Anyone use a Camcorder, recommendations please..

[stevebuk]

looking to buy a camcorder for taking landscape shots and occasional home video's too, can anyone recommend a half decent one, budget up to £500..

 

[Steve Maskery]

Mine is a Panasonic. It's elderly now and is only SD format, but I've been very pleased with it. DVDs are only SD anyway. When I get my next workshop I shall have no hesitation in buying a HD replacement. The one I have my eye on is nearly a grand, but they have many models in their range, well within your budget.
What are you planning to film?
S
Edit - Where in Notts are you, Steve? If you would like to meet up for a chat about it sometime, you would be very welcome. I don't have a great experience of different cameras, but I have learned a bit about what is important and what isn't.

 

[Graham Orm]

looking to buy a camcorder for taking landscape shots and occasional home video's too, can anyone recommend a half decent one, budget up to £500..

I have a basic digital JVC. Tiny thing looks like this http://www.very.co.uk/jvc-gz-e15-hd...312860-AI&browseToken=/q/248y2&totalResults=1 I bought it for work and filmed several WIP video's and customer interviews for a website. It worked fine and the editing software was good too. After seeing your post I asked the wife if we should offer it to you for sale, but looking at the new prices it would hardly be worth selling so we'll keep it. Not had a problem with it.

 

[Lons]

Hi Steve.

I bought a Panasonic SDR S26 a few years ago and though it's used mainly for hols I've found it to be pretty good. Takes SDHC cards. Battery lasts well, it has f1.5 - 105mm 1:1.9 37mm lens and states x70 optical zoom. My brother has the model one below it and though it will be superceded and much upgraded now I think it's a great little camera which from memory cost me around £160.
The only critiscism would be that the sound quality could be better.

Bob

 

[stevebuk]

thanks guys, i would be interested in a chat steve if possible, i know absolutely nothing about them at all, so some knowledge is better than none..
I want one with memory on board if possible, but not essential..

 

[Lons]

I want one with memory on board if possible, but not essential..

Why Steve?

Mine uses SDHC cards and as I carry spares, I never run out of memory space. Also find it easier to transfer the files on to a computer as I don't need to plug in the camera.

Bob

 

[stevebuk]

I want one with memory on board if possible, but not essential..

Why Steve?

Mine uses SDHC cards and as I carry spares, I never run out of memory space. Also find it easier to transfer the files on to a computer as I don't need to plug in the camera.

Bob

hi bob
told you i know nothing about them, :lol: i just thought it would be easier thats all, having read several reviews on certain ones, all they really moan about is the lack of memory cards at the price they pay for the camera's and should be budled with them..

What sort of time can i expect from the cards for what sized card..

 

[Lons]

hi bob
told you i know nothing about them, :lol: i just thought it would be easier thats all, having read several reviews on certain ones, all they really moan about is the lack of memory cards at the price they pay for the camera's and should be budled with them..

What sort of time can i expect from the cards for what sized card..

Couldn't really tell you how much time you get as I suppose it depends whether hi res or not etc but I have a couple of 4gb std sdhc cards and an 8gb micro sdhc (with adapter). If you look on ebay there are hundreds available right up to 64gb. SDHC cards are so thin and light they just live in the camera case and take seconds to swap over.
I guess you would need to compare a model with in built memory against what it would cost to buy the same memory cards seperately. I haven't looked but I assume that those inbuilt will also have capacity for cards perhaps? there used to be an argument that inbuilt was faster but I very much doubt that's the case these days with class 10 cards available
I'm no expert Steve but to me seperate cards seem to be safer as any faults with the camera means you don't lose the video footage, easier as you load on your pc either direct or a usb card reader and you can carry as many cards as you want so theoretically would never run out of space - important if you go away for a month at a time like me
e.g. I've just bought 2 Samsung brand class 10 micro sdhc 16gb cards for £8 each, for our mobile phones and they are useable in the camera as well if I wanted.

Bob

 

[stevebuk]

thanks bob thats very interesting, i will look into it..

 

[DMF]

Hi,

i ended up getting one a while back, had a chat with a friend who is right into it and i got told to get a Sony HDR-CX115E after stating a similar budget and needs to him.

Ended up contributing to the demise of the country by getting it all from amazon, with a 32 GB san disk extreme pro card (95MB/s transfer rate, 235 mins run time on the first full HD 1080 setting) case to put it in, some non Sony accessories - basic tripod, spare big battery, telephoto and close up one whatever you call it lenses. The lot under your budget and a versatile set up for the money. So far I've just set it on auto and go really, been impressed with the results every time, these days within this budget there all tiny so i can take that lot out with me, got some good footage of the last trip to festival of speed from a full HD studio in my pockets! There are loads of reviews on line and many user tips if you have the time, I also found loads of i 'what i just filmed on the whatever camera' type things on you-tube so that could give you more ideas of what to expect if you can view on a HD screen.

Hope that's of some use,

Dean.