Can Anyone provide me with information about Taking Videos?

Tracks

Hi! I'm new at all of this technology. I just bought a Digital camera last yr. & finally have gotten an understanding about how it works. I'm taking Great Pics & Lovin' it.

Anyway, I've been watching some Videos that people have posted on YouTube. Now, I don't have a Webcam and/or Camcorder. The only thing I know is that Webcams are Only for taking Vids to be placed on the Internet such as YouTube & that Camcorders are used for just taking regular Vids like the way the old Video Cassette Recorders (back in the day) did only it's Digital today.
So, as you can see I'm not too knowledgeable on these. I'm interested in taking Vids for my own personal purposes & SAVING them so I can Watch them IN PERSON (NOT Over the Computer) when showing it to my friends or family. For instance, I know that I don't always have to use my Digital Camera to e-mail or put in the Hard Drive. I know if I want to Save my Pics I can save it onto a Flash Drive OR onto a DVD or CD.

1) Could provide me w/ some important information (for example, their differences, what each one does, etc., etc.) that I would need to know about "Camcorders" & "Webcams"?

2) Which one of these (i.e. is it a "Camcorder" or "Webcam") would fulfill my above goal?
Whichever one it is I also like to know:

3) What would be the a good brand with a reasonable - cheap price to buy AT A STORE Location (I don't like ordering Online when I'm not familiar w/ how it works. I need to touch it, try it out, etc. just like a regular customer who shops AT A STORE & has the freedom to ASK an Associate IN PERSON.)?

I Am NOT Looking for one of those Professional - Top of the Line ones. I just want a basic one (that takes good quality Vids), but not TOO Basic. Kinda like when I purchased my Cell Phone. I purchased a Cell that had a Cool look to it, but had a VGA camera in which I didn't know took horrible pics so after discovering this a month later I bought another phone which cost about $100 more than the 1st one b/c it had Pixels. Both phones are basic (Not Top of the Line), but as you can see one has better features than the other.

Please let me know how these things work & Any Further Information. I'm open to any suggestions.

Answer
Standard definition or HD? You can buy a SD camera with better features than an HD one of the same price, but the HD will of course have a higher resolution. If you have an SD TV and not an HD TV, then you'll want SD in order to watch it on your TV).'

You didn't say how much you could spend, so I'll start at the bottom.

Good inexpensive standard definition cameras:

Canon FS200 (under $200) - good basic camcorder, one of the better SDs in its class.
Panasonic SDR-S50 (~$250) - good esp. if you'd like more manual controls, not great for low light
JVC Everio GZ-MS120 (~200) - good video, manual controls, no inputs


Cheap high-definition cameras:

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera (~$250) Probably the best POCKET video camera out now.

Flip UltraHD (under $200) pocket camcorder, super-easy to use, but get the "2 hour" version.


If you want something a little less wimpy, but not still pretty inexpensive:

Sanyo VPC-HD2000 (~$300) Records to SD/SDHC memory cards. (You'll want to buy a few.) One of the best values in an HD camcorder (also can record in SD, as well as web resolutions). Headphone and mic jacks--nice to have at this price. Said to have a great picture. Great low-light sensitivity! This would be my recommendation at this price point.

JVC-Everio-GZ-HD620 (~$400) Nice little mid-range camcorder, records to 120 GB hard drive.

For a really nice consumer camcorder (if you can afford it):

Panasonic HDC-TM700 ($700-$800) Too many features to list them all here (see website). Rated high in just about everything. Great video, records to SD/SDHC/SDXC, will record for 160 minutes at highest quality (1080p full HD), Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, 12x optical zoom (700x digital), uses flash memory or memory card, good low-light performance, color night record, a multitude of scene modes for shooting in different kinds of light, shoots still images up to 3600 x 2400 or 3840 x 2100, optical image stabilization. CamcordInfo.com's Camcorder of the Year.

There are good cameras (relatively speaking) at all price points; it's just a matter of how much you're willing to spend and what quality/features you can and can't live without. If you pick a good brand (Panasonic/Sony/Canon/JVC and lately, Sanyo) you'll probably get a decent camera--so pick your
price point and wanted features and see what fits. Good luck.

Best Video recorder for anthropology interviews?

Equitae

Hi there, I was just hoping I could get a few recommendations on the best videorecorder. I have checked and shifted through what feels like a thousand sites comparing them and I havenât really gotten anywhere. I am an anthropology student and for my course work we have conduct interviews with people that are helpful to our research. She has challenged us to archive our family and the stories we share at gatherings or just in conversation. So I want a recorder that is small and durable enough for me to carry everywhere, you never know when a good story will come up. Of course a good mic, memory, and picture quality would be nice. I am not very well versed in specifics in the technology. I was just hoping to find someone that has USED a camera they liked. I am college student on a college student budget and I donât have the funds to waste on a gamble. I would appreciate any information or recommendations you have. THANKS

Answer
Hi Ms."Equitae" and welcome to Yahoo!Answers:

First, you posted this same Question twice. Once is enough, please.

And "best" is a relative term, especially if you are talking "broke college student". ("Best" video camcorders can range up to the $50,000+ level.) So, giving an exact dollar-figure to us really helps.

For quick candid conversations & interviews, where the audio is as important (or moreso) as the video, I'd suggest getting a pocket video recorder that emphasizes good built-in mikes & audio setting capabilities like the Zoom Q2HD or the newer Q3HD: http://www.samsontech.com/zoom/products/handheld-video-recorders/q3hd/

The Q2HD listed for $199 and sells for around $179: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/871323-REG/Zoom_Q2HD_Q2HD_Handy_Video_Recorder.html

I'd also spend $5-$15 for a small table-top tripod, or a bit more for a small GorillaPod (has flexible legs for wrapping on poles & trees for outdoor interviews). There's also a Zoom accessory pack option with a tiny tripod and assorted cables, case, etc.

For the under-$200 price range, I don't think you could find anything else that would be field-rugged and pocket-friendly.

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
 

Powered by Yahoo! Answers