I Need A Videocamera!

[greenjinjo]

I figured this would be a decent place to ask around, I'm looking for any suggestions as to what type/brand/model of digital handheld video camera people would suggest.

I'm looking for something in the $300-$450 price range, and it just needs to be something small that I'd be able to take with me overseas and to conventions, whatnot.

Any help would be appriciated

[Willen]

All of the major manufacturers have good models in that price range. Nowadays all the MiniDV models are very compact, so the main differences will be features like zoom power, nightvision, still capture function, analog inputs, and supplied accessories.

Important things to consider/recommendations:
--Your camera should have image stabilization. I wouldn't get one without it.
--The amount of zoom will depend on what you are shooting. Many higher-end models trade off zoom power for improved optical quality.
--Higher models also have improved/higher resolution digital still photo capture capabilities, although the 1 and even 2 megapixel models aren't that great for still photo prints.
--Consider battery life. Most models will come with a small 1 to 2 hour battery. As an option, you can get larger batteries for extended recordings. I personally like Sony's InfoLithium technology because it shows you in minutes how much time you have left on th battery. The downside is that the batteries are expensive.

You may want to consider a digital still camera with a good movie mode instead. The upsides are that they have better still capture at 4 megapixels and higher and the cameras are smaller. The downsides are that the movie modes are ususally not as good as a video camera, even the best ones. The battery life is not as good, especially using the movie modes, and larger batteries are usually not an option. The amount of video that will fit on a memory card is limited, although 2GB cards are getting pretty cheap now, MPEG-4 recording models can fit about 1 to 2 hours worth on that 2GB card. Tape is still cheaper than flash memory (2GB SD card = $60+, 1 MiniDV tape = $4+). Also, the low-light performance of digital still camera movies is poor.

[Keeper of Hellfire]

I can't recommend you a specific model, but give some generell hints. Usually you can't go wrong with a model from the G4 (Sony, JVC, Canon, Panasonic). The models in your price range usually are small and lightweight. You want to use it at con's (indoors), so low light performance is important. Panasonics in that price range don't have good low light performance. Good for low light conditions are larger lens diameters, large CCD's (though larger than 1/6" will be hard to find in that price range) and low pixel count. Pixel aren't that important like for photo cameras, since the resolution is the same like for DVD's. 800k are enough. Built in noise reduction is helpfull. And don't let you fool from the Lux numbers from the specs. For example, Sony's 0 Lux produces green pictures like night view devices. If you have reduced the selection to a handfull models, compare them at a shop.

To make your choice you should answer yourself some questions:
-What system should it be? MiniDV, DVD, HD, memory cards? I recommend the first, simply because DV is better for editing than MPEG2/4, it's cheap and reliable (and probably your only choice in that price range )
- Do you want to film 4:3 or 16:9? If the latter, take care it records anamorphic and not only letterboxed.
- Do you need photo function?(I don't recommend this)
- Do you need A/V in to digitize analogue tapes?
- Do you need DV-in to archive your edited vids on tape? (DV-out have all, it's simply a firewire connection. Sony calls it i.Link)
- Do you want to use an external microphone? If not, check that the drive doesn't produce too much noise.
- How much manual control you want to have?
- What kind of image stabilization should it have? Optical (OIS, better but more expensive) or electronic (EIS)?

Usually the less additional features you have for the same price, the better is the quality of the video.

[Willen]

You want to use it at con's (indoors), so low light performance is important. Panasonics in that price range don't have good low light performance. Good for low light conditions are larger lens diameters, large CCD's (though larger than 1/6" will be hard to find in that price range) and low pixel count. Pixel aren't that important like for photo cameras, since the resolution is the same like for DVD's. 800k are enough. Built in noise reduction is helpfull. And don't let you fool from the Lux numbers from the specs. For example, Sony's 0 Lux produces green pictures like night view devices. If you have reduced the selection to a handfull models, compare them at a shop.

For low light performance, since there is no recognized standard, any manufacturer's numbers have to be taken with that in mind. I don't see lux ratings touted like in the past, but the main japanese manufacturers do generally make good low-light models. The problem with low light is that inevitably, you get to a point where color information disappears anyway. So if a camera says it has a 4 lux rating, is it a usable image at that low a light? If possible, try to find a store with a fairly lenient return/exchange policy and try out a few models for a bit, shooting in similar conditions to what you are expecting. Or, if the cameras aren't bolted down, try to talk the salesman into allowing you to try the camera outdoors at night outside the store or somewhere darker, like in the home theater room.

If you are going to shoot in very low light, (ala SQ's AWA video) then Sony's Nightshot is your best bet. Yes, it does kinda tint the video a bit green, although the newer models have reduced the green and have added some color info and increased the effective range. The other manufacturer's night vision systems don't work as well, or are just marketing. At one store where I worked, JVCs were brought back because the night mode boosted the brightness, but had to open the shutter so much to do that it introduced massive blurring. Panasonics were interesting in that the LCD screen had to be flipped around so the light from the screen would help illuminate the subject, therefore you had to use the viewfinder to frame your subject.

There are models that have built in video lights. Contrary to most people's beliefs, these lights are for boosting the intensity of the image's color, not for making night into day. Since they are usually low wattage (3 watts or a bit more), the range of the light is also pretty short. But be aware that the built in lights do consume much more power when on, so battery life will be much shorter. If you feel you need a built-in light, find a model that uses LEDs which will use less energy and give you a bit more battery life. And the lights at night can be distracting, too. IMO, it's better to use the nightvision mode since it is easier on your subjects eyes.

[greenjinjo]

Wow, thank you both for your input. There are quite a few questions you both posed that I didn't even think about I'll take this list of suggestions and tips with me when I go shopping around.

Thanks!