Camcorder help

TJ-I just picked up a Cannon Z40 for $459. It is a miniDV, which is optimum for downloading to a computer, and it has the AV inputs. If all you want to do is get it to a VHS tape, all you need is a super8mm analog recorder. That's what I did at first, but needed a good way to get the vids into a computer. Get yourself a miniDV camcorder but be certain that it has A/V inputs. You can also use the camera to record older stuff off your VHS tapes (using your VCR's outputs) and the miniDV will automatically do the A-D conversion for you. To get it into the computer, use a FireWire port (cheap add-on). If you have Windows Movie Maker, it will let you edit and compress the video, even add a soundtrack. I have not downloaded the Movie Maker 2 upgrade yet, but hear it is impressive.

You might be able to find a Z40 on closeout somewhere, too. I had another camera picked out on the Best Buy website, but when I stopped by the store on the way home, I found that there were multiple misprints in their specs pages. The Z40 DID have inputs, while the other one (Sony, I think) didn't.

Check out www.steves-digicams.com/ for some accurate specs, then do a search for the particular model you want on the Best Buy site and see if they have any special prices or rebates. Good luck!

So, How are you guys keeping these $500 camara's from getting crushed?

Yep. There is definitely an inherent risk here for the camcorder! I wear mine in a fanny pack.

Hehe, I like the remote velcroed to the cp idea. That way, when you crash, hopefully you land on the "Stop" button and shut the camera off! Actually, I usually have someone else hit "Record" before I ride off, or just spin the fanny pack around to the back after I hit the go button. Heck, I have the new miniDV cam, but haven't used it yet. I have so many projects going, that I need to get them all settled before I start playing with stuff again, because the helmet cam will inevitably lead to computer problems! So to answer your question, I like the fanny pack idea best.

Hey Chucke, welcome to the helmet cam club!  Don't forget to buy a humongous hard drive for your computer while you're at it!

We managed to get Winblows 2000 installed on a second partition on my computer, so we could get the firewire card installed, so we could download video.  We got about 15 minutes of video downloaded, but when we tried to edit, we were out of HD space!  D'oh!!  That's next on the upgrade list...  :think:

Originally posted by LoriKTM
Hey Chucke, welcome to the helmet cam club!  Don't forget to buy a humongous hard drive for your computer while you're at it! 

Click to expand...

Amen to that.  I just dropped another 80 gig hard drive into my machine dedicated to just video editing.  I have another 40 gig drive that runs the system. 

Speaking of systems, Windows XP Pro is much better at resource allocation and multi-media applications.  Also, there is a small freeware program out on the net called "End it All"  Do a search for it and download it.  Run this program before you start your video editing software.  This shuts down everything on you computer in the system tray except two items need to keep windows running.

Also,  another video editing tip.  Go to control panels and obviously, shut off your screen saver.  Also turn off the clock on you task bar.  For some reason, video editors don't like that little piece of the system software.  Also turn off any energy managment settings that you may be using.  You don't want you system trying to shut off the monitor and/or hard drives and processor for what the computer is thinking is a period of inactivity when in reality what you are trying to do is render a video project.

If you don't have one already, get a video editor that will allow you to capture an entire tape, 60 min, in what's called preview mode.  This is a much lower quality, and doesn't take up near the hard drive space of 1 minute of full quality DV video.  When you render you finished project, it goes back and recaptures the video that you used, and writes it to the hard drive.  For what it's worth, I use pinnacle systems Studio DV versoin 8.x

good luck! 

You don't need an expenceive camera, als you need is some dupt tape and a $100 camera and your in buisness.