Camcorder recommendation please!

[Miss Flicts]

I want a camcorder but I'm clueless. The last one I had took VHS tapes, so I'm a bit out of date...I presume these days you transfer the footage onto your pc like photos?

Can anyone suggest a super-easy-to-use camcorder for under £200? I need a tripod too - do they come with, or will I have to buy one?

I can't face asking in Curry's or Comet (or other fine electrical stores) because there's too much choice and I don't know what any of the Spec features mean!

Any suggestions would be very welcome.

[Tiggerbabe]

Don't know if this:
0kY0xMAeXqY
is what you're looking for, but I saw it on "Something for the Weekend" today, it looks pretty cool, very portable, easy to use and is well within your price range.

[Miss Flicts]

Don't know if this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kY0xMAeXqY) is what you're looking for, but I saw it on "Something for the Weekend" today, it looks pretty cool, very portable, easy to use and is well within your price range.

WOW - things really have moved on! It's TINY!!

It's super-cool but I'm not sure about the dongle (phnar phnar!). I have a desk-top PC and the USB sockets are located quite inconveniently so I think I'd be better off with a cable.

Would the picture quality of something as small as that be the same as something bigger?

[Tiggerbabe]

The quality looked good on my TV :).

It also had a cable that you can connect directly to your tv so you can watch your recording immediately.

Try youtube for more information about it, or maybe which.

[Brian Doolan]

Don't use a camcorder that uses tapes if you can, I use a Sony Handycam with a 40gb hard drive. It is so much easier to edit your recording as you are transferring your videos digitally to your computer without having to use an interface (other than a USB cable) so there is no quality loss in the transfer. I'm sure others will, however, swear by tapes but hard disc is my preference.
Btw, I've been video editing since Betamax.

[bigdjiver]

Anybody with any recommendations for a cheap camera/camcorder that can take movie clips in low light?

[Lory]

Anybody with any recommendations for a cheap camera/camcorder that can take movie clips in low light?

:yeah::flower:

[David Franklin]

Anybody with any recommendations for a cheap camera/camcorder that can take movie clips in low light?To some extent you need to decide what you mean by "cheap" and "low light". That said, the Fuji F20 and F30 cameras are discussed here

http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=17302

I have a F30, and in my experience it works pretty well. But don't expect miracles.

Edit: (There is also suspicion that the newer Fuji's at the same price point aren't as good. 6mp is perhaps the sweet spot for a low light compact camera).
Also possibly consider a second hand, larger camcorder. To some extent, light sensitivity is a function of the size of the lens. The trend towards modern, more compact camcorders hasn't really done a lot for low light performance.

[ducasi]

Yeah, while the Flip is a good, neat wee video camera, like most cameras its size, it isn't great in low light. Don't think it has a zoom either. (The wee Sanyo Xacti cameras do, but if their current range is at all like the one I own, they'll not have good low-light performance either.)

You really need to be look at something that looks more like a normal "camcorder" to get decent low-light video. Personally, I like the Canon range, but couldn't make a specific recommendation and haven't really done much low-light work with the one I have access to.

You want one that either has a hard disk built-in, or can record onto SDHC cards.

You'll have to buy your own tripod. If you plan to do any camera panning, make sure to get one with a pan arm.