up to see if anyone else has any reviews to share.

JeffG, they also have the ZR70MC for $428.

Edited to correct model no. and original price