Camcorder Spec

Nameless_87

Nameless_87

Nameless_87

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8 Oct 2009
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Hi,

I want to buy a camcorder, for when I go on holiday next july. I will be filming nature scenery and such, but would also like to use it at night although it will be used most during the day.

I want to be able to zoom a lot and the camcorder must be full HD as well. The motion reduction or w/e it is, is a must as well as I have a bit of shaky hands.

I was thinking about the SONY HDR-CX150?

I read good reviews about it.

My maximum budget is the price of the sony mentioned above, i.e around 500 pounds.

Is the sony mentioned above a good camcorder?
If not, can you recommend me a camcorder that is suitable for my needs please?

Thanks

edit - I believe the EU equivalent of the above mentioned camcorder is the HDR-CX155E
 
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I don't know much about the Sony (other than specs), and can't find many reviews, but at that price I would seriously consider the respective Canon HD cams as they were a lot better than anything six months ago in the circa £500-range.

I have an HF200 and it is awesome.

The Sony only seems to get mixed reviews...
 
I second that, Canon are pushing out some superb camcorders at the moment. I've owned the HV30 and now the HF S10 and both have been excellent. :)

Unfortunately I haven't tried other brands so can't make a direct comparisons, however I'm sure other brands have decent offerings too.
 
I have an HV40 and it is great - try looking for an HV30 if you are after a tape one. The HDD footage is harder to edit I believe as it is compressed so much.
 
Thanks for the replies :)

I am after a flash one with internal memory, something like 16gb or higher internal memory and can take SD and SDHC. I will use it for vacations, so I dont want it with tape or HDD since it would be heavier.

Will take a look at what you proposed.

Any other ideas?

Thanks again :)
 
So you want one of the Sony cameras, then?

If you absolutely MUST buy a Sony, check the reviews regarding data rate and low light performance.

However, I'm certain the equivalent Canon HF (HF is the flash storage one) camera will be better at... everything.
 
no im not set on the sony,

I just want to know what the difference between those two is since one is more expensive than the other.

Also I've been searching fro HF200 vs CX155e. and most people rate the cx155E higher regarding the image quality and low light performance. I read that the cx155e is also quieter than the HF200
 
Really?

http://camcorder-test.slashcam.com/...-u-bname-i-Canon HF200-u-cmd-i-vergleich.html

That's only one review, but regardless: I would suggest sitting on YouTube to get an idea of image quality.

I know the Canon does extremely well in all the situations I've thrown at it (and YouTube shows the ones I haven't). I can't compare against the Sony as I haven't used it.

I've seen the Panasonic SD60 thrown into the mix, too, but I haven't been convinced by Panasonic output since I had the SD9 because they changed their sensor technology from 3xCCD to CMOS and managed to reduce output quality (this may have been resolved by now, but...).

Stuff to bear in mind. I would look at actual output and see which is nicer to you...
 
mrthingyx said:
I don't know much about the Sony (other than specs), and can't find many reviews, but at that price I would seriously consider the respective Canon HD cams as they were a lot better than anything six months ago in the circa £500-range.

I have an HF200 and it is awesome.

The Sony only seems to get mixed reviews...
Click to expand...

I would suggest the HF200 as it outputs progressive, the sony appears to be 50i only.
 
hi again,

the sony is 60i if im not mistaken however i dont know what is the difference between 60i and 60p for example.

Can someone explain it to me?

Also I want to mention that I will be viewing the videos taken on a 32" full HD samsung TV so I imagine I will always record videos using 1920x1080 resolution
 
Sorry for double posting...

I am now liking the canon more than the sony, however i wanted to ask you,

is there a canon that has touch screen capability, i like that feature a lot.

Also regarding the steady shot (when your hand is shaking), I will be recording when on the move, so no tripods or anything, just wanted to ask you, is this feature good in the HF200 or any other canon camcorder?

Thanks
 
It's not bad, but unless you're using a steady cam rig, no camcorder will be.

As the Sony is slightly newer it might be better, but I'm operating on the principle of newer = better rather than actual evidence. One thing to bear in mind is that Canon use an optical system rather than the Sony's electronic version, and as the Sony doesn't cost £OMG I'm guessing it's not the "good" version of digital image stabilisation. But I don't know that, either.

To my knowledge, Canon haven't implemented a touch screen on any of the camcorders. The UI isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination and - if you're used to playing with a real SLR camera - it's actually much more flexible than the Panasonic SD9 I had as long as you're willing to take the time to figure it out. Personally, I'd prefer the money spent on the touch screen to be saved for the optics/sensor, but that's just me.

From what I understand, Sony and Panasonic have much easier-to-use interfaces based on touch-screens. If you just want an easy-to-use Point and Shoot HD cam, then the Sony will probably be better, but the Canon will give you significantly more room for growth as a videographer (quasi). I got frustrated with my Panasonic within six months of using it, but that's just me (and I use a Canon DSLR).
 
thanks for that informative reply.

I just saw the Canon HF S200 and I must say it looks gorgeous, it also has touch screen and OIS.

Shame it's a bit over my budget :(

From where can I buy canon camcorders from England? Since I live in Malta (europe) they would have to deliver overseas.
 
The choice has come down to 3 basically...

In order of preference...

1) Canon Legria HF S21 - 64GB inbuilt memory, 10x optical, touch screen (although a bit skeptical about this since it's canons first camcorder with a touchscreen), dual sdhc card, viewfinder (which i like very much since I'll do most of my filmings in broad daylight under the sun so the LCD could be a problem if it starts reflecting on me), 24p cine mode which looks amazing. Cons - price - I found it from japan for about 700 pounds (on the rain forest site its 1200 pounds)

2) Sony HDR-CX155E - This is relatively cheaper being 400-450 pounds. I chose this over the HF S200 because the HF S200 is over 600 pounds, and for that price I'd rather add a 100 and buy the 1st preference mentioned above. This is preferred over the 3rd choice because it has inbuilt memory (16gb) which i like a lot, and the touch screen feature which I like a lot as well.

3) Canon HF200 - The only reason the sony is currently ahead of this, is because it does not have touchscreen and internal memory. The picture is a bit better than the sony in my eyes, but I am not one that notices small differences, so for me they are on par. It does have a remote which could come in handy. The price for this is the same as the sony.

So it all comes down to these 3.

I am not one that will buy new technology when it comes out... so if I buy a camcorder I want it to last at least 5 years. Granted I won't use it more than a couple times every 3-4 months when I go on vacation. For this reason I don't know if I should splash out on the 1st one or settle for the sony or hf200. What do you think about the S21 anyways? Is it a good camcorder? Is the S21 worth the extra 350 pounds?

Any ideas or opinions? As I am more lost than when I started this thread :/

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions :)
 
Nameless_87 said:
The choice has come down to 3 basically...

In order of preference...

1) Canon Legria HF S21 - 64GB inbuilt memory, 10x optical, touch screen (although a bit skeptical about this since it's canons first camcorder with a touchscreen), dual sdhc card, viewfinder (which i like very much since I'll do most of my filmings in broad daylight under the sun so the LCD could be a problem if it starts reflecting on me), 24p cine mode which looks amazing. Cons - price - I found it from japan for about 700 pounds (on the rain forest site its 1200 pounds)

2) Sony HDR-CX155E - This is relatively cheaper being 400-450 pounds. I chose this over the HF S200 because the HF S200 is over 600 pounds, and for that price I'd rather add a 100 and buy the 1st preference mentioned above. This is preferred over the 3rd choice because it has inbuilt memory (16gb) which i like a lot, and the touch screen feature which I like a lot as well.

3) Canon HF200 - The only reason the sony is currently ahead of this, is because it does not have touchscreen and internal memory. The picture is a bit better than the sony in my eyes, but I am not one that notices small differences, so for me they are on par. It does have a remote which could come in handy. The price for this is the same as the sony.

So it all comes down to these 3.

I am not one that will buy new technology when it comes out... so if I buy a camcorder I want it to last at least 5 years. Granted I won't use it more than a couple times every 3-4 months when I go on vacation. For this reason I don't know if I should splash out on the 1st one or settle for the sony or hf200. What do you think about the S21 anyways? Is it a good camcorder? Is the S21 worth the extra 350 pounds?

Any ideas or opinions? As I am more lost than when I started this thread :/

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions :)
Click to expand...

IF you can stretch to your #1, I'd wager you'd never look back and be absolutely thrilled with your choice.
 
Nameless_87 said:
hi again,

the sony is 60i if im not mistaken however i dont know what is the difference between 60i and 60p for example.

Can someone explain it to me?

Also I want to mention that I will be viewing the videos taken on a 32" full HD samsung TV so I imagine I will always record videos using 1920x1080 resolution
Click to expand...

The 60i will be the NTSC version you need to look for the "E" version that will be 50i
 
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