Hi guys,

I'm in the market for a new video camera and would like to know what is the best handy cam out there at the moment?

I will be going overseas very shortly so can claim the GST back which is excellent and I will use it mainly for family purposes, but maybe doing some short films too. We have a brand new 1080p plasma so i'd like to get the best out of the screen and would appreciate the extra quality 1080p offers.

So after doing some brief research i've found that there isn't actually too much out there that will do 1080 as far as handy cams go. I did stumble upon the Sony HDRSR12, which i've just realized while writing this is actually 1080i and the JVC GZ-HD6 which is 1080p/50fps.

Just wondering your opinions of what i'm best suited for, or if you have any other suggestions i'd love to hear them.

I'm looking to spend about 2k, price really isn't a huge issue here. I just want something that will last for the next 5 years (if that's possible these days!!)...

we bought this one a month or so ago, the pana SD9

http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=4128

what we like about it is its light, compact. having no HDD helps in simplicity, weight and low battery use. if you buy in a kit it comes with 2 x 16GB SDHC cards and a dvd burner for archiving in hi-def plus the pinnacle software for working with the files on a pc. and mini hdmi lead. Rather amazingly if you put the dvd-r into a blu-ray player it plays back in high def. or alternatively if your blu-ray player has a sdhc card reader slot. then can plug the card directly into the player and play it back.

as a bit of headsup, do your searching around the chain & camera stores and compare pricing as you'll find you can buy the full kit with the burner and cards for a much much lower price than the rrp of the camera on its own ! .

if you must have a hard disc version the pana HS9 would be the one to get but also its a bit pricier.

the other options are the

Sony Hdr-sr11/sr12

and

Canon HR10

check the sony and canon website for details.

which you pick will come down to brand or personal preference as overall theyre a much of a much ness.

Thanks for your help, I just read up on the Pana and it looks fantastic.

I was thinking of going with an HDD model, because i like the idea of storing lots of data on the unit, but I really like the idea and flexibility of the SD card option. I did some quick reading but couldn't find if the HDD model accepts SD cards too. Would you happen to know??? Leica lenses and 3ccd are also amazing, so this camera does really seemed spec'd higher than the other cameras i've seen, in that it can also record in 1080p/25fps. So far this is the only camera i've seen that records in 1080p as well. Would you happen to know, if recording in 1080p, how many minutes that would get you on the dvd-r?? or the 32gb sd cards?

Thanks.

Around 7 hours storage

Check out this site:

Camcorder Info

It's got some great information on all the cameras being mentioned here. I personally bought the Sony HDR-S11 and am very happy with it. I've never been a particular fan of Sony with their preference for proprietary hardware but I think given you don't need memory sticks for this camera it's not a big deal. The build quality is top notch and there's no cheap plastic covers for connections, etc. The footage produced is amazing.

The Sony SR11 or SR12 can record on Memorystick or HDD. They get a better review than the Panasonic and the Canon gets props for having a builtin 16GB flashdrive and better picture quality, but in my book the Panasonic seems to have the best all rpound features for me. I haven't bought just yet....waiting to see what happens with the Olympics and if Panasonic do some sort of rebate/special deal.

There's some discussions on HD video cameras in the twoi threads below and also a link for some reviews between the 3.

Reviews

Should I Get A Hd Video Camera?

Sony Hdr-sr11/sr12 Hdd/ms Avchd High Definiton Camcorder, From Sony's New Camcorder range released March 2008

hobey the HDD model of the pana most defintely accepts the SDHC cards though a bit more expensive and does not come with any SDHC cards thrown in so would have to buy separately which can end up costing overall a hell of a lot more !

32GB will give you 4hours at highest quality level and 8 hours at Normal quality level for 1920x1080. time on dvds will depend on their size and recording quality, you'll have to do the math.

personally the way I saw it given the recording time possible on the cards the hdd for me would be redundant. like the flexibility of the card option as well. see it as the way of the future. and like the archiving dvd option of it as well and that they play in a blu-ray player !

SDHC (class 6) cards are still relatively expensive when compared to class 2 or class 4 SD cards. Pana website has the 16GB card at $399 and the 32GB at $799, so the bundling of the memory card(s) with the SD9 make it pretty good value.
The cheapest advertised price of the SD9 in a store I have seen so far has been $1499, so you should be able to get it under this price.

If you look at the imported "grey" models you can get them for $800-$900, but that's usually without any memory cards.

I'd have to agree with Al, in that I like the ability to change memory if needed and the recording time possible makes SD cards a very good alternative to HDD equipped recorders.

Sony Camcorders require Memory Stick Duo (Preferably Mark 2)



An official Sony 16GB memory Stick (MSMT16G) direct from sony will cost $330
Although they can also be bought from a reputable online retailer I've dealt with for a few years for around the $200

Panasonic the cheapest I can find for an official Panasonic SDHC 16GB online is $289 not sure about the retailers though.

So Sony isn't always the most expensive either

And you don't need the memory stick to take photos with either. From memory some older cameras forced people to take stills on a memory card while the HDD was exclusively for video footage.

Very true bonehead.

So are you enjoying your camcorder as much as I am?

Around 8 months back I read every review out there on HD video recorders. The reviews varied and I couldn't decide between the Panasonic and Sony models available back then.

How I came to final decision was to take an SD card/stick of each model into the local Harvey Norman store. The salesman allowed me to record dark and light areas of the store with each camera. The results were played back on a PS3 and I was able to compare in detail same scenes in similar lighting conditions.

Hey guys, thanks heaps for all your help. In the end we decided to go with the panasonic, due to its flexibility and size! Also it was the only one I found that actually recorded in 1080p. Just wanted to thank you all for your advice and this camera really is amazing.

Just a quick q.

How to you guys usually store all the data? Just on a massive external HDD?

I suppose we'll have to invest now in an external drive to store all the data.

So which did you get?


The new JVC actually goes one better than the Panasonic and records in 1080p/50, but as with anything, specs aren't everything and the JVC have in the past been slammed for their poor video PQ performance

External HDDs are getting incredibly cheap nowadays. I've seen WD 500GB external HDDs at Domayne for $129 and 1TB drives for $269. I'm sure if you shopped around you could get better prices.

I finished up getting the Sony HDR-SR8E with the 100gb. hard drive even though I was comparing SD card models. The Sony really showed up the Panasonic (SD5) in low light conditions.

As for storage and play back, you can't beat a PS3 with attached usb hard drives.

The best cam at the moment.............. good luck, I have decided to go with the SANYO HD1000 Steve's Digicams and as I have no video or digital camera experience, it is all a new learning experience for me and could only go by research. The Sanyo seems to have a good balance of features, ease of use and price. Also, it records to SDHC and the price of those is getting reasonable - some 16 GB Class 6 going for $61 on eBay. On edit: PS - also it has a HDMI out connection which will make connection to my HT equipment a breeze!

The next question as someone asked, where to store all the data, here I am considering this type of external drive - Freeagent GO - anyone have one of them?

And then, you will be looking for some editing software; this looks very promising to me - VideoStudio 11.5 Plus - again, anyone using this or have recomendations?

TIA, John

A question, just curious how long will people continue to call these things "Video Cameras" ????

I have a WD MyBook 500GB. Only problem is it is a liottle slow to write to, but seagate/maxtor are pretty good.
I have for years used Ulead VideoStudio 6, then 7 and currently UVS 8. I find the ulead product really easy to use. I did download a trial version of 11.5 (not the plus version which adds BD authoring) and found it still just as easy to use but with a heap of extra features and output options. I would highly recommend it.

What else would you call them. They capture video content and they are cameras...?

Thanks for the good review of VideoStudeo, I will trial the software once I have the camera and some 'video' to work with

It is just my view that associates 'video' with tapes I guess; however, I have re-educated myself by learning the real meaning of 'video' here - VIDEO

Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion. Video technology was first developed for television systems, but has been further developed in many formats to allow for consumer video recording. Video can also be viewed through the Internet as video clips or streaming media clips on the internet and new ways for media to reach a global audience on their computer monitors.

The term video (from Latin: "I see") commonly refers to several storage formats for moving eye pictures: digital video formats, including DVD, QuickTime, and MPEG-4; and analog videotapes, including VHS and Betamax. Video can be recorded and transmitted in various physical media: in magnetic tape when recorded as PAL or NTSC electric signals by video cameras, or in MPEG-4 or DV digital media when recorded by digital cameras.

Don't you just loves the internet and these forums?

Hi guys,

What are people paying for there SR-11 or 12?? Harvey norman having a sale price of $1299 for the 11.

Are you sure that is for the SR11?
Sounds more like the price of a SR10 - 40GB HDD. Not quite in the same league as the SR11/12.
You could pick up an SR11 from an estore or eBay for @$1250, but from HN I wouldn't think you would get them that cheap...maybe $1500?

yes it was for the sr11,(having a sale only on the 11) that is what i asked for. then i asked how much for the sr12 and he said that was $1900.

Well $1299 is a great price for the SR11 considering 2 months ago they were going for $1700ish. If that's the camera you want (and it's a good one), then I would grab it at that price with maybe a HDMI cable, camera bag thrown in