chase
I know this question has been asked before but I'm looking for specifics. I'm looking for a camcorder that has a great Image Stabilization (Panasonic) it doesn't have to be HD but HD would be nice. It need to have manual features also. My price range is up to $500 but can go higher if needed.
Answer
Canon VIXIA HF S200 Flash Memory Camcorder
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00322OOXM?ie=UTF8&tag=0610-20
(+)Records crisp high definition video directly to two removable SD memory cards
(+)Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens
(+)Canon 1/2.6" 8.59-Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor
(+)Canon DIGIC DV III Image Processor
(+)Dynamic SuperRange OIS corrects a full range of motion
Review: I'm generally more of a still photographer at heart, but I finally decided to purchase an HD video camera, and after considerable research, I chose the Canon HF-S200. It seemed to have the right mix of features, size, price and quality - and so far, it's measured up.
From an ergonomics point of view, I found the camera about right for my hands. The controls seem logically laid out, and it fits naturally in my hand in a way that lets me hold it steady without feeling awkward. Still, even though the camera is barely a pound in weight, to get the best HD quality, you'll want to consider a monopod, tripod or some other support. I use a Kirk shoulder harness borrowed from one of my still cameras, and it works well. Otherwise, the controls seem to be where I'd like them and it took fairly little effort to get to the point where I could operate most of the features without fixating on the camera itself. Also, because of the memory card architecture, there are no moving parts in the recording system (there are of course moving parts in the lens, focusing mechanism, zoom, etc), making it quick, responsive and - best of all - totally silent in operation.
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The camera also has all the right connections, including HDMI input/output, LANC remote controls, and connectors for outboard audio or microphones. The camera also has a shoe mount for things like video lights, and it can connect to some of Canon's cool accessories like their DVD burner (which I don't own, so I can't comment on).
The camera includes a 10x zoom Canon lens, plus an additional digital zoom feature. I found the lens to be very good for a camcorder, producing bright, sharp and detailed videos with good color and contrast. Still, if you look at the output frame by frame on a computer, you can tell the lens - while impressive - is no match for a top quality DSLR lens. Plus, you're getting only an effective 6-8MP - pretty low by today's DSLR standards. I'm not so sure this is an issue, but I guess I don't shoot serious video with my DSLR, and I wouldn't shoot serious stills on my video camera. In 35mm terms, the range is about 43-435mm...good on the long end, but not quite as wide as I might like overall. Still, it's a fast lens and focuses close (about a foot, depending on zoom setting). A final nice feature is that the lens takes standard photo filters (58mm), and I find it handy for instance to screw on a polarizer sometimes.
I find most of the other features Canon includes to work well and to be thoughtfully designed. The 3.5" LCD panel is sharp and clear, although not always readable in bright sunlight. Auto-exposure and focus seem very fast and accurate, and even when there's a lot of fast motion, I usually find all the critical parts of the scene to be in sharp focus and properly exposed, aided by Canon's face and scene detection capabilities. When you want to, you can override exposure and focus to get a specific effect.
From an overall image quality perspective, the Canon offers the best image quality I've seen from a consumer product, period. HD images in 1080p are simply stunning, as good as anything you'll find anywhere. The image stabilization helps ensure you don't get "bumpy" scenes, and even the audio channels (which are capable of 5.1 recording with an add-on surround microphone) are quite good for such a small device. Overall, I was blown away by the video quality - it was much better than what I thought I could get at this price point.
Great camcorder - highly recommended and worth the price.
Should I buy the Canon Vixia HV40 camcorder or the Sony HDR-CX260V camcorder?
Q. The HV40 records on minidv tapes and the Handycam is digital. Which will give me the best quality video and which is the best camera to use in general? I will be using it often because I want to start recording a lot of random things in my life. I will also probably post some YouTube videos. The Handycam is $500 but I am going to get the built-in projector which is an extra $100, and the HV40 is $600. So I will be spending around $600 no matter what. If you have any other suggestions please post them! :D Thanks a ton.
Answer
The Canon HV40 is a miniDV tape based camcorder that records high quality, low compression, HDV format *digital* high definition video. The zeros and ones recorded to the *digital* tape are the same zeros and ones recorded by other digital media (i.e., flash memory, hard disc drive, optical disc), but in a different format (low compression). The "DV" in "miniDV" = Digital Video.
The storage media should not matter. The file type, compression (low is better; high means discarding more video data - if it is not there, it needs to be reconstructed as "best guess")... and the largest lens diameter and imaging chip you can afford along with a mic jack are the things to have on your shopping list. Please note that camcorders like the Sony HDR-FX7, HDR-FX1000, HVR-Z5, HVR-Z7, Canon XHA1, and XLH2 continue to be in demand and all use miniDV tape. As for low compression, HDCAM (Sony), DVCPro/HD (Panasonic), and MXF (Canon) are favired by professionals (typically not AVCHD commonly found in consumer high definition camcorders).
But this all may not be your concern... A miniDV tape camcorder can get its video into a computer only if the computer has a firewire port. Connect the camcorder's DV port (not USB) to the computer's firewire port (not USB) with a firewire cable (not USB). If your computer has no firewire port, adding one may be possible. Firewire, IEEE1394, DV and i.link are all the same... and they are not USB. USB-to-firewire cable/adapter/converter things will not work. If your computer has a Thunderbolt port, a Thunderbolt to firewire adapter is available - and it works.
For the AVCHD cams, USB is fine.
In this case, compare:
Video capture: HDV vs AVCHD. Winner: HDV (low compression).
Media: MiniDV tape vs flash memory: depends on your requirements. I prefer the use of digital tape for long-term archiving. You need to define your planes for getting to the video from flash memory in 1, 5, 10 years or more.
Lens diameter:
HV40: 43mm
CX260: not listed - likely 30mm or 37mm.
Winner: HV40
Imaging chip size:
HV40: single 1/2.7 inch
CX260: single 1/3.91 inch
Winner: HV40
The larger lens diameter combined with larger imaging will provide better low light video behavior.
Mic input: Yes for both - 3.5mm stereo connection.
headphone jack
HV40: Yes
CX260: no
Other features:
The HV40 has AV-input recording external sources; manual shared thumbwheel (use for manual zoom - much better than menu driven); built-in flash for stills,
The CX 260 has "golf shot", 30x optical zoom, geo-tagging (built-in GPS)
Suggestions: If you need flash memory, at your price range, check the Canon HF M series. Check the lens diameter and imaging chip size compared to the CX260... and no projector.
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