Camcorders

DmR-FreaK-07

hey i was looking to buy my first cam to film bike stuff with my price range is £200 max any ideas

DmR-FreaK-07

come on people a lil hep please?

Papa Smurf

http://www.sports-camera.com/index.htm# ... _connector

keith

Hi there DmR-FreaK-07,

Personally i would recommend one that records onto a Hard Drive, i believe that they have a longer longevity and are better value in the long run.

A few examples:

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/produc ... -position1

http://www.jessops.com/Store/s48310/0/C ... lse&comp=y

I understand that these are a bit over budget, but the first one at £249.99 is really good value; if you take into consideration that you will never need to buy disks that can cost like £30 then can see the value for your self - if you shop around you may be able to pick one up for under £250 - I'm not going to do all of the work for ya!

bightontrails

i have a JVC which does the job nicely. Make sure you always choose strength over features though, becuase they're extremely fragile

BigDutch

I've tried 3 hdd cameras and have been let down by image quality (artifacts from the compression even at full quality) and battery life. Ignoring those facts consider that you've got a disk spinning at 5400rpm+ within your camera and you've got some potential real issues for damage unless you go the solid state route and they are not cheap. Also, they can take a long time to 'boot up' or be ready to shoot.

If I'm doing a 'good' shoot where image quality is vitaly important I use a Canon XH-A1 HDV camera (not pocket sized, not cheap) but if I'm just wanting riding shots I'm currently using a Samsung Mini DV camera I picked up from Jessops for £190. Mini DV tapes are stable, I can connect the camera to my computer using firewire or USB cables and while it takes a little longer to import the footage for editing I like the fact that it's a much higher quality image. Also, Mini DV tapes are cheap as paper and you get beter equipment for your money if you go the Mini DV route as HDD technology is still developing & expensive.

For under £200 I'd take a look at the following:

Panasonic NV-GS60 (from £130)
Canon MD-205 (from £180)

Or this bargain from Comet (this is the camera I'm using when I go riding and it gives really good colour results - just don't be tempted to use the full digital zoom!)
http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/produc ... -position2

Also check the comet site for the Samsung VP-MX10 which is a bit more expensive but has better optics and a slightly smaller body (easier to store and carry with you safely).

Have fun and post some footage when you get it!

schmako

Got a JVC Mini DV camera, excellent quality, 800x digital zoom, 32x optical zoom. Transfer the tapes onto the pc no bother too. Not sure how much it is mind as I got it as a present..

BigDutch

That's a great present! Shoot lots of practice footage and have fun.