top camcorders for kids image
in4longhau
Just to start off, I've got a budget of around $500ish and I've been eying a Canon HF M52 and the M500, but I'm open for other suggestions.
The reason I'm asking is I'm filming a school play next month and I'll be selling Blu-ray discs this year. Last year, I used simple FlipHD cameras and they turned out decent, but I only sold standard DVDs. With me selling Blu-ray discs, using the FlipHD's in the conditions the play was in, just won't cut it.
A screencap from the FlipHD (last year), approximately 50ftish away from the stage.
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6686/uvs120517001.jpg
Obviously I'm looking for something that works good in the low light conditions, but will also do a better job on the facial details. If you notice the screencap I posted from the FlipHD, the kids faces were distorted and overly saturated. I want the kids and parents to be able to look back and watch this an be proud of the memory and the quality of the video, but without breaking my bank.
But here's another question...for those familiar with the Pro-sumer type cameras, does it even matter? Because of the conditions seen in the picture, short of buying a camera with a 4-figure+ price tag, would any 'pro-sumer' be a significant improvement over the FlipHD? Because I don't want to sink $500 in a camera and see only marginal improvement.
If you need any more info from me, let me know and I'll put an addendum to my post in response.
Hey Brian,
A DSLR certainly never crossed my mind. So you actually recommend the T3 over the M50 or M500 camcorders, quality wise? I've got a 40D, just wished I could use it to record video without having to tether it to the computer and turn Autofocus off. Basically rules the 40D out of the question. But I could definitely buy one without the lens to save money since I've already got lenses.
Because the T3 has an actual movie mode, I could set it and record right? And not have to fool with adjusting the Focus and stuff? And it's already set in the proper settings for HD recording right? Won't have to do any editing to achieve the proper 16:9 ratio?
Can the camera be plugged up and still record or can it only work on Battery? The show lasts for around 45 minutes, would hate for the battery to die before the end of the show.
I use Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 to do all my editing and disc burning.
Answer
"Works good in low light conditions" = large lens diameter and large imaging chip.
The frame grab you shared does not represent "low lighting" because the camera lens is pointed at the stage and good stage lighting works well. Only the far left top row three subjects would be considered "low lighting" (and perhaps the conductor's back).
In my opinion, the result you shared in the frame grab represents issues cause by at least two things:
1) high compression video capture/storage;
2) use of digital zoom.
The HF M series of consumer camcorders should serve you well as they have a lens diameter about 3x that of the flip and the imaging chip sized is about double that of the Flip. Also, the Optical zoom will provide a much better quality... a couple of tips: Capture in highest available video quality on the camcorder. The files will be large because the is less discarded video data.
I would not recommend using a dSLR for your stated purpose. In this case, if you are considering the T3i, download and read the manual.
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/0/0300004720/02/eosrt3i-eos600d-im2-c-en.pdf
Specifically, you will find issues with prolonged use (longer than 15 minutes) of Live View or video capture. The cool-down period is not stated - but it is quite long. You will miss most of the performance. Pages 15, 139, 140, 164.
As well, there are file size limitations...
Page 151 (4 gig).
And the built-in mic is mono only - not stereo.
Page 291 ("Sound recording")
This means an external mic for stereo audio is required. There are many available.
dSLR cameras are designed to capture still images. Video (and audio) is a secondary "convenience feature". This does not mean that they cannot capture good video - they can, but they cannot be used like a camcorder...
And we don't know what you plan to use for editing. The captured file type is MOV and the video format in there is MPEG4 AVC/h.264.
To be clear, the Canon HF M series in the middles of the consumer grade camcorder range. The high end is the HF S series. a "prosumer" is closer to prograde... more like the Canon HF G series or XA series.
"Works good in low light conditions" = large lens diameter and large imaging chip.
The frame grab you shared does not represent "low lighting" because the camera lens is pointed at the stage and good stage lighting works well. Only the far left top row three subjects would be considered "low lighting" (and perhaps the conductor's back).
In my opinion, the result you shared in the frame grab represents issues cause by at least two things:
1) high compression video capture/storage;
2) use of digital zoom.
The HF M series of consumer camcorders should serve you well as they have a lens diameter about 3x that of the flip and the imaging chip sized is about double that of the Flip. Also, the Optical zoom will provide a much better quality... a couple of tips: Capture in highest available video quality on the camcorder. The files will be large because the is less discarded video data.
I would not recommend using a dSLR for your stated purpose. In this case, if you are considering the T3i, download and read the manual.
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/0/0300004720/02/eosrt3i-eos600d-im2-c-en.pdf
Specifically, you will find issues with prolonged use (longer than 15 minutes) of Live View or video capture. The cool-down period is not stated - but it is quite long. You will miss most of the performance. Pages 15, 139, 140, 164.
As well, there are file size limitations...
Page 151 (4 gig).
And the built-in mic is mono only - not stereo.
Page 291 ("Sound recording")
This means an external mic for stereo audio is required. There are many available.
dSLR cameras are designed to capture still images. Video (and audio) is a secondary "convenience feature". This does not mean that they cannot capture good video - they can, but they cannot be used like a camcorder...
And we don't know what you plan to use for editing. The captured file type is MOV and the video format in there is MPEG4 AVC/h.264.
To be clear, the Canon HF M series in the middles of the consumer grade camcorder range. The high end is the HF S series. a "prosumer" is closer to prograde... more like the Canon HF G series or XA series.
what kind of cord would i use to hook up a panasonic pv-cgs80 to my computer?
julie f
i have a video of my kid playing track and i want to put it on dvd for my mom i went to walmart and they said they didn't sell cords for that but i know there has to be some kinda cord to hook it up. can you all tell me what kinda cord i would need?
Answer
I googled this camcorder but couldn't find it so......
HOW TO DOWNLOAD
Things you should know about how to download all types of camcorders.
Mini dv camcorders (cassette) require a firewire connection, most computers do not come with one so you would have to buy a firewire card for your pc.
Minidvd have the worst quality, in order to get the video onto your computer, the minidvd must be finalized in the camcorder and then put in a top loading dvd burner and then converted. http://www.handbrake.fr/ or http://www.any-video-converter.com/download-avc-free.php free download
If you have a flash drive camcorder, you can download with a usb cord and supplied software or you can use an external usb card reader.
If you have a hard drive camcorder you can download with the supplied usb cord.
I googled this camcorder but couldn't find it so......
HOW TO DOWNLOAD
Things you should know about how to download all types of camcorders.
Mini dv camcorders (cassette) require a firewire connection, most computers do not come with one so you would have to buy a firewire card for your pc.
Minidvd have the worst quality, in order to get the video onto your computer, the minidvd must be finalized in the camcorder and then put in a top loading dvd burner and then converted. http://www.handbrake.fr/ or http://www.any-video-converter.com/download-avc-free.php free download
If you have a flash drive camcorder, you can download with a usb cord and supplied software or you can use an external usb card reader.
If you have a hard drive camcorder you can download with the supplied usb cord.
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