Hey guys, I'm trying to find my wife a camcorder for Christmas. I'm totally in the dark on these kinda things and I know some of y'all are pretty good at knowing what to buy and what not to buy in all things electronic. I've used a few camcorder sites and google and all that but extra help would be awesome.

My price range is $300-400. I know, thats not a lot but thats what I have to work with. I need the best camera in whatever format is best to use when you just want to make homemovies around the house and on vacation and stuff like that. Need a memory maker here, nothing fancy. I was figuring MiniDV, DVD (though I heard thats not a great route to go right now esp in my price range), OR just a straight up flash memory one. Anyways..any help would make my day! Thanks ahead of time.

Look at Canon's MiniDV camcorders. The one problem you'll find with almost any consumer camera is that unless you get an external mic you will hear the tape whirring while recording. Don't even look into DVD camcorders.

wtf craig? when did you get married?

August :-p

So far I have looked at

This

This

and

This

They might all suck hah but I can find um in or at least near the price range.

I've heard Panasonics cameras are pretty damn good in the consumer line.

Skimps got married last... August (you never sent me an invitatio, Craig, you *******). He met Emily about a year and a half ago. After dating 3 months, he proposed, and they were wed a year or so later.

Do NOT get a miniDV camcorder. They're easy to use, yes. The miniDV media, however, is IMPOSSIBLE to find. If you have a small hard drive, don't get a miniDV. The downside is that transfer from a PC is 1:1, so having all of your media on miniDVs is very convenient. That is, if you can FIND any disks.

Wait you think miniDV tapes are hard to find?

they're probably on the top shelves

Buh? MiniDV uses TAPES.

What the hell am I thinking of, then? Is it MiniDVD!? I thought it was the same thing.

Whatever, I only deal in high end camera equipment. Give me a 4000 dollar camera ANY day.

I don't think anybody will be giving you them.

Speaking of $4,000 camcorders, as of Thursday, I get to start filming using a Canon XH A1. Lovely!

Yeah I still have your invite along with Sarns here all sealed up and ready to go because I lost your address. Got busy and never got it...I could always still send it! :-p


Anyways, I think I might go with the Panasonic one.

hate++;
envy++;

Aw, I'm jealous. It still uses miniDV, right? Does that mean it's some kind of pseudo-HD camera? I've been using an XL1 at work for the first time, and I love it.