Which Cam for your bucks?

[NautTboy]

It seems like most budget Digital Camcorder takes bad quality video in low light. Are there any HD Camcoder that has good capture in low light? Maybe one with Light adapter options? I've been youtubing to see all the reviews of certain HD camcorders.

Major needs:
Good low light quality.
Fast focus.
Good stablizer, less shakes.

I like to have one for $200 but max is $500.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestion, please reply.

[edDV]

Why do you need high definition in low light?

Lower resolution sensors capture more photons per pixel for given optics and and sensor size.

This translates to more signal to noise.

[MJA]

I like to have one for $200 but max is $500.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestion, please reply.

good luck

[edDV]

I like to have one for $200 but max is $500.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestion, please reply.

good luck

Ever notice the noisy HD video on Palladia HD (MTV, VH1, CMT cable channel)? The night concerts suck even though they use heavy lighting and usually $30-65 thousand dollar Sony cameras that weigh a half ton (ok ten pounds).
http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-bro.../cat-hdstudio/

[pippas]

Panasonic FZ35 (FZ38 in Europe).
Reasonable size CCD sensor (none of this 'rolling shutter' CMOS rubbish! ) -so reasonable 'low light' footage.
AVCHD 'Lite' 720p video - reasonable quality -- good price.
Downside? -'DSLR' type camera format. Not a problem for me, but some folk aren't keen!

[edDV]

Panasonic FZ35 (FZ38 in Europe).
Reasonable size CCD sensor (none of this 'rolling shutter' CMOS rubbish! ) -so reasonable 'low light' footage.
AVCHD 'Lite' 720p video - reasonable quality -- good price.
Downside? -'DSLR' type camera format. Not a problem for me, but some folk aren't keen!

DSLR's have larger sensors (this one 0.5 inch) and better optics but only part of the sensor is used for video. The packaging requires a tripod for steady video. 30 fps will still be jerky for pan or zoom.

[NautTboy]

[NautTboy]

Why do you need high definition in low light?

Lower resolution sensors capture more photons per pixel for given optics and and sensor size.

This translates to more signal to noise.

Common now dont be laffing yet.
Well, I want to be able to capture my 8 months boy at any time with atleast 720 resolution. Most of the time inside the house during the winter there's not much light.

Hmmm, should i just throw him outside in the snow where it's bright and let him do his new crawl in the snow?
Oh wait, let me get a 10 hologen lamps and set around him so it's nice and bright.

Now, you guy get what I mean.

I have JVC miniDV which I like alot, but it went out on me. Even that JVC, sux in low light. I had to adjust brightness in editing.

[edDV]

At your price range, you will need to use a lot of light or have a noisy picture. Noisy video won't encode well.

So turn on some lights when you shoot indoors. The more light the better.

[lordsmurf]

Get a Canon ZR series machine: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.ht...reative=390957

Those work nicely in low light. Canon did a good job there.
Yes, that includes single-CCD models (3-CCD not needed).

[pippas]

DSLR's have larger sensors (this one 0.5 inch) and better optics but only part of the sensor is used for video. The packaging requires a tripod for steady video. 30 fps will still be jerky for pan or zoom.

This camera uses the OIS even for movie mode, and if it's half as good as the OIS on my Panasonic AVCHD camera, it's going to make a significant difference.

It's getting to be more and more difficult to find a 'consumer' camera/camcorder that doesn't use a CMOS sensor, with all the 'rolling shutter' problems that can bring.
So to find a reasonably priced camera that has a decent sized CCD, and an OIS, and can take 720p AVCHD 'lite' footage with reasonable low light capability has surely got to be a candidate for the OP to consider?

[MJA]

Why do you need high definition in low light?

Lower resolution sensors capture more photons per pixel for given optics and and sensor size.

This translates to more signal to noise.

Common now dont be laffing yet.
Well, I want to be able to capture my 8 months boy at any time with atleast 720 resolution. Most of the time inside the house during the winter there's not much light.

Hmmm, should i just throw him outside in the snow where it's bright and let him do his new crawl in the snow?
Oh wait, let me get a 10 hologen lamps and set around him so it's nice and bright.

Now, you guy get what I mean.

I have JVC miniDV which I like alot, but it went out on me. Even that JVC, sux in low light. I had to adjust brightness in editing.

if it's for your kids it's worth spending few hundred more for a nice HD camera.

Canon VIXIA HV40 HD HDV .it shoots in both HD,and SD.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-VIXIA-HV...2183878&sr=8-2

there is a huge forum for this camera

http://www.hv20.com/

you have to remember budget cameras sux in low light

[Soopafresh]

You're going to have noise any way you slice it, especially with your budget. There's a VirtualDub plugin called Camcorder Color Denoiser which will remove some of the colored grain you're going to get. Or several of these http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10139879 . And http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYAt7...eature=related Just be careful and take precautions.

[NautTboy]

Get a Canon ZR series machine: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.ht...reative=390957

Those work nicely in low light. Canon did a good job there.
Yes, that includes single-CCD models (3-CCD not needed).

Thanks for all the positive comments

Smurf, I had JVC miniDV and I'm trying to get away from the CASSETTE TAPE.

Anyone know if there's any differences betweent the HDD vs SDHC camcorder as in quality? I'm assuming the same.

[MJA]

I think the tape is better for storage .never trust a hard drive .they end up failing if it's after a day or 5 years

that's one of the reasons why I decided to buy the HV20

easy to edit

[NautTboy]

What you guys think of JVC Everio GZ-MS120?
It's not HD I don't think because they did specify.
Check youtube test video, it's pretty clear.
They are same price or hight than some HD cam.
So what are its actual resolution? Walley World
description only say 800kpix.

True, it's DVD (NTSC 720X480) resolution?

[NautTboy]

I dont really like Hard Disk myself. I prefer Flash memory. In case the cam broke, I can use it with other products. As is right now, my cam broke and I have no way of playing the cassette tape.

I think the tape is better for storage .never trust a hard drive .they end up failing if it's after a day or 5 years

that's one of the reasons why I decided to buy the HV20

easy to edit