Camcorder Websites?

[430752]

Looking for a few sites with good reviews on camcorders.

Kinda looking for a dpreview.com or stevesdigicams.com, but for camcorders.

so far, I've only come across camcorderinfo.com (and, of course, cnet.com).

tyring to find out info on dvd camcorders, sony v panasonic, new gen vs. last year's gen.

thanks,

curt j.

[drumpriest]

Camcorderinfo is probably the best all around source. I personally go for DV, but I edit all of my stuff. And I do production work (DVD creation). If you use a DVD camcorder, you are at the mercy of the mpeg encoder on the hardware, and editing is dodgy at best.

You'll want to look for a 3 CCD camcorder, as they are far less light sensitive than a 1 CCD model. Low light can turn a good shoot into a grainy, snowy nightmare with a 1 CCD camera, though low light isn't ideal for any camera, the 3 CCD models do much better.

Low light situations would include most living rooms on any given night with all of the lights on, btw...

[onedash]

dont the 3 ccd cam corders cost WAY more than the "regular" single ccd's?

[drumpriest]

They used to be stupidly expensive, but are now well within the comsumer market.

[LCHIEN]

Looking for a few sites with good reviews on camcorders.

Kinda looking for a dpreview.com or stevesdigicams.com, but for camcorders.

so far, I've only come across camcorderinfo.com (and, of course, cnet.com).

tyring to find out info on dvd camcorders, sony v panasonic, new gen vs. last year's gen.

thanks,

curt j.

FWIW Consumer reports picks:

CR Quick Recommendations CAMCORDERS

You can expect a digital camcorder to deliver very good video, as our Ratings scores demonstrate. Many of the digital camcorders that record directly onto small DVD discs were ranked at or near the top of the Ratings. However, that doesn't automatically make them the best choice. As the Ratings show, most DVD models were not markedly better than many camcorders that use MiniDV tape. The MiniDV camcorders win on price, making them the type that most people should consider first. The DVD models are for people who want ease of playback above all else.
Most camcorders weigh about a pound, give or take a few ounces. As camcorders get smaller and lighter, image-stabilization features become more important. A lightweight camcorder is harder to hold steady than a heavy one. Fortunately, most did an excellent job of minimizing the shakes.
Nearly all these camcorders turned in fair or poor performance when we tested them in low light. The Hitachi Ultravision DZGX20A (5) had very good quality. The Canon Elura 80 (2), Hitachi Ultravision DZMV730A (18), two JVCs, the JVC Ultra-Compact Series GR-DF450 (1) and JVC Ultra-Compact Series GR-DF550 (25), and two Sonys, the Sony CCD-TRV138 (32) and Sony DCR-DVD92 (10) had good quality.
Analog camcorders are a dying breed. Three models remain in the Ratings, and they are not in the same league as the digitals. Their picture quality is only fair, comparable with that of a rental videotape.
The Ratings rank models strictly on performance. Quick Picks considers other factors such as features, reliability, and value. Quick Picks
Best values in digital tape:
2, 8 Canon, $285-$400
4, 17 Sony, $290-$360

These MiniDV Canons are easy to use, have very good picture quality and an excellent image stabilizer and autofocus, but audio quality was only fair. The Canon Elura 80 (2) has good low-light picture quality. It's also relatively light but harder to hold and operate than other models. The less-expensive Canon ZR100 (8) lacks still-image capture. The CR Best Buy MiniDV Sony DCR-HC21 (4) weighs just a pound and is among the lowest-priced digital camcorders we tested. Although very good overall, its sound quality was only good; that may not matter much for recording speech, but you may notice it with music. The D8 Sony DCR-TRV280 (17), a CR Best Buy, offers more features and better image stabilization--though it has mediocre sound quality. JVC also has some high-scoring, low-priced models, however Sony has been the most reliable brand among digital camcorders.

</SPAN>
Best values in a DVD camcorder:
3 Panasonic, $505
10 Sony, $500

The Panasonic VDR-M53 (3) has excellent picture quality and image stabilizer. It's lightweight, but it's harder to hold than other models. It has only fair audio quality. The Sony DCR-DVD92 (10) has very good picture quality, with an excellent image stabilizer and autofocus. It also has good picture quality in low light if manual settings are used. The location of its strap can make DVD access difficult. We don't have enough data to judge the reliability of DVD camcorders.

</SPAN>