Some advice on Camcorders please

[canny]

I have used a Sony TRV 19E mini DV 10x zoom camera for years now, and taken many hours of vid and edited on the PC with 'Video Studio' and made many DVD's.
I have shot lots of wildlife stuff, quite a lot in low light using 'night shot' Badgers, Pine martins etc.
Yes granted it is not professional quality but still pretty good as long as you don't stray into digital zoom. I prefer tape as I am told it is better quality, easier to edit on PC and you can record back to tape if you wish.
Lately I am having trouble with bits of my recordings stop/starting when I play back (not running true time). I am wondering if my camera is past it now. Sony still do a mini DV DCRHC 62E 25x zoom, reasonable priced. I am considering one of these.
I don't want HD as my computer can't cope with it and I do not want to have to go down the expensive route of new camera needs new computer needs new editing software.

[MeadsMan]

Thanks Canny.

[Words]

Just to add a 'non' expert view here. I have an old Canon S2 bridge camera which produces excellent video and a £200 Handycam which doesn't. Partly that's to do with format (S2 uses AVI and the Handycam uses MPG). Advantages of the cam are that it has a 40GB hard drive so perfect for filming all day. However, the S2 has a viewfinder (as well as a screen) and filming wildlife through a viewfinder is way easier in my experience, and much more steady as you support the camera against your face. I do use both, but for quality and ease of use, the S2 bridge camera beats the dedicated Handycam hands down. Trying to pin a small bird down in a screen is incredibly difficult and at high zoom impossible without a tripod.

[nigel_b]

From where I'm sat I could get a great SD camcorder for around £250 (Canon Legria), a great SD camcorder for around £750 secondhand (new £2000) (Canon XM2) or a good/great HD camcorder for £600 - £900.

My PC will not edit HD, its not powerful enough.

My TV will not reproduce the HD video.

As well as buying an HD camcorder I need a new PC and a new telly to appreciate it. I firmly believe a good or great SD camcorder would be a far better buy than a cheap HD one.

The jury is still out on HD as well, in my view. Look at high definition audio CDs. They never caught on. Look at u-tube, not HD by a very long way but probably the most popular video site in the world.

Horses for courses. I've skipped the still image equipment when I found out a good Canon 600mm lens costs over £7000. That rather takes the fun out of it for me, and if its going to be anything, its got to be fun.

You've got to enjoy the journey just as much as the destination. I cant advise you, but if I'm going video I'm going SD for now at least.

[nytecam]

9 months ago we swapped our faithful 'old' Panasonic 27" tubed TV for a Sony 40" LCD HD-ready and the picture quality, even on non-HD broadcast, is stunning - time to shift up a gear maybe

I'm also in the market for a HD camcorder [1920x1080p or 720p undecided] and find Youtube vids helpful in seeing what picture quality [within YT limits] is available from various recent cams - just type in the selected model in the YT search box for a quick video gander A lot is rubbish eg user 'hosepipes' everything but some keep the cams still to judge quality and also on full zoom which we WABbers need. Watch out for colour fringing in the latter shots

[nytecam]

Since my Oct post above I've bought a Hitachi DZHV1074 HD cam for <£150 in Comet - does full 1920x1080 HD - stunning on our 40" Sony flatscreen. Although I'm delighted with image quality it's probably unsuitable for lo-light work which is not my field anyway. The cam is fully auto focus/exposure with -2 to +2EV in 1/2EV steps. x5 optical zoom + x10 digital zoom good to ~x20 max.

Also good fully auto 10Mp still cam too with samples posted on WAB dawn pics etc - sample vids on Youtube on my Nytecam Channel