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View Full Version : Semi-OT: camcorder OR digicam for fun, short casual filming?



poodlesrule
June 8th, 2013, 03:12 AM
Digicam or camcorder?

I would like a fun toy to casually film short bursts of candid stuff, nothing fancy in any way.
Uses could be museums, travel, family gathering, open mic or house concert (with permission), or even some useful memo recordings. Main feature is size and portabilty. Note that definition is a non-issue for my level of interest, this is stricly for casual use.

I have used a good point&shoot digicam for that in the past with good luck... but the offerings on the camcorder side seem so sexy, I am tempted!

Any advice?

Camcorder review site recommendations also helpful.

EDIT: Max I want to put into it is 300 bucks, I think - I am adding this after seeing some to the advanced stuff MSRPs..!

sunvalleylaw
June 8th, 2013, 07:59 AM
Honestly for casual use you can do very well with the Kodak Playsport zx3 which is $110 on Amazon. Small little hand held that is HD 1080 capable, though I often shoot at 720 HD. Waterproof to 3 meters. Works great and is not too expensive if lost. The microphone works well for normal stuff. I know Robert uses something nicer for his lessons but you were saying casual. Other than that, my iPhone 5 does pretty well for casual though I think the Kodak still beats it in certain situations. The Kodak or any little flip type camera do not do that great zooming as the "zoom" is just digital instead of optical. But other than those constraints they are great.

poodlesrule
June 8th, 2013, 10:16 AM
Waterproof to 3 meters. Works great .

Thanks Steve, interesting.
The amount and variety of tech stuff we have access to blows the mind.

I was thinking about a bit more sexy though. For example, the amazingly recording times some machines are capable, or time-lapse stuff.

stingx
June 12th, 2013, 07:22 PM
For really impressive videos, especially time-lapse, this would be my route...

panasonic lumix dmc-fz200 (http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FZ200-Digital-Camera-Optical/dp/B008MB6ZX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371086387&sr=8-1&keywords=panasonic+lumix+dmc-fz200)

I do the bulk of my videos with my older Canon T2i. I get pretty impressive cine-quality from that camera. I do have to work a bit at it, manual focus and all, but the output trumps any camcorder I've owned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNt3lBipYmw

Good luck.

poodlesrule
June 13th, 2013, 05:29 AM
Canon discounts a few of its lower-end Vivia camcorders this month, I may just get one and see.

Thanks stingx.
Still on the fence about camcorder vs. digicam, though...

poodlesrule
June 14th, 2013, 05:57 AM
UPDATE: camcorder I had in mind only does 2 MP for still shots. No go.

As I want small form factor, I need to look at the point & shoot jobbies. Or keep using spouse's nice Canon SX260?

Spudman
June 14th, 2013, 01:13 PM
I was going to suggest the Canon sx40HS but the 260 does about the same thing without quite as good of a zoom as the sx40 has.

poodlesrule
June 15th, 2013, 07:04 AM
Thanks Spud.
Usually love the Canon UI and am a bit fearful of trying something less polished..

Spudman
June 15th, 2013, 08:05 PM
Heck, I'd stick with the 260 since it does full HD video. How is the sound playback on it? The SX40HS has one of the best lenses and zoom range in that size and price range. It's amazing, but if the 260 you have is paid for then I'd be using that and not give the matter a second thought.

poodlesrule
June 17th, 2013, 04:23 AM
I used the 260 last Saturday to shot a local middle school band (amazing after school program, kids composing their own world music!). It was my first time doing a music bit with this camera, and the sound was adequate for my needs. Goal is to capture atmosphere, and that video bit did it.

deeaa
June 24th, 2013, 09:39 AM
Handicam for quick, stable holiday etc. Clips is great. A camera does much better image quality but it's nigh unusable without a stand, trying to quickly capture something, like on a trip or whatever. However a video camcorder does horrible stills...

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 4 Beta

poodlesrule
December 3rd, 2013, 06:37 AM
UPDATE to an old thread:
There is a Panasonic LX7 camera for me on the UPS truck!

Lots to learn, or re-learn actually, but also many possibilities...

The initial need for taking casual movies clips will be met, just that I get the ability to have great stills as a bonus.. :dude


In retrospect, I think I should thank stingx for pointing to the Panasonic products!