Video Camera Questions

[Tony Eeds]

My daughter has been lobbying me to get one of the new digital video cameras with the built in hard drive.

Sony and ? are the two she showed me at Best Buy.

Does anyone have experience with or an opinion on them?

If I get one, I will have to be able to hook a helmet camera to it, so it will have to be able to take the vibration of me carrying it in a backpack.

Help!!! Thanks in advance for your comments. :cool:

 

[robwbright]

Tony:

I don't have any personal experience with recent vid cams, but in my experience and understanding, (in their price category) Sony is typically top notch in video stuff - any of it (VCRs, TVs, Vid Cams, etc . . .). I usually buy Sony Vid stuff and Harmon Kardon Audio stuff.

My father in law uses a helmet cam on his 125 Kart. He uses a Sony Mini CD vid cam @120-130 MPH with no suspension and hasn't had any difficulties. He's been quite pleased with the results. He is offering to let me use it for a race, but I'm a bit hesitant about using $1000.00 worth of equipment which isn't mine - given the crash possibilities.

 

[FruDaddy]

I would recommend getting something in either MiniDV orDigital8. Digital8 is going out of fashion, but is less expensive to buy (and replace), and the tapes are also less expensive. Also, you can use Hi-8 tapes in a pinch. MiniDV cameras are usually a bit smaller than Digital8, as are the tapes. The Mini DVD cameras seem convenient, but if you intend to do any editing, they typically convert the video to MPG before burning to disk. This hurts the video quality in the end. If memory serves me correctly, the hard drive recorders also record in MPG. Also, check into the overall record time per MB of disk space. With any removable media, you can carry extras and keep recording as long as there is battery juice, whereas a hard drive's capacity is finite.
Whatever you decide, make sure it has an AV input before you buy if you you plan on attaching a helmet cam.

 

[robwbright]

The Mini DVD cameras seem convenient, but if you intend to do any editing, they typically convert the video to MPG before burning to disk.

I don't disagree with anything FruDaddy said - just noting that the video from my in law's camera is of pretty good quality. I don't know about the MPG conversion issue on his particular camera.