Was wondering if anyone out there has a solid DV camera recommendation that would be considered "low-end" pricewise.
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DV Camera recommendation wanted.
- Thread starter jeremy.king
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I can help but I need more details like what price range you're talking about and what you will you be using the camera for.
I've bought a Sony TRV-20 for $1200 back in the spring of 2001 and havent had any problems with it.
I consider it a mid-grade camera. The equivalent now will have even better quality and more features.
I can help but I need more details like what price range you're talking about and what you will you be using the camera for.
I've bought a Sony TRV-20 for $1200 back in the spring of 2001 and havent had any problems with it.
I consider it a mid-grade camera. The equivalent now will have even better quality and more features.
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57698
thats a link to a thread with discusion about camcorders, it has several links to good sites that do reviews as well
thats a link to a thread with discusion about camcorders, it has several links to good sites that do reviews as well
Well it depends. I couldn't see myself spending more than $500 (thats low-end, right?) for a first time camera.
The idea is that I would start playing and learning iMovie/DVD and progress to FC as I document the important things in my life.
My wife could also use for her school to record student presentations/plays/etc...
The idea is that I would start playing and learning iMovie/DVD and progress to FC as I document the important things in my life.
My wife could also use for her school to record student presentations/plays/etc...
how low you can go...
first of all I'll say it's pretty amazing what you can get for $500. havent checked the spec in a while.
I see you can get a:
Sony TRV-19 for about $450
or a Sony TRV-22 for about $515
These are close to what I have for half the price! Even though their in the low-budget range these are not lower grade machines.
the TRV-22 has analogue inputs (you can record from a TV or VCR) and digital still photo capability which are a big plus.
There are some Canon and Panasomic models also for under $500, but after using DV for a few years Sony still seems to hold the most bang for the buck.
first of all I'll say it's pretty amazing what you can get for $500. havent checked the spec in a while.
I see you can get a:
Sony TRV-19 for about $450
or a Sony TRV-22 for about $515
These are close to what I have for half the price! Even though their in the low-budget range these are not lower grade machines.
the TRV-22 has analogue inputs (you can record from a TV or VCR) and digital still photo capability which are a big plus.
There are some Canon and Panasomic models also for under $500, but after using DV for a few years Sony still seems to hold the most bang for the buck.
Another vote for Sony TRV-22. It has analog pass through so you can move all your old stuff to digital, and the picture and sound are very good for this price range.
camera recommendation...
not sure it is considered low-end, but if you can find one (no longer made, i beiieve), a Sony TRV-900 is an excellent camera, 3 CCD, rivals the GL-1 in picture qualty...I think you could find one for around $750-800. In my opinion, spend as much s you can for the best possible images. You wont regret it...if you must go cheap, the sony digital-8 line is pretty good. If you are willig to spend $1000 or so, the middle of the cannon line is great (above the ZR line but below the GL2)
Good Luck.
not sure it is considered low-end, but if you can find one (no longer made, i beiieve), a Sony TRV-900 is an excellent camera, 3 CCD, rivals the GL-1 in picture qualty...I think you could find one for around $750-800. In my opinion, spend as much s you can for the best possible images. You wont regret it...if you must go cheap, the sony digital-8 line is pretty good. If you are willig to spend $1000 or so, the middle of the cannon line is great (above the ZR line but below the GL2)
Good Luck.
I have a Sony TRV-22, and absolutely love it. Got it for $520 incl tax, which is a great deal...
As for the Canon ZR series, they have abysmal low-light performance, poor focusing, are noisy (motor hum is a big problem on tapes), and have horribly washed-out color. Compare a Canon ZR25 to a Sony TRV-22 hooked up on a monitor (not based on the LCD screens) and you will immediately see the unbelievable difference in quality. The Sony is VASTLY better.
I almost got a Canon Optura 10, which is a higher-resolution competitor to the Sony TRV-22, and while the res is certainly nicer, the color rendition and low-light performance on the Sony still put it to shame. I was, and still am, astonished by the images this incredibly small little camera can take!
As for the Canon ZR series, they have abysmal low-light performance, poor focusing, are noisy (motor hum is a big problem on tapes), and have horribly washed-out color. Compare a Canon ZR25 to a Sony TRV-22 hooked up on a monitor (not based on the LCD screens) and you will immediately see the unbelievable difference in quality. The Sony is VASTLY better.
I almost got a Canon Optura 10, which is a higher-resolution competitor to the Sony TRV-22, and while the res is certainly nicer, the color rendition and low-light performance on the Sony still put it to shame. I was, and still am, astonished by the images this incredibly small little camera can take!
A sony TRV-22 with Vidi makes for a nice little DVR for recording TV shows. I like my TRV-22. I think the still photo option is silly. It is pretty solid and the touch screen menus are awesome.
I was thinking about a DV camera too. I was reading this thread and checked out the Sony TRV-22 at Comp USA. The price was $549.00 too much I know I can get it cheaper. I came home and was reading the ads from this weeks newspaper. In the 6th Ave Electronics ad I saw the
TRV-22 on sale for $468.00 reg price is $699.00. My question is has anyone bought anything from this store? I have not is it any good any problems or refurbished merchandise. Please give me some feed back on 6th Ave Electronics.
Thanks
TRV-22 on sale for $468.00 reg price is $699.00. My question is has anyone bought anything from this store? I have not is it any good any problems or refurbished merchandise. Please give me some feed back on 6th Ave Electronics.
Thanks
Originally posted by Dale Sorel
Sorry, I'm not a video connoisseur
Nor am I, and I didn't mean it to sound condescending... just based on my experience I was rather shocked by how bad a camera that I thought was great (indeed, one I was planning on purchasing) was, compared to Sony's offering. EVERYONE recommends the ZR series, and I thought they were great--until I tried another company's model.
And for the record, I'm far from a Sony spokesperson... absolutely hate the company for the most part, but I know a good product when I see one. And despite my sincere misgivings about their quality and reputation, I put all of that aside and bought it anyway-- and have had no problems at all. I do use (and love) my TRV-22, and would wholeheartedly recommend it
Im am also in the market for a new digital camcorder.
Here is what I have narrowed down to:
The Canon ZR series has recently changed to the ZR80, 85, and 90 models. Low light performance may still be an issue with teh 80 and 85, but the 90 has some additional night shooting modes that should make the differance. I have seen the ZR90 for $561 on http://www.pricegrabber.com
Amazon says it will be released Feb 22 @$599. The Canon Optura 20 is a megapixel miniDV and has pretty decent night shooting, but is a little bigger the the ZR series (if that makes a differance to you). The Elura 50 is tiny and has respectable night shooting, but I have seen some complaints about picking up motor noise while shooting. Both the Elura 50 and Optura 20 can be found online between $500 and $550.
Sony has some nice new miniDV cams out.
The new sony cameras look nicer then they used to. The DCR-HC20 is the new base model MSRP:$499. And its bigger brother, the DCR-HC30 MSRP:$599 are my current picks. Both feature Zeiss optics, NICE night shooting, decent battery life, and have touch sensitive LCD monitors for easy navigation of menus. The premium price on the DCR-HC30 reflects the addition of still capture (640x480 whoop-dee-doo), MPEG movie capture to memorystick, an even BETTER night shooting mode, and analog inputs so you can convert old tapes to minidv.
Both cameras have 680K pixel gross rating which is higher then the ones they replace.
Another Sony option is the new DCR-TRV460
which is not a minidv, rather a Digital8 camera. Its MSRP is $399, and has the same features as the DCR-HC20, but also has analog input, still capture, and mpeg movie capture. The pixel rating of the DCR-TRV460 is only 460K, but it offers a nice array of features at a decent price.
This JVC that I saw on Amazon has some nice features, but I have had no luck with low light (indoor, christmas party) shooting with JVC camera.
Anyway, for $478, you get a 1.33 MP miniDV that has a mpeg4 to MMC capture ability. It looks tough, but Im going to buy my camera primarily to take video of the kids, and low light performance is important to me. A normal home at night with a lamp on may provide enough light for a digital photo, but really chunks up most budget miniDV cams.
Have fun!
I really hope that Apple changes their policy on allowing people to use external DVD burners. I couldnt afford a powerbook, and DVD authoring software selection seems pretty dismal.
Here is what I have narrowed down to:
The Canon ZR series has recently changed to the ZR80, 85, and 90 models. Low light performance may still be an issue with teh 80 and 85, but the 90 has some additional night shooting modes that should make the differance. I have seen the ZR90 for $561 on http://www.pricegrabber.com
Amazon says it will be released Feb 22 @$599. The Canon Optura 20 is a megapixel miniDV and has pretty decent night shooting, but is a little bigger the the ZR series (if that makes a differance to you). The Elura 50 is tiny and has respectable night shooting, but I have seen some complaints about picking up motor noise while shooting. Both the Elura 50 and Optura 20 can be found online between $500 and $550.
Sony has some nice new miniDV cams out.
The new sony cameras look nicer then they used to. The DCR-HC20 is the new base model MSRP:$499. And its bigger brother, the DCR-HC30 MSRP:$599 are my current picks. Both feature Zeiss optics, NICE night shooting, decent battery life, and have touch sensitive LCD monitors for easy navigation of menus. The premium price on the DCR-HC30 reflects the addition of still capture (640x480 whoop-dee-doo), MPEG movie capture to memorystick, an even BETTER night shooting mode, and analog inputs so you can convert old tapes to minidv.
Both cameras have 680K pixel gross rating which is higher then the ones they replace.
Another Sony option is the new DCR-TRV460
which is not a minidv, rather a Digital8 camera. Its MSRP is $399, and has the same features as the DCR-HC20, but also has analog input, still capture, and mpeg movie capture. The pixel rating of the DCR-TRV460 is only 460K, but it offers a nice array of features at a decent price.
This JVC that I saw on Amazon has some nice features, but I have had no luck with low light (indoor, christmas party) shooting with JVC camera.
Anyway, for $478, you get a 1.33 MP miniDV that has a mpeg4 to MMC capture ability. It looks tough, but Im going to buy my camera primarily to take video of the kids, and low light performance is important to me. A normal home at night with a lamp on may provide enough light for a digital photo, but really chunks up most budget miniDV cams.
Have fun!
I really hope that Apple changes their policy on allowing people to use external DVD burners. I couldnt afford a powerbook, and DVD authoring software selection seems pretty dismal.
Well I made the purchase today. I bought the Sony TRV-22 from 6th Ave Electronics. The price was $468.00 on sale. When I got to the store they gave me 10% off of the sale price which brought it down to $421.00 a good deal. I also picked up a couple of blank tapes and another 2 hour battery. Oh almost forgot they gave me a starter kit for free. It contained a tripod a case and a cleaning kit I think it was a great deal. Now the only problem is I'm away on business the next couple of weeks and cannot play with my new camera. I won't take it with me and worry about leaving it in a hotel or something. So I will have to wait.
Wanna buy a Canon XL-1 top-of-the-line camcorder?
I got one in mint condition and I'll sell it for the right price.
I got one in mint condition and I'll sell it for the right price.