Video Camera

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Nickd

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Not exactly PC hardware, but I thought a fair few on this forum might be able to help me out.
Little one is coming in two weeks and I need to get my hands on a video camera, thing is I dont know the first thing about em!

What are the best makes? Canon/Sony/Samsung??
What is the best format? HD/SD?
What is the best recording media? DVD/HDD(built in)/MicroSD?

Im not looking for the best camera out there, just an entry level model that is relatively good value for money and will do the job without too much hassle.
That being said I am a fan of bells and whistles :D

If someone could point me in the right direction that would be awesome, thanks guys.
 
Do your homework well before getting one. Although the tape drive units are old technology, they can store a lot more data than any SD/HD and the quality of the videos are very good. Also - if you want to record long sequences, it easy to swop a full tape for a new one.

I have a JVC and is very happy with it.
 
I bought a SOny HD camera last year for R3999, that was the 30GB model. The 60 GB model is out and also R3999. It is a awesome camera and beleive me even 30GB gets you a TON of footage.
 
what's the model number on that? Is it an SD or HD camera?
 
It depends on what you want to do with it, and your budget. HD camera's are going to set you back R7,000+

If you are planning to do some more serious shooting besides the run-of-the-mill family events, I'd recommend you go for Canon or Panasonic.

Stay away from Sony consumer orientated Cameras as they generally push the saturation and contrast levels up, which gives a typical "home video" look.
Canon are renowned for producing more natural looking images, even in their cheaper models (both HD and SD). They also have a better overall picture in terms of both resolution and contrast.
The same can be said for Panasonic.
Sony video cameras are generally easier to use, and are usually more idiot proof than Canon or Panasonic - the expense being lack of manual controls which will give you a headache if you want more control over your image.

HDD would be a good choice, as it's easy to use and a hassle-free way of capturing video. MiniDV (tape based) cameras are cheaper than Hard Drive or flash cameras, with Panasonic's 3CCD (standard definition) MiniDV range offering the best image quality in the sub R10k price bracket. You can pick up a Panasonic's base model 3CCD camera for under R5,000.
MiniDV tape is on it's last legs though, but still wins on quality. HDD and flash wins on ease of use.

MiniDV, however, gives you some means of backup and storage for the video. Most people won't remember to backup their video from hard disks or flash cards. They'll save some on the camera, copy to their PC, make a few DVD's and then wonder what to do with all that source material. The PC crashes and it all vanishes.

www.camcorderinfo.com is a good site to help you choose the correct camera, giving in-depth reviews video cameras.
 
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