I need help choosing a Camcorder..wedding coming up in 2 weeks. (1 Viewer)

[Mark Br]

Hey guys,

I'm getting married in two weeks and the soon to be wife wants us to have a camcorder for the wedding and for the honeymoon (no no the night!)

I have no idea what to buy..but I have a few ideas after doing some research and need some unbiased feedback and advice that I won't get from Store clerks.

correct me if you thnk I'm wrong on any of the following:

- I think the camera should be DV
- I think that it should use the Smart Media memory
- I need it to have good quality sound and picture
- I think it should have the ability to take good quality still shots.
- I wanted one that would allow me to attach on an external mic for better sound..but Im seeing that most dont have this and I probably wont need it?
- I see some are labeled as Web Camera ready...but can't any camera with a USB port be used as a Web Camera?
- I wanted one that has Analog in and out so that if I were at a friend's house I could easily transfer VHS feed back to the camera if needed..I could see that coming in handy.
- It would be nice if it worked well at night..is the ability for a camera to work a night called night vision or is tha something else?
- I'm staying away from Canon's because I hear they have bad quality picture?

please tell me if I'm missing any crucial feature.

Our budget is about 1200..it's not firm but I'd really rather not spend more.

all your suggestions and feedback would be greatly appreciated..including where is the cheapest place to buy them..etc.

Thank you.

 

[Kevin_Kr]

you are missing the boat by skipping canon, at that price I would definetely look at the Elura.

 

[Phil Tomaskovic]

Sony also has new models out. I'mnot sure why you want Smart Media though? I'm not even sure it is even used on any Camcorders that also take stills?

You might try calling the folks at cameraworld.com very reputable and also very knowledgable and helpful, not high pressure. Also was your budget 1200 Cdn or US?

 

[Philip Hamm]

From what I've read still shots on camcorders are useless. If you want good still shots get a digital camera. DV is definitely the way to go, I am very happy with my Panasonic DV. Also, why do you want A/V _in_ on the camera? I don't think you'll find that.

 

[Jeffrey R]

I am in a similar boat, as I am getting married in a couple of months, and my fiance and I want to get a camcorder as well (I wanted to get one anyway, but this gives me a good excuse). I am planning on buying the Sony DCRTRV27. It's their new MiniDV camcorder, with a 3 1/2 screen, and a ton of other features that you can look online for. It seems to be selling for between $900 and $1,000, so it is within your price range. I have seen it, and it is very small and light, but not too small as far as I am concerned. Otherwise, the JVC 820 and 920 look nice as well.

 

[EricK]

I just picked up the Canon Optura 100mc...great piece...1200 smacks

make sure your camera has Optical Image Stabliliser, Optical Zoom, 16x9 mode and progressive mode. Very important features.

Eric

 

[Phil Tomaskovic]

Philip,

I imagine the a/v in/out is so that you can convert input from old camcorders/vcrs, etc to DV so you are basically recording from a line in vs the camera lens.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Don't buy a digital camcorder for stills. You'll get much better quality with a digital camera or a film camera.

Web camera use sounds like a gimmick; I wouldn't buy an expensive camcorder based on that. You can always pick up a dedicated USB Web camera for $60 to $100.