Are P&S Low budget Camcorders out?

[jwolf6589]

I see that Canon discontinued their low budget Vixia line and only sell pro camcorders. Sony and Panasonic however still sell low budget (under $500) camcorders but I wonder for how long. These camcorders are excellent for low income people like me that do not want to deal with the weak zoom and overheating phone in direct sun, but would rather use a real camcorder.

Do you foresee or predict that these type of Camcorders will go away in the next 5 years?

 

[hg.wells]

It’s logical, when people have a phone on them that has a similar capability. What you’re also find is most entry cameras now have very similar video capabilities so people are not buying budget camcorders, when they can buy one device that does both.

 

[jwolf6589]

It’s logical, when people have a phone on them that has a similar capability. What you’re also find is most entry cameras now have very similar video capabilities so people are not buying budget camcorders, when they can buy one device that does both.

Yeah but phones have a weak zoom and overheat in the hot sun. I was shooting in SFO a week or two ago and the dumb iPhone kept on overheating. Not true with a dedicated camera.

But yes you are probably right since most consumers are ignorant of a dedicated camera.

 

[ColdCase]

I've seen quite a few video cameras overheat in the sun. Those little gopros make a toasty hand warmer. The zoom and lens are strong points of cameras.

 

[jwolf6589]

I've seen quite a few video cameras overheat in the sun. Those little gopros make a toasty hand warmer. The zoom and lens are strong points of cameras.

Mine did not, but I did keep it in my bag when I was not using it. iPhone was in my pocket but it still overheated.

 

[chown33]

I think the Powershot you have now has a more powerful optical zoom than the optical zoom in your Vixia. Check the specs online, or the user manuals.

If you shoot anything more than small test videos, you might want to put a bigger SD card in the P&S.

 

[jwolf6589]

I think the Powershot you have now has a more powerful optical zoom than the optical zoom in your Vixia. Check the specs online, or the user manuals.

If you shoot anything more than small test videos, you might want to put a bigger SD card in the P&S.

Yeah but I don’t have a 4K TV so I don’t shoot in 4K and besides Vixia has more features for video. But you may be right about the zoom.

 

[chown33]

Yeah but I don’t have a 4K TV so I don’t shoot in 4K and besides Vixia has more features for video. But you may be right about the zoom.

I'm almost certain the PowerShot has FullHD (1920x1080) and HD (1280x720), in addition to 4K (3840x2160).

Different people want different things from different cameras for different tasks. For example, the Vixia may well have more features for video, but it also has a much smaller sensor. There are doubtless other tradeoffs.

In any case, the thread seems to be about things in general, not just about 2 specific models from a single manufacturer. Given that today's P&S cameras have comprehensive video features that stack up well against dedicated video cameras, I'd say that dedicated video cameras have a limited lifetime, especially at the low end. Video cameras at the higher end will probably be fine.

 

[jwolf6589]

I'm almost certain the PowerShot has FullHD (1920x1080) and HD (1280x720), in addition to 4K (3840x2160).

Different people want different things from different cameras for different tasks. For example, the Vixia may well have more features for video, but it also has a much smaller sensor. There are doubtless other tradeoffs.

In any case, the thread seems to be about things in general, not just about 2 specific models from a single manufacturer. Given that today's P&S cameras have comprehensive video features that stack up well against dedicated video cameras, I'd say that dedicated video cameras have a limited lifetime, especially at the low end. Video cameras at the higher end will probably be fine.

Yes you are correct about that. However I did see on a certain website allot of camcorders under $500 (my budget) and even a Canon model with WIFI for $500. But overall Best Buy among other places are reducing stock sadly. The low end camcorders for $500 or less may be gone in 5 years.

As for me I just prefer Vixia for video.

I'm almost certain the PowerShot has FullHD (1920x1080) and HD (1280x720), in addition to 4K (3840x2160).

Different people want different things from different cameras for different tasks. For example, the Vixia may well have more features for video, but it also has a much smaller sensor. There are doubtless other tradeoffs.

In any case, the thread seems to be about things in general, not just about 2 specific models from a single manufacturer. Given that today's P&S cameras have comprehensive video features that stack up well against dedicated video cameras, I'd say that dedicated video cameras have a limited lifetime, especially at the low end. Video cameras at the higher end will probably be fine.

Yes Powershot has HD/FHD/4K. But I don’t have a 4K TV.

 

[MacNut]

Yes you are correct about that. However I did see on a certain website allot of camcorders under $500 (my budget) and even a Canon model with WIFI for $500. But overall Best Buy among other places are reducing stock sadly. The low end camcorders for $500 or less may be gone in 5 years.

As for me I just prefer Vixia for video.


Yes Powershot has HD/FHD/4K. But I don’t have a 4K TV.

So? Always shoot the highest quality you can. 4K is a better master and will look better downscaled.

 

[dandeco]

Yeah, there aren't any consumer camcorders left on the market; only prosumer and professional ones. These days, many people shoot video on high-quality Smartphones (my iPhone SE does a pretty nice job) or on DSLR cameras, which over time have had more camcorder-esque features added for shooting the best-quality video possible (like a flip-out LCD, external microphone jack, optical image stabilization, etc.) I'm thinking somewhere down the line when I need to replace my Canon VIXIA HFR600 (which I use for a lot of my vlogs and other certain video projects, as I get better control over my video AND it's got true 16:9 widescreen, compared to the iPhone just cropping a 4:3 image), I'll probably go with a DSLR.

 

[jwolf6589]

Yeah, there aren't any consumer camcorders left on the market; only prosumer and professional ones. These days, many people shoot video on high-quality Smartphones (my iPhone SE does a pretty nice job) or on DSLR cameras, which over time have had more camcorder-esque features added for shooting the best-quality video possible (like a flip-out LCD, external microphone jack, optical image stabilization, etc.) I'm thinking somewhere down the line when I need to replace my Canon VIXIA HFR600 (which I use for a lot of my vlogs and other certain video projects, as I get better control over my video AND it's got true 16:9 widescreen, compared to the iPhone just cropping a 4:3 image), I'll probably go with a DSLR.

Actually there are about 5-6 or more left on the market. Camcorders $500 or under.

 

[jwolf6589]

I believe that Canon discontinued their $500 and under low budget camcorder line. Did they? Cant find any for sell at Best Buy or B&H. It seems only Sony and Panasonic remain. Most I know don’t care about the zoom, overheating and would rather use a phone over a dedicated camcorder. High end camcorders still exist or the P&S canon line still exists but it’s sad about the camcorders.

 

[dandeco]

Yes, it is. With my Canon VIXIA HF-R600 I do get better control over my video than with an iPhone, like a true 16:9 CCD, optical zoom and image stabilization. It's also easy for me to hook up an external microphone to, and I can adjust the white balance settings to where I'm filming, and there's also a flip-out LCD I can rotate to compose my shots with. And when I'm finished shooting and ready to edit the footage, it's all a matter of taking out the SD card and sliding it into a reader slot, followed by importing the footage into iMovie or Final Cut Pro or whatever.
But I know one reason why Canon discontinued the consumer camcorder line is because all those features can nowadays be found in their DSLR cameras. Sure, they're a bit pricier (but do cost less tan the high-end camcorders), but they are perfect for digital moviemaking.

 

[jwolf6589]

Yes, it is. With my Canon VIXIA HF-R600 I do get better control over my video than with an iPhone, like a true 16:9 CCD, optical zoom and image stabilization. It's also easy for me to hook up an external microphone to, and I can adjust the white balance settings to where I'm filming, and there's also a flip-out LCD I can rotate to compose my shots with. And when I'm finished shooting and ready to edit the footage, it's all a matter of taking out the SD card and sliding it into a reader slot, followed by importing the footage into iMovie or Final Cut Pro or whatever.
But I know one reason why Canon discontinued the consumer camcorder line is because all those features can nowadays be found in their DSLR cameras. Sure, they're a bit pricier (but do cost less tan the high-end camcorders), but they are perfect for digital moviemaking.

I have the model up from yours. It has a mic port which my Canon Powershot lacks. Good camcorder.

 

[jwolf6589]

Oh no. I see that Best Buy cut their low end camcorder line (at least on the website) and BHPhoto only has a few models remaining. This is a shame since some people prefer a low end camcorder over a smart phone for video.

Well I found a camcorder repair shop encase or when my model gives up the ghost.

 

[MacNut]

Oh no. I see that Best Buy cut their low end camcorder line (at least on the website) and BHPhoto only has a few models remaining. This is a shame since some people prefer a low end camcorder over a smart phone for video.

Well I found a camcorder repair shop encase or when my model gives up the ghost.

If these models are not being manufactured anymore parts will also become hard to find. I wonder how repairable those things will be.

 

[jwolf6589]

If these models are not being manufactured anymore parts will also become hard to find. I wonder how repairable those things will be.

I got an offer for a much better paying job. When I start ranking in paychecks I will have the money to buy a more expensive camcorder if I desire.

 

[sam_dean]

Do you foresee or predict that these type of Camcorders will go away in the next 5 years?

The writing's on the wall.

Many people prefer the convenience of one device that fits in their pocket.

Many pragmatic low income people just have 1 device to do everything.

Stupid rich people like me buy gadgets left and right to get to that last 1% of performance.

Looking back I wish I only replaced digital video/still cameras every decade so there is a tangible improvement of tech.

I love my iPhone more than my 2015 Canon EOS 5Ds R 51 megapixel dSLR because it's so convenient to use and carry with me.

Sure the image quality are not comparable when one pixel peeps but its so easy to share photos/videos through wifi or 5G.

Within seconds or editing I can upload to the cloud or share it through any app that allows p2p filesharing.