Hi, I am looking to purchase a new camcorder to record trains, which camcorder would be the best to purchase for such a task? Thanks.
Nearly every camcorder now records in HD so,the question is what are you going to do with the miles of video you’ll be taking? IF you plan on selling your videos buy a good quality camcorder, 1500.00 and up, if your just watching them yourself buy one off the self at Best Buy…OH Yeah, Dont forget to get the sun behind you for good clarity of your subject matter,dark video is not good !
I’d go with a JVC that uses MiniDV cassette and has 28x optical zoom. They can be had for under $150. You’ll need a tripod and a FireWire cable (either 4 pin or 6 pin). Be sure your computer supports FireWire. Most computers manufactured within the last five years do.
Another option is a decent point-n-shoot digital camera with video function. Canon Powershot models are a good choice. They’re comparable in price as camcorders but a little more versatile as you can also capture photographs. However, there are pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
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Compact/lightweight
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Typically use AA or AAA batteries
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Take really good photos for the price
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decent video quality
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Common USB 2.0 Interface
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No heads to clean
Cons:
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Zoom (magnification) is typically not nearly as high as camcorder
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Video quality is generally not as good as camcorder
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Multiple SD cards will be needed (about 15 mins. max of high quality video per 2G card) compared to 60 mins. on a single MiniDV cassette.
I’m lucky enough to have both. I used to use my Digital camera almost exclusively, but since buying a $33 FireWire cable, things have taken a 180.
I have had 8 or 9 video cameras and my latest is a JVC Hard Drive (40GB) - I have no problems or complaints. This little guy outperforms all the rest that I’ve had and I did this semi-pro for a few years with a 14 lb shoulder cam. Don’t forget the other issues - TRIPOD - always a TRIPOD or monopod if traveling light, keep audio and lighting in mind at all times. Enjoy!
The usual wisdom for things like cameras and computers is to buy the biggest, baddest one you can afford (or can manage to afford).
I will go with Ted and highly recommend JVC. The particular model I purchased in December 2007 was the Everio GZ-MG155. I paid about $450 and street prices for the newer JVC models (more features of course) are running about $350. This is not an HD camcorder–I did not purchase HD at the time because every manufacturer seemed to have their own variation of HD video format and the video editing software did not handle all the formats. Not sure if this is still the case, but that is something to be wary of. I have found that the JVC model I have is an excellent value when you look at the camcorder features and quality of video compared to the price. I have shot a lot of railfanning videos over the last year and am very happy with this product. Again, I am not saying this is a top-of-the-line camcorder, but if I had to buy another one today, I would do so without hesitation. In fact, I have made this same recommendation to several other users on YouTube and they made the switch with excellent results. If you would like to see some examples of my videos take a look at my YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CSXDixieLine
NOTE: The three most recent videos posted are not good quality because my video editing software does not support the new widescreen format supported by YouTube. Take a look at any other videos posted from December 2007 onwards–these were all recorded with the JVC Everio GZ-MG155.
Jamie
Consider buying a fully digital camcorder that uses a 3-1/4" DVD disc as a recording medium. Features that count are a minimum optical zoom ratio of 10, a flip-out LCD viewer, an eyepiece viewer, and an image stabilizer. The flip-out LCD viewer consumes battery power so it should be used sparingly; this is where the eyepiece viewer comes in handy. The eyepiece viewer also comes in handy when the image in the LCD viewer isn’t visible due to glare. The image stabilizer is necessary to damp out the shaking in the image at long focal lengths when it is not be possible to hold the camcorder steady. Most digital camcorders also have a digital camera mode, and currently the resolution is around 3 megapixels.
A sturdy tripod is the most important accessory especially if you are recording at long focal lengths.It might not be possible to hold the camerea rock steady to prevent shaking or blurring of the image so even if your camera is equipped with an image stabilizer there is only so much they can do. It’s a good idea to purchase an extra battery, and a longer life battery than that which came with your camera is a good idea. Extra DVD discs are also good to have since the 3-1/4 " discs only have a half hour recording time. Here you might consider either the DVD+RW or the DVD-RW formats as opposed to the plain DVD+ or - R formats. The DVD +or - RW formats allow you to erase the disc once you are finished with it, and re use it.