What mini camcorder to buy

[Mike L:isi]

Need help in selecting a mini HD camcorder. I tried the Kodak Zi6 but could not get the output files to convert to AVCHD and play on my Panny bd30 BR. I would like to try the file conversion before I buy my next one. Can anyone send me some small (10 sec) video files from camcorders like the Insignia HD, MINO HD, VADO, etc. so I can try to convert them to AVCHD.

[zoobie]

that's the goal?
what's your budget?

[Mike L:isi]

It's not so much a budget as I want a mini pocket camcorder. They range in price from $75 - $200. The file conversion is the sticky point. I want to be able to burn a AVCHD dvd that will play on my Panny bd30. I could not get the Kodak Mov file to do this.

[minidv2dvd]

the sticky point may be the software you used. what was it, and what specs did you use to try the conversion? a good editor can convert about anything to avchd.

[Mike L:isi]

I am using MultiAVCHD.

[minidv2dvd]

did you try renaming the .mov to .mp4? it they are avchd encoded it might work. mostly multiavchd wants blu-ray spec files to begin with. it's not an editor/encoder.

[zoobie]

a mini HD camcorder for $75-200? Must not be very good...does it come with a cell phone attached?

[rumplestiltskin]

Forget HD; try the Samsung MX20. It will shoot 16:9 and its HQ setting produces about 4 hours of footage on an 8GB SDHC card. The camcorder is tiny, $200 (or less if you shop around) and, although Samsung's implementation of the wide-screen flag is flawed, most any software around will correct the issue and permit you to edit it (unless it's a Linux box in which case you waste hours of time -not- finding a good solution).

[Mike L:isi]

Why do you think the Samsung SD is better than the mini HD's? How would you compare the Pan SDR-s7 to the MX20.

[rumplestiltskin]

For your $200 max price any HD camcorder you find will be a throw-away that probably won't last a month.

The SDR-S7 has no filter thread so forget any front-mounted accessories. It also shoots MPEG2, not MPEG4. Extra file conversion necessary and editing more difficult.

I own the MX20 and have been quite happy with it. I do wish it had a mic input but, frankly, I haven't encountered a situation yet where I really needed it. It's about the size of a can of coke. The handle it has rotates so it's very comfortable to hold waist-level (which, without an eye-level viewfinder, you will be doing).