I am new to the camcorder scene, and am looking for one for my business. The functions I need to focus on: - still and video tutorials - night-time video and stills of fire and rapid motion (e.g., fire juggling, arms moving rapidly) - Uses SD, which means it will also use MiniDV, I suppose Both the stills and video need to be of decent quality. My budget for this, before accessories, is probably <$500. My knowledge of features is somewhat limited, at the moment, so it's hard to say what else I might need, but I would appreciate any opinions, so I can find a few to pick from. Thanks, MJ
Here's what I did to find my camcorder...and suggest you give it some thought. I logged on to eBay, and started making notes of brand names, model numbers, and specs, and noted what they sold for. I soon got a handle on the market in what initially seemed like overchoice. When I spotted something that seemed pretty good, I googled the reviews on the cam. This caused me to stay away from certain brands, and to move toward others. I zero'd in on my specs and price range. The thing is, there is a wide range of features and prices. Every bell and whistle you add rings the til, and you soon find you are in a trade-off situation. I am happy with the trade-offs I made, because I knew what they were going in. And, there were no surprises. This research requires a little effort, but you will be well rewarded.
I read daily reviews of latest camcorders releases and comparisons, i can conclude that you can look into these specific 2 cams for the budget you have: sony dcr trv 38 and canon optura 20 both are decent and can do the job for you cheers