Buying Camcorder

[Nanflexal]

Hello guys,


i want to setup my own video coverage service here in the philippines but the problem is, i don't know which camcorder should i buy. My budget is $600 - $650, i want a camcorder that won't let me down in a low light area. Video quality is my primary concern and second, video quality must be acceptable in low light area. my prefer brand is canon.

Please input comment / suggestion regarding buying camcorder.


Thanks
Alex

[turk690]

At the price you quote you'll probably only get SD. Is that what you want? The world is moving on to HD. For a tape-based consumer camcorder with some pro twists Canon HV30 or HV40 is a good start (HDV but will also shoot SD if you want). But even though tape has its merits, we're moving away from it to hard-drive and solid-state memory systems.
Canon notoriously jacks up prices of its camcorders in the Philippines (30% or much more, taxed to death they say) with models coming late (Elura 100 came there a year after it officially came out in the USA), compared with what it is in the USA for the same model. You can probably buy in Hong Kong which comes out cheaper even if you add the airfare but camcorders in Hong Kong are normally 50i/p. The Philippines is 60i/p land.
A highly regarded site which details camcorder specs is camcorderinfo.com. For real-life experiences (up for you to take) user comment tabs on camcorder details in bhphotovideo.com gives clues of what to expect.

[zoobie]

the philippines is NTSC?
interesting...

[Nanflexal]

the philippines is NTSC?
interesting...

Philippines video standard is PAL. This site is very helpful to me because when i build my PC for video editing purpose, My PC work great. it's almost $900.

[Nanflexal]

At the price you quote you'll probably only get SD. Is that what you want? The world is moving on to HD. For a tape-based consumer camcorder with some pro twists Canon HV30 or HV40 is a good start (HDV but will also shoot SD if you want). But even though tape has its merits, we're moving away from it to hard-drive and solid-state memory systems.
Canon notoriously jacks up prices of its camcorders in the Philippines (30% or much more, taxed to death they say) with models coming late (Elura 100 came there a year after it officially came out in the USA), compared with what it is in the USA for the same model. You can probably buy in Hong Kong which comes out cheaper even if you add the airfare but camcorders in Hong Kong are normally 50i/p. The Philippines is 60i/p land.
A highly regarded site which details camcorder specs is camcorderinfo.com. For real-life experiences (up for you to take) user comment tabs on camcorder details in bhphotovideo.com gives clues of what to expect.

You're right, well i should consider buying HD camcorder for future use. anyway, my max budget is $800-$1000, can you recommend some brand which are good in low light area .

thanks for your input, I really appreciate it.

Thanks
Alex

[turk690]

The Philippines, along with South Korea, Taiwan, & Japan, is NTSC, not PAL. The USA used to be as well, until a month or so ago; now it is ATSC (handling several HD resolutions). You can consult some websites on this, including but not limited to Wikipedia and others of that ilk. To be specific, the Philippines is broadcast system M, color system NTSC. This is not so important now (you can throw in clips and assets both PAL and NTSC in a Sony Vegas project of either system preset), but sure helps streamline workflow and editing quicker.
The camcorder you will use in the Philippines should therefore preferably have a field rate of 60 or a framerate of 30, signified by such tags as 60i or 60p or 30p.
The Canon HV30 is under $1000. For a hard-drive based camcorder, there is the Sony HDR-CX500/520 (AVCHD). Details about more camcorders galore (including but not limited to their low light performance) in camcorderinfo.com.
Planning to start any videography service doesn't stop here. Next in your list will be the non-linear editing (NLE) program, as well as the PC it is going to run on.

[zoobie]

why does this remind me of my friend who, after learning what I've been doing, suddenly decides to run out, buy any HD camera, and attach it to his little motor scooter?

someone has a ton of homework to do
really glad it's not me

[SCDVD]

You might want to look at http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ It has a great deal of useful information about camcorders.

[filmboss80]

The issue about the Philippines may be determined by the output technology that's most widely used. HD is not that widespread yet. Heck, DVDs overtook VCDs only a few years back. With your limited budget, you may have to go with an SD camera, though it would be best to shoot a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. SD video will not task your computer as much as HD. You also must consider equipment support in terms of camera accessories (like batteries), repair service availability, etc., and Sony rules the Philippines like no other brand.

And just to be straight: your country is an NTSC country (although you're on a 220V electrical system). My travels have taken me there many times, and I have delivered a lot of video there.

Mabuhay.

[edong]

Hello guys,



i want to setup my own video coverage service here in the philippines but the problem is, i don't know which camcorder should i buy. My budget is $600 - $650, i want a camcorder that won't let me down in a low light area. Video quality is my primary concern and second, video quality must be acceptable in low light area. my prefer brand is canon.

Please input comment / suggestion regarding buying camcorder.


Thanks
Alex

If you have a relative here in the U.S., here is something to think about. Only $499 but refurbished.

http://www.circuitcity.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4682274&SRC...=gan_108303788