Chris_S199

Hi all, did a quick search but couldn't find any previous threads on this so I thought I'd pick your brains.

I've recently bought a DVD+RW and am looking for a DV camera to create some videos with. I'm looking for reasonable "home-movie" quality and the budget limit would probably be around the 500 quid mark. As a relative newbie to DV cameras, I don't know what features are available/desirable so any web sites you know of with this sort of info would be well received. I'd guess its main use would be for recording in-car footage, as well as the usual daytrips to zoo's , etc, if that has any bearing on the features I need.

So, I'm really looking for recommendations that fit that description

TIA, Chris

Chris_S199

Anyone?

P1 Enthusiast

Not sure what you mean by DV - do you mean a digital camera that can do video also?

Anyway i am not an expert by any means and just started reading up on this stuff in order to buy one later this year.

Read these two sites for an idea of what most camera's are like;
http://www.dcresource.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/default.htm

For buying any electrical products from the uk i generally check this site first, excellent and very cheap;

www.empiredirect.co.uk

ChrisB

DV is a proper 'camcorder' - some can take stills.

Blackscooby

I went for a Samsung VP-D10. Its not got all the bells and whistles of some, but it cost around £340. At the end of the days its just gonna be attached to the rollcage of my 205 and shaken to bits.

Seems good enough for what I want it for.

P1 Enthusiast

Those links are still valid for reviews then and a good UK price for the products

Chris_S199

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I already have a "stills" digital camera and was looking for one solely for video. I'll check out the web sites you mentioned as well as the Samsung.

Chris

class_A

Check out the SimplyDV Forum

DominicA

One thing to look out for is DV-IN as well as the standard out. This will let you edit footage on yer PC and then put back to tape for storage...

I have a Samsung VP-D85i which retailed for about £600, bought on letsbuyit.com for £350..... try there or try kelkoo.co.uk...

jbryant

I understand that many DV cameras (such as my mates CanonMV20) can be upgraded using engineer codes, so that a camera that only has DV-out can be 'upgraded' to one that does in and out. (A bit like setting your DVD to multi-region from the remote control)

Reason being that cameras with DV-in are classified at import as 'video recorders' or some such, and are therefore subject to a different import tax.

I may be talking rollocks, but seems like another one of those 'undocumented features' that manufacturers leave 'open'. I don't want to pay £100 extra for the additional DV-in functionality when a few sly button presses on a cheaper model does the same thing.

I'm interested in this thread so will be checking the sites listed and would appreciate any more of the same.

cheers
Joolz