[DM-MUG] Digital Video Camera Recommendations

[Matt W]

You should be able to do video EASILY under $1000 as long as you 
already have a FireWire equipped Mac. I still use my 3-year-old Canon 
ZR-10 and it makes great video for SDTV (Std def. a.k.a. today's TV). 
For sending out DVD's of analog capture, just about any of the current 
Mini-DV cams will be theoretically fine. One HUGE tip: avoid older 
tapes. If you get a stash of used Mini-DV from a relative, turn it 
down. If they're all the same brand they might be okay, but different 
brands (at least 3 years ago) used on the same deck will produce 
particles that mix like glue on the head. This was confirmed to me at a 
Digital TV conference I attended after my Canon had to be sent back for 
repair for a damaged head. Pick up a head cleaning tape too and use it, 
it's cheap insurance.

Early Canon's were nice because they had an analog video input right in 
the camera for 1/3 less than anyone else's. I could hook up an old 
camera and record directly to digital without a converter. I'm sure 
most of the cameras will do that now. You get little or no control of 
the conversion, but you also have an instant digital copy, handy for on 
the fly video trading while at Dad's house for vacation.

Just make sure you have about 1 GB/minute of raw footage that you want 
to edit.

On Oct 4, 2004, at 9:52 AM, Jon Engelhardt wrote:

> Good Morning,
>
> After attending a DMMUG meeting this summer on how to utilize iMovie I 
> think I'm ready to purchase a new digital video cam.  I have miles and 
> miles of analog tape of our kids growing up (they are gone now so I 
> can afford a better camera) but now I'm ready to start weaving digital 
> stills and movies with music together of our activities and get 
> together's and then place them on DVD's.  We just returned from a 
> wonderful vacation in CO and I have some great still's but I do wish I 
> would have had a video cam.  Jon Thompson sent me some great ideas 
> when I questioned him but now I'd like to hear of your ideas and 
> experiences.  I am mostly retired so I have time to produce cinematic 
> epics, especially now that winter approaches.
>
> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I'd like to stay under 
> $1,000.00 if possible.