Online Video Production Blog

This was dropped in the letter box this week.  I like wandering through my local Clive Peters, a big stores lots to look at.  Staff tend not to be too knowledgable on specific topics, I dont blame them for this as they have to deal with everything from washers, rangehoods to video cameras to home theatre systems.

I have nominated as "my camera to buy" this catalog based on th information provided and price the Sony Hybird Camcorder, valued at $699, due to the fact that you can record to two types of devices.  This feature is essential for Mum's and Dad's wanting a camera for the holidays so they can 1. add capacity for recording more happy memories and 2. for backing up footage while on the trip.

I would suggest buying a memory card to compliment your purchase  and "backing up" to it with the real pearls you record and keeping this memory separate from the camera.  Insurance can replace a camera but cannot replace the footage so backup and backup often.  On this topic if you buy Hard Drive cameras I must reccomend backing up your footage too, buy a external drive and copy all your originals here and treat this as you would your old fashion negative.  Save it to bring out at 21st and other "roasting" occasions.

My runner up nomination went to the JVC Everio miniDV camcorder.  I still like DV tape for SD recording, an extremely compatable, stable recordin formatwith playback capabilities likely to be around for many years. Something that cannotbe said for the latest whiz bang CODEC on your HD drive system.  Also at this price tha camera is a steal, buy two, trash one, pull the next one out and keep shooting!  

A little known fact that salespeople probably wont tell you is that as a format MiniDV is less compressed (and therefore technically superior) to any of the other formats on the market.  Also that tapes become your backup medium themselves, just keep the tapes securely and save yourself the hassle of buying an external drive and backing up to that and hoping the drive lasts.  That reminds me, I must write and article about that some time.

 I have put a "dont touch" on the Sony DVD camcorder, I dont like the Mini DVD format for a number of reasons, none more than its difficulty in playing back on PC's and set top (normal type) DVD players.  All the "ease-of-use" that this format promises fades away once the product gets home.

What do you think of my assessments, what do you like and what dont you like.