I would like to buy a HD camcorder which would be mainly used for snowboarding, wakeboarding surf (not in the water). I would like it to be on the small side so i could carry it around in my jacket. I would spend no more than $1000 +/-. I was looking at the new small sony which only carrys SD cards. Also i have a macbook pro so it would have to work well with imovie. Any help would be greatful
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Which HD camcorder is Better for Snowboarding
- Thread starter Sean12
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If you are just shooting around and don't need to do anything too professional, you might want to check out the MinoHD: http://www.theflip.com/products_flip_mino.shtml#scene=sceneMinoHD
If you really want to spend all that $1000, go for one from the Canon vixia line. I have an HF-10, but the HF10, HF100, HF11 are all fantastic cameras. If you'll be traveling around with it, i'd suggest an HF100, buy many 16GB SDHC cards (i bought 5 from newegg for $30 each, SDHC class 6, no failures) and a couple of extended batteries and you're at about $1000. Check out http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ they usually have the cameras for really cheap and anywhere for those batteries and newegg.com for SDHC cards. Maybe some filters.
Might want to look into a pelican case for carrying the stuff around, especially onto a boat (the cases are waterproof, float, shockproof, etc.).
enjoy filming the sporting. Might also want to look at a copy of Final Cut Express if you want to get really in depth on this stuff, but Imovie will work as well.
Might want to look into a pelican case for carrying the stuff around, especially onto a boat (the cases are waterproof, float, shockproof, etc.).
enjoy filming the sporting. Might also want to look at a copy of Final Cut Express if you want to get really in depth on this stuff, but Imovie will work as well.
I just checked out the MinoHD myself.
A pretty cool little gadget, I'm considering getting one!
kodak zi6 it´s a lot better than flip hD and it´s Hd too
http://vimeo.com/2254096?pg=embed&sec=2254096&hd=1
http://vimeo.com/2254096?pg=embed&sec=2254096&hd=1
If you're on a boat, image stabilization will be important. The Canon's are generally said to have slightly better image quality, but you may want to go Sony for the better image stabilization. Check out Camcorderinfo.com. they run stabilization tests you can compare. I have a Canon HF-100 an am happy with it, but I have heard AVCHD has more compression artifacting when panning than HDV (although consumer HDV has it's problems as well). You may prefer AVCHD over HDV on a boat, as I have read that moisture and tape don't mix well. Someone please correct me on the last couple points, if I'm wrong, though. Best of luck.
The HF100 isn't really small enough to fit in a jacket pocket safely when snowboarding.
Read the OP.
Read the OP.
http://newspaper-video.blogspot.com/2008/05/canon-vixia-hf10-hf100-review.html
I think this is the smallest camera you will find that is decent quality. It is smaller then most still cameras were a few years ago.
I use the HF100 for snowboarding but I keep it in my backpack and bring it out when I need it. I love its small size and flash based memory.
The hf100 is a way better deal. You can buy several 16gb cards for what they charge for one integrated card in the hf10.
I'll just add to make sure you can operate the buttons with your gloves on. 
Also - keep a spare battery under your jacket - warm. The cold drains them faster. http://www.pcworld.com/article/118862/digital_focus_cold_weather_photo_survival_guide.html
Also - keep a spare battery under your jacket - warm. The cold drains them faster. http://www.pcworld.com/article/118862/digital_focus_cold_weather_photo_survival_guide.html