Round 2 - What Camcorder would you suggest?

[FinelyCruising]

You all were so helpful when I asked about a digital camera (and I love the Canon A95 that I now have) :)

 

DH has made some comments about getting a camcorder to grab some moments on. We have an older Sony with all the right low light and image stabilzer features, but we don't use it on cruises or for capturing the moments. A little too big for what we want to do.

 

We kind of are thinking smaller for this use. Any input and feedback on what you have/like/dislike would be great. Only 24 shopping days are left!

[Jeanne B]

We have a camcorder that's a few years old but would prefer something smaller for the cruise (these camcorders get smaller every year!!). I had a thought to check at our local Rentacenter to see if they rent camcorders and they rent the miniDVD camcorders for $40/wk (2 week min)...much cheaper than spending $700 on a new miniDVD!! I forgot to ask about insurance but I'm sure that can be added without much additional cost. Our Panasonic works fine so we have no need to replace it but just want something more compact for the cruise so I think we're going to try renting...anyone ever done this before?

[m00k3y]

Definately rent one if you don't think you would use one a LOT or are budget conscious.

 

If you want to buy, definately go digital and lens quality means a lot.

 

Personally I prefer Sony products as I have had excellent luck with them and customer service is top notch if you have any questions/problems.

 

Now if money isn't much of a consideration and you love electronics - have an hdtv already - you might consider getting a High Definition video camera. I know JVC makes one but they still are kind of pricey in the $3,000 range and up, but If you have seen high definition broadcasts, you know the difference in image quality.

 

Hope this helps some

[FinelyCruising]

Are the compact ones digital or tape or does it vary. And do you think on the compact ones for simple use it doesn't matter...

[Jacquelyn11]

This came out about 2 years ago. It listed for about $800 then. It's one of the first DVD cams. It uses a re-recordable mini DVD, so NO TAPES! Disavantage is you can't easily play the disc on a DVD player, BUT it does come with software where you can transfter the the movie off your recorded DVD onto a 4.8GM recordable Disc (Comp USA brand is about $1/disc in bulk). You can even set the camcorder to record your old VHS tapes onto the DVD and then burn them to your own disc, preserving your old images.

 

It also has a still camera built in, but my other digital still has a better quality, so I still use it.

 

The dimentions are about 4 L X 5H X 1.5 W, and it weighs about a pound or less.

 

I did buy an extra battery pack for a back up ($95). The Disc record 30min/side (about $20 for the re-recordable ones) and the battery charge last for 30-45min, depending on the use.

 

DVD's take up much less space on your cabinets for storage!

 

I know Sony have a version of this available, as probably others do too. I would also check Consumer Report for their info also.

 

Best of luck!

 

Jacquelyn :D

[PDPCEP]

Hello,

Just wanted to let you know my husband and I were on a cruise last August and we took along our new Sony DVD minicam. It worked great but one causion if you have the camcorder in your airconditioned room and then bring it ourside where it is warm right away it will fog up and take a few hours to reset itself.