Which HD Camcorder suits me?

[GeorgeN111]

Hello my name is George. I am currently interested in buying a HD compatible Camcorder or a camera which will perform well at HD video. I will be using this camera for my Technology based Youtube channel. At the moment i am using a 480p Panasonic point and shoot and it is time for an upgrade. Because a majority or the filming will be shot indoors and not always in the best of lighting conditions i am having trouble finding the perfect camcorder for me. The things that are most important are being able to cope in conditions which are not always well lit. Being able to zoom up and provide detailed close ups. To have a reasonable autofocus and finally to not react stangley to light, my current point and shoot will change from filming a well lit subject to sometimes making the subject dark again while filming. The recorder will be mainly shooting an object but it will also have to be good at faces ect for reviews. Another thing i think is worth mentioning is that this will also be used for an upcoming trip when i will be travelling west America i want this recorder to also be able to use there so there are some specifications for then. Brightness is a must, i want the recorder to be able to shoot vivid colours. It will be mainly used for landscape shots with some exceptions but i am saying landscape because i will be visiting Grand Canyon and places similar. The max budget would be around the £400-£450. I appreciate that i am asking for quite alot of features and that is not that high of a budget but i am currently 15 and i have other things to buy before the trip ect. I have been doing some research and have thought about the following cameras and camcorders.

Sony NEX 5
Nikon D3100
Sanyo Xacti CG100

they are all cameras that i though would be right for me but i just wanted to ask the people on this forum their opinions because you have alot more experience with these kind of things than i do and i always like to ask another persons opinion before buying something like this. I really appreciate any replies and if you think of any other cameras or camcorders which fit the type then that would be great.

Many thanks, George.

 

[zblaxberg]

Hello my name is George. I am currently interested in buying a HD compatible Camcorder or a camera which will perform well at HD video. I will be using this camera for my Technology based Youtube channel. At the moment i am using a 480p Panasonic point and shoot and it is time for an upgrade. Because a majority or the filming will be shot indoors and not always in the best of lighting conditions i am having trouble finding the perfect camcorder for me. The things that are most important are being able to cope in conditions which are not always well lit. Being able to zoom up and provide detailed close ups. To have a reasonable autofocus and finally to not react stangley to light, my current point and shoot will change from filming a well lit subject to sometimes making the subject dark again while filming. The recorder will be mainly shooting an object but it will also have to be good at faces ect for reviews. Another thing i think is worth mentioning is that this will also be used for an upcoming trip when i will be travelling west America i want this recorder to also be able to use there so there are some specifications for then. Brightness is a must, i want the recorder to be able to shoot vivid colours. It will be mainly used for landscape shots with some exceptions but i am saying landscape because i will be visiting Grand Canyon and places similar. The max budget would be around the £400-£450. I appreciate that i am asking for quite alot of features and that is not that high of a budget but i am currently 15 and i have other things to buy before the trip ect. I have been doing some research and have thought about the following cameras and camcorders.

Sony NEX 5
Nikon D3100
Sanyo Xacti CG100

they are all cameras that i though would be right for me but i just wanted to ask the people on this forum their opinions because you have alot more experience with these kind of things than i do and i always like to ask another persons opinion before buying something like this. I really appreciate any replies and if you think of any other cameras or camcorders which fit the type then that would be great.

Many thanks, George.

You need to take into consideration that these are 3 completely different types of cameras. The Nikon is a digital slr so you would have to have a working knowledge of lenses and how dslr filming works. There are a lot more settings on that camera than you would be able to handle, I'd recommend you stay away from that. The NEX is somewhat similar in that it's main purpose is for pictures, not for video so once again you will need to learn a good amount about shutter speed, aperture, etc. I feel like both of these cameras would be a waste for you unless you plan on doing some major photography. The video features on these cameras are nothing more than that, features. The Sanyo is ok for amateur video however you are dealing with a digital zoom mostly and not an optical zoom so when you zoom in, it is just digitally resizing the pixels and you probably want to have an optical zoom. Also I'm willing to bet the Sanyo would be less likely to provide nice clean auto-focused video especially in the dark. I have not used these exact models of cameras but I would look at the reviews for them and wait and see if anyone responds to this post who has first hand used these camera models.

 

[bearcatrp]

What is your budget? Will you be using a PC or Mac to edit and render? If it's a Mac, go look at the list of supported camcorders/cameras. Nothing stinks more that spending allot of cash on one to find out your software won't process it. HD is usually AVCHD, but not always. AVCHD needs a pretty strong computer to edit with. If your ok there, and money is not tight, go look at Sony's latest handy cam, HDR-CX700' or a step down, CX550. Both nice camcorders. Good in low light too. If low light isn't a problem, look at a used SR11/12. I have the SR11 and this takes awesome video, but it's not the greatest in low light.