Need advice...should I upgrade from my Digital VC

[Goonch]

I need some honest opinions.

I have a Sony Digital 8 Camera, DCR-TRV510, which I purchased in mid 1999. It records to Hi8 tapes. At the time, this model was considered a high end consumer camera.

It records upto 500 lines of horizontal resoultion and has a 1/4" color CCD 460k pixel imaging device.

Will a newer camera give me better image quality? I am so out of touch with digital camera technology it is not funny. I have three young kids growing up, so capturing their moments on a good video camera is important to me. Still pictures are not an issue because I have a decent Digital camera.

Would I see a big improvement in image quality with a newer video camera?

[Richard_G]

The only way you would see any improvement is if you went to a 3 CCD camcorder or similar or if the heads/guides, etc are starting to wear in the one you have. Digital 8 records DV format video onto a tape that is physically identical to a Hi-8 tape. MiniDV records exactly the same DV format files on exactly the same sort of tape that is housed in a physically smaller plastic box.

I use 3 camcorders to shoot the same subject from different angles and then edit down from there. I use two MiniDV camcorders and one Digital 8 camcorder and cannot see any difference in quality between any of them.

Unless you have a desire to spend money and the camcorder you have does everything you want of it, don't bother replacing it until it starts to wear out.

[Goonch]

Richard_G...thanks for that reply. Since reading your reply I started doing some research on those 3 CCD video camcorders. WOW...they are very expensive. I don't know if I am ready to spend that much money right now.

Do you find the prices to be dropping at all?

Is the video quality that much better?

[Richard_G]

Yes, I'll admit 3 CCD camcorders are expensive but you get what you pay for. You are looking at something that is as near to broadcast quality as you'll ever get. Prices don't seem to drop, like most electronics, the prices stay the same but the spec goes up. In other words, whenever a new model camcorder comes out it gives you far more than the one it replaced but the price only goes up slightly. The only alternatives are to try and pick up a discontinued model at a discounted price or buy secondhand. The problem with secondhand is that you have no idea how well or not it has been treated.

Three things affect the quality you get from a camcorder, the optical quality of the lens, the size of the CCD chip and the number of CCD chips. There is a fourth thing that affects the quality but that has nothing to do with the camcorder but the person holding it! If you go for a high end consumer camcorder you should get a decent sized CCD chip and a decent lens at a much lower cost than a 3CCD camcorder which is aimed at the semi-pro market.

Your existing camcorder is high-end spec, so you probably wouldn't see much improvement if you bought a new one unless you spent a lot of money. At the end of the day, it it ain't broke, don't fix it!