Buying a Mac for simplicity, I want the same for the video camera. I'm willing to sacrifice pix quality for complete ease of transfer to Mac and making dvd's. Please advise.
Buying a Mac for simplicity, I want the same for the video camera. I'm willing to sacrifice pix quality for complete ease of transfer to Mac and making dvd's. Please advise.
all sub $1000 dv cameras are the same (or close enough that you wont be able to tell the difference.) just go into best buy and get the one that feels most comfortable to you. they all work equally well with iMovie and Final Cut.
At least with iMovie it is really, really easy. hook up your DV-cam, launch iMovie and create a projectname. Then create . . . . .
I have done this since my first iMac 450 DV+ (indigo) were released. My camera is (old) Sony TRV-20e and the biggest annoyance is the colours. I have gotten tired of filming outdoors under a clear blue sky and still get this greyish sky when I get it ito my pBook.
So get to learn a wee bit about CCD´s before you buy any DV -cam.
all sub $1000 dv cameras are the same (or close enough that you wont be able to tell the difference.)
That's like saying all digital cameras are the same. Hard to believe. Thanks for the iMovie comment. Sounds like that it is extremely easy.
ipodandimac brings up a good point, I would like to go to a place like BestBuy for the purchase. I like the idea about returning it if there is a problem. Any specific model recommendation would be appreciated. Looking at Cnet reviews, they appear to really like the Sony and Canon's the best.
That's like saying all digital cameras are the same. Hard to believe.
well it's more true with dv cameras than digital cameras. when you buy a camera, most of your money is being spent on the CCD, which is what's turning light into electricity so your dv tape can record it. That's why professional cameras cost $80,000--better chips. When you dip below $1000 though, there's more of the "our camera has SUper Duper Steady SHot" and who can have the highest digital still integration. if these things are important to you, then that changes things, but if you're editing on your Mac you dont need all those filters cause you'll never use them (how many people do anyways?) So, you might be able to notice some difference between $450 and $1000, which is basically the extreme, but everything else in between is really the same. You'll undoubtedly find one you like more than another though, and I would recommend Sony or Canon.
well it's more true with dv cameras than digital cameras. when you buy a camera, most of your money is being spent on the CCD, which is what's turning light into electricity so your dv tape can record it. That's why professional cameras cost $80,000--better chips. When you dip below $1000 though, there's more of the "our camera has SUper Duper Steady SHot" and who can have the highest digital still integration. if these things are important to you, then that changes things, but if you're editing on your Mac you dont need all those filters cause you'll never use them (how many people do anyways?) So, you might be able to notice some difference between $450 and $1000, which is basically the extreme, but everything else in between is really the same. You'll undoubtedly find one you like more than another though, and I would recommend Sony or Canon.
Well said !
Personally, I have never bothered to learn the camera´s menus and buttons ( except for white-balancing). Because . . . . . I have a mac. ;-)
If you can.... go for a 3ccd camera. i think Sony has a cool camera with this one. -> nice 3ccd camera
Actually, make sure your camera is actually compatiable, just becuase it has a firewire port doesnt mean it will work(I had a samsung dv cam that worked great in os9, but not with OSX, search apples support boards, its common(my camera was not on the supported product list). so make sure it is supported or a new patch/upgrade could stop it from working.
Actually, make sure your camera is actually compatiable, just becuase it has a firewire port doesnt mean it will work(I had a samsung dv cam that worked great in os9, but not with OSX, search apples support boards, its common(my camera was not on the supported product list). so make sure it is supported or a new patch/upgrade could stop it from working.
Hmmm. really. But though, if you go by Sony or Canon, maybe JVC, I doubt you can go wrong
MiniDV SUCKS! Do not buy a camera without 3 CCDs unless you cannot see color.
If you want to maximise your budget, get The PV-GS250 which has Optical Image Stabilisation and a 740K 3 CCD system and you'll be happy until the HiDef bug hits you in a few years.
I tried to track down additional info on the video camera you mentioned (PV-GS250), but couldn't figure out if it has been released yet. So you don't like mini dv. I'm assuming that is the small tape. What does the PV-GS250 to record on?
MiniDV SUCKS! Do not buy a camera without 3 CCDs unless you cannot see color.
If you want to maximise your budget, get The PV-GS250 which has Optical Image Stabilisation and a 740K 3 CCD system and you'll be happy until the HiDef bug hits you in a few years.
Sorry that was a bit of hyperbole. I have a JVC GR-30 which has served me well however it's painfully obvious that MiniDV can only look it's best with 3 CCDs. The color is the first thing that goes when you don't have enough light.
The 3CCDs will make a large difference and Optical IS is always preferrable to Electronic. I think with a $1k budget you're going to get a good camera.
Great, what type of media is used to record on? i.e. digital tape, SD cards, etc.
Quote:
Originally posted by hmurchison
Advance The Man.
Sorry that was a bit of hyperbole. I have a JVC GR-30 which has served me well however it's painfully obvious that MiniDV can only look it's best with 3 CCDs. The color is the first thing that goes when you don't have enough light.
The 3CCDs will make a large difference and Optical IS is always preferrable to Electronic. I think with a $1k budget you're going to get a good camera.
Great, what type of media is used to record on? i.e. digital tape, SD cards, etc.
MiniDV tapes. I buy them at Costco for like $3.75 a tape. I think the future will bring mini HD and Flash Cards as potential choices. For now Tape is still the easiest.
How do they rate a MiniDv tape? By Gigabytes? How much record time will they allow?
Quote:
Originally posted by hmurchison
MiniDV tapes. I buy them at Costco for like $3.75 a tape. I think the future will bring mini HD and Flash Cards as potential choices. For now Tape is still the easiest.
Canon makes great camcorders but I don't think Canon makes anything that is the best bang for the buck. Canon will highlight everything that doesn't matter that much in their line. 20X Zoom!! 2.2 Megapixel pictures! 15 built in Effects!!!
\
Garbage in..garbage out. Even considering small CCDs having a dedicated CCD for Red/Green/Blue makes a noticable difference in the video. In fact the GV-150/250 both offer Leica lenses.
The GS-400 is camcorderinfo.com's favorite camera under $1500. Panny has a solid relationship with Apple and all their cameras should work fine with iMovie, FCE, FCP.
I do like Canon..I just feel that they aren't offering as much bang for the buck.
Buying a Mac for simplicity, I want the same for the video camera. I'm willing to sacrifice pix quality for complete ease of transfer to Mac and making dvd's. Please advise.
Hmmm... You want the "best" video camera, but are willing to sacrifice picture quality? I think your definition of "best" is different than that of serious camcorder users. Most camcorders will plug into iMovie and transfer dead easily.
Beyond that, it sounds like ease of use is more important to you than pure picture quality. IMHO, the less $$$ you spend the fewer options and settings a camera will have. Some people will interpret this as "simple" others will think this is crippled.
Anyway, check here: www.camcorderinfo.com if you really want to learn about camcorders.
Hmmm, I do want a video camera to be easy to transfer above all else. Picture quality means nothing if the video camera isn't used. It has to be very easy for both my wife and I to use it. Thansk for the camcorderinfo.com it is the best place to search.
Quote:
Originally posted by jasenj1
Hmmm... You want the "best" video camera, but are willing to sacrifice picture quality? I think your definition of "best" is different than that of serious camcorder users. Most camcorders will plug into iMovie and transfer dead easily.
Beyond that, it sounds like ease of use is more important to you than pure picture quality. IMHO, the less $$$ you spend the fewer options and settings a camera will have. Some people will interpret this as "simple" others will think this is crippled.
Anyway, check here: www.camcorderinfo.com if you really want to learn about camcorders.
Comments
Originally posted by Advance The Man
Buying a Mac for simplicity, I want the same for the video camera. I'm willing to sacrifice pix quality for complete ease of transfer to Mac and making dvd's. Please advise.
all sub $1000 dv cameras are the same (or close enough that you wont be able to tell the difference.) just go into best buy and get the one that feels most comfortable to you. they all work equally well with iMovie and Final Cut.
I have done this since my first iMac 450 DV+ (indigo) were released. My camera is (old) Sony TRV-20e and the biggest annoyance is the colours. I have gotten tired of filming outdoors under a clear blue sky and still get this greyish sky when I get it ito my pBook.
So get to learn a wee bit about CCD´s before you buy any DV -cam.
Zon
Originally posted by ipodandimac
all sub $1000 dv cameras are the same (or close enough that you wont be able to tell the difference.)
That's like saying all digital cameras are the same. Hard to believe. Thanks for the iMovie comment. Sounds like that it is extremely easy.
ipodandimac brings up a good point, I would like to go to a place like BestBuy for the purchase. I like the idea about returning it if there is a problem. Any specific model recommendation would be appreciated. Looking at Cnet reviews, they appear to really like the Sony and Canon's the best.
Originally posted by Advance The Man
That's like saying all digital cameras are the same. Hard to believe.
well it's more true with dv cameras than digital cameras. when you buy a camera, most of your money is being spent on the CCD, which is what's turning light into electricity so your dv tape can record it. That's why professional cameras cost $80,000--better chips. When you dip below $1000 though, there's more of the "our camera has SUper Duper Steady SHot" and who can have the highest digital still integration. if these things are important to you, then that changes things, but if you're editing on your Mac you dont need all those filters cause you'll never use them (how many people do anyways?) So, you might be able to notice some difference between $450 and $1000, which is basically the extreme, but everything else in between is really the same. You'll undoubtedly find one you like more than another though, and I would recommend Sony or Canon.
Originally posted by ipodandimac
well it's more true with dv cameras than digital cameras. when you buy a camera, most of your money is being spent on the CCD, which is what's turning light into electricity so your dv tape can record it. That's why professional cameras cost $80,000--better chips. When you dip below $1000 though, there's more of the "our camera has SUper Duper Steady SHot" and who can have the highest digital still integration. if these things are important to you, then that changes things, but if you're editing on your Mac you dont need all those filters cause you'll never use them (how many people do anyways?) So, you might be able to notice some difference between $450 and $1000, which is basically the extreme, but everything else in between is really the same. You'll undoubtedly find one you like more than another though, and I would recommend Sony or Canon.
Well said !
Personally, I have never bothered to learn the camera´s menus and buttons ( except for white-balancing). Because . . . . . I have a mac. ;-)
If you can.... go for a 3ccd camera. i think Sony has a cool camera with this one. -> nice 3ccd camera
Originally posted by zenarcade
If you can.... go for a 3ccd camera.
Bingo. Panasonic also used to make some VERY NICE 3 CCD cameras for not too much cost.
Originally posted by The General
Actually, make sure your camera is actually compatiable, just becuase it has a firewire port doesnt mean it will work(I had a samsung dv cam that worked great in os9, but not with OSX, search apples support boards, its common(my camera was not on the supported product list). so make sure it is supported or a new patch/upgrade could stop it from working.
Hmmm. really. But though, if you go by Sony or Canon, maybe JVC, I doubt you can go wrong
MiniDV SUCKS! Do not buy a camera without 3 CCDs unless you cannot see color.
If you want to maximise your budget, get The PV-GS250 which has Optical Image Stabilisation and a 740K 3 CCD system and you'll be happy until the HiDef bug hits you in a few years.
Originally posted by hmurchison
Panny 3 CCD $600 camera. Here's a review
MiniDV SUCKS! Do not buy a camera without 3 CCDs unless you cannot see color.
If you want to maximise your budget, get The PV-GS250 which has Optical Image Stabilisation and a 740K 3 CCD system and you'll be happy until the HiDef bug hits you in a few years.
Sorry that was a bit of hyperbole. I have a JVC GR-30 which has served me well however it's painfully obvious that MiniDV can only look it's best with 3 CCDs. The color is the first thing that goes when you don't have enough light.
The 3CCDs will make a large difference and Optical IS is always preferrable to Electronic. I think with a $1k budget you're going to get a good camera.
Originally posted by hmurchison
Advance The Man.
Sorry that was a bit of hyperbole. I have a JVC GR-30 which has served me well however it's painfully obvious that MiniDV can only look it's best with 3 CCDs. The color is the first thing that goes when you don't have enough light.
The 3CCDs will make a large difference and Optical IS is always preferrable to Electronic. I think with a $1k budget you're going to get a good camera.
Originally posted by Advance The Man
Great, what type of media is used to record on? i.e. digital tape, SD cards, etc.
MiniDV tapes. I buy them at Costco for like $3.75 a tape. I think the future will bring mini HD and Flash Cards as potential choices. For now Tape is still the easiest.
Originally posted by hmurchison
MiniDV tapes. I buy them at Costco for like $3.75 a tape. I think the future will bring mini HD and Flash Cards as potential choices. For now Tape is still the easiest.
Originally posted by Advance The Man
How do they rate a MiniDv tape? By Gigabytes? How much record time will they allow?
By time. Normally you'll see 60 minute tapes. They hold about 13.5 Gigabytes.
Originally posted by Vox Barbara
sub 1000? go for canon. best bang for buck.
Canon makes great camcorders but I don't think Canon makes anything that is the best bang for the buck. Canon will highlight everything that doesn't matter that much in their line. 20X Zoom!! 2.2 Megapixel pictures! 15 built in Effects!!!
Garbage in..garbage out. Even considering small CCDs having a dedicated CCD for Red/Green/Blue makes a noticable difference in the video. In fact the GV-150/250 both offer Leica lenses.
The GS-400 is camcorderinfo.com's favorite camera under $1500. Panny has a solid relationship with Apple and all their cameras should work fine with iMovie, FCE, FCP.
I do like Canon..I just feel that they aren't offering as much bang for the buck.
Originally posted by Advance The Man
Buying a Mac for simplicity, I want the same for the video camera. I'm willing to sacrifice pix quality for complete ease of transfer to Mac and making dvd's. Please advise.
Hmmm... You want the "best" video camera, but are willing to sacrifice picture quality? I think your definition of "best" is different than that of serious camcorder users. Most camcorders will plug into iMovie and transfer dead easily.
Beyond that, it sounds like ease of use is more important to you than pure picture quality. IMHO, the less $$$ you spend the fewer options and settings a camera will have. Some people will interpret this as "simple" others will think this is crippled.
Anyway, check here: www.camcorderinfo.com if you really want to learn about camcorders.
- Jasen.
Originally posted by jasenj1
Hmmm... You want the "best" video camera, but are willing to sacrifice picture quality? I think your definition of "best" is different than that of serious camcorder users. Most camcorders will plug into iMovie and transfer dead easily.
Beyond that, it sounds like ease of use is more important to you than pure picture quality. IMHO, the less $$$ you spend the fewer options and settings a camera will have. Some people will interpret this as "simple" others will think this is crippled.
Anyway, check here: www.camcorderinfo.com if you really want to learn about camcorders.
- Jasen.
My experience with the Sony is okay easy. (new expression ? )
1. Switch the camera into cam - mode
2. point at something.
3. click the red button.
4. connect to your mac
5. open iMove
6. create project
7. import the footage
8. edit
9. export back to camera or iDVD
6 month later . . . . . . . .
buy Final Cut Express
You shouldn´t be concerned with the ease of use. It is pretty straight-forward.
Oh. I forgot. First.... you have to take the protection-cap of the lens