Buying a Camcorder

thisismyusername

I am wanting to purchase a decent quality camcorder, and I have no idea where to start looking. I saw the Canon HV20 in action the other day, it looked pretty nice. That is about the kind of quality I'm looking for, professional but affordable. I don't want to rush out and buy an HV20 because I haven't seen what other companies have to offer. If anyone has any ideas, it would be much appreciated.

RUNN1NGMAN

That line of cameras was very well reviewed by Consumer Reports. I think they looked at the previous version, but they said it was the best value for an HD camera.

I've been in the market for a similar camera. The only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger is that I'm trying to decide whether I want one that uses flash memory or miniDV. It's kind of a toss-up at this point. They both have their advantages. MiniDV is technically better quality, but AVCHD is pretty close. MiniDV takes forever to transfer to a computer (real-time transfer) but the cassettes are dirt cheap and provide an automatic archival format.

In any case, if you're looking for an HD camcorder that uses miniDV cassettes, the one you linked to is the best of the bunch in terms of value (according to Consumer Reports).

EggyToast

Have you filmed much in the past? I've found that if you're just looking to get started, or looking to film a few things for fun, you'll get a lot more mileage out of something like the Flip. Small so you can take it with you and shoot video without feeling self conscious, and very easy to get video on to your computer (which can be annoying with any sort of tape system). Also a very low-cost outlay for something that might very well suit your needs completely.

Plus it shoots HD video. My boss has one and raves about it, despite not being that into video before picking one up.

It's similar to the photography idea I push that if one is getting started, it's far better to pick up a point & shoot and spend some time actually taking pictures before dropping money on an SLR, simply because if you're not used to shooting photos, the idea of hauling a large camera around will likely mean it stays at home. Same with video -- I had a camcorder slightly larger than the ones you're looking at and it generally stayed at home, and I didn't do much with the video because it was a hassle getting clips off of the tape (as you had to import them and then split etc.). I'm seriously considering picking up a Flip myself, as just last fall I was contemplating getting a new camcorder (because my "old" one broke -- on my wedding day) but didn't want to deal with tapes, yet everything that recorded to a hard drive was over $400 -- more than I wanted to spend. Especially considering that to get an actually nice camera puts you closer to $1000, and then dealing with lighting, lenses, etc.

thisismyusername

Thanks for the info, RUNN1NGMAN. I prefer working with miniDV myself, I don't mind waiting around while the video imports.

EggyToast - I've worked with video plenty of times before but only with a cheap camcorder. That's why I'm looking to upgrade. That Flip looks pretty cool, but I'm not sure it's what I'm looking for.
Also, is your name a reference to food and Expert Knob Twiddlers, or just food?

EWom

Just an FYI, JVC brand camcorders don't seem to work on Macs if that's an issue with you.