wrxsmo

Don't have a massive budget (around £400) & will consider 2nd hand.

Had a look at the Canon mv630 & was quite impressed, I currently have a digital Ixus which I've been v pleased with, so would be happy with another Canon.

Any advice would be appreciated.


Chris

:Mike:

When I finally have cash I plan to get one meself.

Canon 630i is last year's model, and the 630 specifically was a Dixons exclusive I believe - so you pay Dixons prices.

If you're willing to buy online you can get the MV750i, which is the top of Canon's 2004 budget range for about the same price. Has a better CCD, bigger zoom, nightlight etc.
The Sony ones at the top of their budget range are very nice too. Better features but smaller zoon than the Canons.

Well worth reading Camcorder User and What Camcorder IMHO (although avoid Camcorder Buyer like the plague - their own reviews disagree with their buyers guide, and the journalism is ****e).

wrxsmo

Great stuff

Thanks Mike !

druddle

I was looking in this price range meself in January. The Canon is supposed to be ace but performance in poor light lets it down. For me it was between the Panasonic and the JVC cameras, and I went for the JVC GRDX95 (425 quid from www.prcdirect.co.uk).

The Panasonic and JVC were almost identical in features, but the JVC had a bigger screen on it and looked nicer. Thats why i chose it. And it also takes stills.

Only bummer was it went bang on my honeymoon halfway through, but was repaired under warranty when we got back very quickly.

Dave

Nevetas

Ask Here

http://www.simplydv.co.uk/simplyBB/

jbryant

Chris,

There's a magazine on the shelves in WHSmith I saw yesterday with a massive '50 best DV things' feature on the front cover. In here they've got review summaries on dozens or so of the best camcorders around at varying price levels. Definitely worth a read as everyone has a differnt opionion.

Now for mine... Personally I went for the Panasonic NV-GS50 which has loads of features and is very wife-friendly. Gets 80% in that mag, with good all-round easy to use performance. I paid £450 I think, price matched by John Lewis from an internet store that happened to have a shopfront.

So far I've been very happy with it and would recommend.

Joolz

wrxsmo

Thanks guys

Bought the magazine today & have been doing my research on the forum !

Cheers for all your help, just gotta make a decision now .......

(altho just to confuse things further for me I've just spotted Canon selling their reconditioned units with Warranty at a good price on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=20333 )

mmmmm.... what to do ?!?! lol

Nevetas

Hi Chris

I would say that you want to make sure it had DV-in. I thought I'd never need it, so bought a camera that didn't have it. I sooooo wish I'd paid abit extra to have dv-in

Also, if you pay even more money you can get AV-in, which means you could add a 'bullet cam' at a later date... Great for in car videos and track days.

But at the very least you want DV IN / OUT, which that particular canon model doesn't have, only dv out.


Sony DCR HC30E has DV in & AV in, and it's £400

wrxsmo

Hello mate ! I've just read one of your posts over on the other forum

Soooo many models to choose from .....

I thought I'd almost made a decision with the Canon mv750i but now you got me looking at the Sony lol

Chris

4X4BOB

Have you considered Sony?

Just bought my first ever camcorder, Sony DCR-HC30E and paid £423 inc Del.

I found the Simply DV forums very good for info and was going to buy the older model Sony but then Sony released newer versions of which the DCR-HC30E is one of.

Has all the features I was recommended to look for and more! And a nice size and feel too.

I'm very pleased with it, and the footage I'm getting as a complete novice is excellent. Even in very poor light where I expected the picture to suffer, its still gives excellent results.
And its so easy to use, even the missus can use it no probs!

Given the chance to start all over again, I would still buy this camcorder.

All IMHO.

Bob

4X4BOB

jeeze . . . I gotta learn to type faster . . . .
2 posts before I got mine submitted on the SONY !

Bob

wrxsmo

Having a look as we speak at the Sony's but have noticed that the optical zoom is only 10 x as opposed to the Canon at 22 x. I was under the impression to go for the better optical zoom.

Nevetas

Yes thats a true point, it does have better optical zoom. However it's lack of dv in & av in would still make the sony the wiser purchase.

Normaly 10X is enough, unless you're filming wildlife or something?

4X4BOB

Thats something I noticed, but with its high quality "Carl Zeiss" lens the picture quality of the Sony IMHO makes its 10x zoom far more usable.

Just sticking a massssive turbo onto your scooby aint gonna make it better than a well setup scoob with more sensible mods!

At the end of the day its down to your own preference, but I'm glad I bought the Sony

Bob

4X4BOB

I also find the extra "record" button on the fold out screen very handy to use.



Anyone would think I had shares in Sony!

Bob

wrxsmo

Lol Bob

Good point on the zoom, I'm gonna do a bit more research beofre making a decision I think !

The Canon does have the DV in & out but not the Av i think ?

Where did you guys buy your camcorders from in the end ??

Nevetas

http://www.prcdirect.co.uk

4X4BOB

RGB DIRECT


Paid £423 but price is now £433.95

Was very impressed with them.
I ordered via their website on a Sunday and by Tuesday lunchtime I had received the camcorder!

Bob

4X4BOB

Where ever you buy from, make sure the model number has the letter E on the end (DCR-HC30E) as that denotes it its a European model and not an import which would have NO WARRANTY!
Something I learnt in researching the camcorder.

Bob

4X4BOB

Review of Canon MV750i

An un biased rearly review of the MV750i by Colin from the SimplyDV forums


[QUOTE]
The standby and operational motor noise that so dogged the MV500 and MV600 ranges seems to still be here, unfortunately. Using high-quality, closed-cup, Sony headphones the motor noise was very noticeable in a quiet room, and is still evident in a room with an average-to-high ambient noise level too. Disappointing.

There's no mic input socket, so I couldn't compare a like-for-like performance of the Canon's own mic with my Sennheiser MKE300.

The AV socket also doubles as the headphone socket, which is very confusing to begin with. Plug the headphones in and you get a horrible din until you reset the function of the switch in the menu.

Colour rendition is the one redeeming feature of the MV750i. Canon's DigicDV processing certainly scores with bright colours - they're beautiful - and even in lower light levels the colours hold up fairly well.

In terms of low light performance, the camcorder doesn't seem to perform significantly better than its predecessor. Certainly, shooting in the same low-lit room as a Sony TRV50 produced pictures that weren't as good as the Sony. Images were grainy and the auto focus circuit seemed to take an age to find the spot.
[QUOTE]


The DCR-HC30E is too new for an official review, but can confirm that I have'nt noticed any motor noise at all from my Sony.
Its features/funtions are all very easy to use and the low light performance is excellent IMO.

Bob

wrxsmo

Thanks alot Bob your a gentleman, your like my very own shopping assistant lol
& cheers Steve it seems there are some real discounts to be had


How do you find the still pictures Bob ? & do you happen to know what resolution it takes them at ?

4X4BOB

Not used the still images fully yet, only to try it out, but not printed any out.
I would say they are fine for printing out on 6x4 photo paper but wouldn't know how they would be enlarged.

I have 2 fuji digi cams for quality stills so it wasnt really a feature I was bothered about.
Although I will probably be using this function fully in a couple of weeks when I go to Florida, taking only the Sony out instead of carrying around multiple cams.

I will take some pics tomorrow and check them out properly to see what the quality is like and will post my findings on this thread.

Bob

Nevetas

Must admit, still pictures and camcorders don't mix will.

Your best off getting a seperate still camera IMO. The sony will probably take them in 640X480 or maybe 800X600 which is still picture terms is aweful.

Get a 3-5 million mg still camera seperatly...

wrxsmo

I currently have a Digital Ixus which takes great pics (hence my initial temptation with the Canon) & find that I rarely take pictures above 1200 as they generally end up on the web anyway. The 750i can take them at 1024 x 768 .....

It just gets more confusing lol

Nevetas

The actual res size 1024X768 doesn't mean that the quaility would be any good.

Even if you are putting pictures on the web it's best to take the picture in the highest res possible, and then shink it down.

I take mine at silly rec, 9000X 7000 or something, but then resive them to 1024X768 and the quaility is fantastic. Wheras if I set my camera to 1024X768 and take a picture quaility is aweful.

Confused?

wrxsmo

Lol clear as mud ...

I dont think my poor old Pc would cope with editing a 9000x7000 photo How big must that image be !!!!????!!!!

wrxsmo

Just to let you know that you swayed my decision chaps & I've just ordered the Sony DCHRC40ES.

Thanks alot for your help & advice

Chris

Brendan Hughes

That's the one I have my eye on at present. Could you let us know your views when you get it? Thanks!

wrxsmo

Will do ....