Thanks for Helping Me Pick Out A Digital Video Camera

« Google Gossip for 3/1/2007 | Main | Who Will Run for Mayor in 2009? »

March 03, 2007

Thanks for Helping Me Pick Out A Digital Video Camera

One week from today, we will be in lovely Savannah, Georgia for a much-needed break. I just booked the hotel. We haven't really taken a vacation since the boy was born over 2 years ago, and the UTC semester break seems like a good time to get away for a bit. ("Break" is relative, since I had to ensure hi-speed internet access in order to maintain a modicum of support for two projects at work that can't delay.)

I've been putting off buying a video camera for a couple of years now, but I have this thing about the boy's first visit to the ocean, and wanting to document that experience.

Since I've never owned any type of camcorder, I'm starting from a blank page here. That's why I decided to come to you, my wise, tech-savvy readers, for some quick help.

Can you put aside your scathing critique of the fact that I am just now getting this going less than a week before we leave town, and offer me some aDVice? I'm sorta-kinda looking at the Canon ~~ZR800~~ ZR830 or ZR850, or something like that; but I don't know what I'm doing.

I will want to edit my video on the MacBook Pro, so if there are any parameters to steer clear of (or make certain are covered) with that in mind, there's that. And the only other limits I know of are the typical quality/price boundaries. For example, I saw one offered for $75, and then there's the other extreme of professional Hi-Def. A couple, three hundred bucks should get something pretty decent, but which one?

Thanks to each of you for your help.

UPDATE: Edited due to finding that the ZR800 doesn't seem to include an internal mic, whereas higher models do. Bill's comments and user reviews seem to sway me further toward this Canon line. Now it's just down to the two models listed above, where for $40 I can get an SD HC card and a video light. Oh, and the sensor on the ZR850 is 1.07 megapixel.

UPDATE II: I went with the ZR850. Bill, and others with whom I conversed offline, are hereby appreciated for their help. A good neighbor suggested a place to get cheap miniDV tapes. My Mac has a FireWire 400 (not 800) port, but the same neighbor feels that this will be sufficient for what I'll be doing.

This website will be embellished with photos and videos in the near future. Watch out!

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.