I'm in the market for a new camera after looking at so many wonderful HD pics on the picture of the day threads. What are your reccomendations?
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Best HD Digital Camera
- Thread starter wvdisneyfamily
- Start date
WDWFREAK53
Well-Known Member
I'm also in the market for a HD Camcorder.
I have never owned a camcorder so this is all new to me. I do know that my mother has one that records straight to mini DVD's. That is one I DON'T want. Yeah, it's easy...but it's a joke trying to get it onto your computer to do any editing.
Here are my issues...
1. When I go on vacation, I hate carrying things. I specifically bought my Sony Cybershot due to its size. It fits easily in my pocket and takes very good pictures. Sure, it may not have a super zoom and it may not be a top of the line SLR...but it's good for what I want it for. Now I'll have a camera in my pocket and a rather bulky (only in the sense that it won't fit in my pocket) camcorder to carry around.
2. I want to be able to easily upload video to my computer and edit them.
3. I want it in High Def. (Let's face it, standard definition is going the way of the DODO and I can't even watch regular tv anymore because HD spoiled me).
4. Because of #1...I don't want to be carrying around a bunch of "stuff" (batteries, chargers, memory cards, blank "tapes", etc.)
Right now, tops on my list is the HRD-XR500V from Sony.
1. It has a built-in 12.1 megapixel still shot camera. (It will eliminate the need for my still camera). Also, it is not that bulky.
2. It has a hard drive so moving from one hard drive to another should not be a problem.
3. It's high def...but still not sure if it's "Blu-Ray" quality. (1920X1080 HD).
4. Again, it has a hard drive...so no need to carry around blank "tapes" or memory cards...which only leaves the battery
There are some other neat features with it also.
Geotagging!
Face Detection (My still has this feature and it's pretty good...it also will only take the picture when people are smiling)
Image Stabilization
You can burn onto Blu-Ray discs.
Has anybody used this specific one? (Plus, we want one because we want to make sure and capture every little thing once the lil cherub gets here
)
I have never owned a camcorder so this is all new to me. I do know that my mother has one that records straight to mini DVD's. That is one I DON'T want. Yeah, it's easy...but it's a joke trying to get it onto your computer to do any editing.
Here are my issues...
1. When I go on vacation, I hate carrying things. I specifically bought my Sony Cybershot due to its size. It fits easily in my pocket and takes very good pictures. Sure, it may not have a super zoom and it may not be a top of the line SLR...but it's good for what I want it for. Now I'll have a camera in my pocket and a rather bulky (only in the sense that it won't fit in my pocket) camcorder to carry around.
2. I want to be able to easily upload video to my computer and edit them.
3. I want it in High Def. (Let's face it, standard definition is going the way of the DODO and I can't even watch regular tv anymore because HD spoiled me).
4. Because of #1...I don't want to be carrying around a bunch of "stuff" (batteries, chargers, memory cards, blank "tapes", etc.)
Right now, tops on my list is the HRD-XR500V from Sony.
1. It has a built-in 12.1 megapixel still shot camera. (It will eliminate the need for my still camera). Also, it is not that bulky.
2. It has a hard drive so moving from one hard drive to another should not be a problem.
3. It's high def...but still not sure if it's "Blu-Ray" quality. (1920X1080 HD).
4. Again, it has a hard drive...so no need to carry around blank "tapes" or memory cards...which only leaves the battery
There are some other neat features with it also.
Geotagging!
Face Detection (My still has this feature and it's pretty good...it also will only take the picture when people are smiling)
Image Stabilization
You can burn onto Blu-Ray discs.
Has anybody used this specific one? (Plus, we want one because we want to make sure and capture every little thing once the lil cherub gets here
)
An HD digital camera not a video camera
KeithVH
Well-Known Member
My apologies for being dense - I thrive on definitions. You are looking for a digital camera (DSLR or point&shoot?) capable of recording video in HD, right? Technically, there is no such thing as a still picture in HD - digital cameras, a while ago, surpassed the resolution standards of HDTV. HD is a label for TV's that support the screen resolution of 1280 x 800 or 1920 x 1080.
So the two options you seem to be looking at are (a) ability to record video in HD resolution or (b) onboard output thru the jacks to view what's in memory on a TV.
I would suggest looking at either a Son or Panasonic (Kodak only has 720p). They both have P&S units that record that way (1080). If you have to have an SLR, Canon 5dMarkII (~$2.5K).
So the two options you seem to be looking at are (a) ability to record video in HD resolution or (b) onboard output thru the jacks to view what's in memory on a TV.
I would suggest looking at either a Son or Panasonic (Kodak only has 720p). They both have P&S units that record that way (1080). If you have to have an SLR, Canon 5dMarkII (~$2.5K).
I did a lot of research, and just got a Panazonic HDC TM300. Possibly a bit over the top for day to day use, but I can mention a few things;
Hard drives are not perfect, especially in a theme park environment. Make sure you can back it up regularly. If it crashes you could loose all your video. The model I got uses SD cards - easy to swap and getting cheaper (and bigger) all the time. Hard Drives also use a lot of battery power compared to solid state and tape.
Face detection - a bit of a gimmick, that can get confused as much as work well.
Image stabilisation - never choose digital, always optical. The former blows the image up to work, thus lowering the resolution. The latter is done via optics to keep the resolution.
HD - there are 3 main types; 720, 1080i and 1080p, lowest quality first. 720HD is still higher quality than DV, let alone VHS.
If taking a photo as well as video with a video camera is important, check the camera lets you do both at once without stopping shooting. Not all do.
Hard drives are not perfect, especially in a theme park environment. Make sure you can back it up regularly. If it crashes you could loose all your video. The model I got uses SD cards - easy to swap and getting cheaper (and bigger) all the time. Hard Drives also use a lot of battery power compared to solid state and tape.
Face detection - a bit of a gimmick, that can get confused as much as work well.
Image stabilisation - never choose digital, always optical. The former blows the image up to work, thus lowering the resolution. The latter is done via optics to keep the resolution.
HD - there are 3 main types; 720, 1080i and 1080p, lowest quality first. 720HD is still higher quality than DV, let alone VHS.
If taking a photo as well as video with a video camera is important, check the camera lets you do both at once without stopping shooting. Not all do.
LiveyMouse22
Active Member
I am also curious about the cameras that can take the beautiful pictures that I see on the Picture of the Day threads. I'm no photographer, just have an ordinary cute little digital. :lol: I am really interested in any way I can get pictures that will be able to capture better memories by being very clear like ones seen in those threads. I apologize but if anyone can help I may need an explanation of what types of cameras are good in simple terms. :ROFLOL::shrug: Thanks in advance! :wave:
The biggest factor is really the photographer. I've seen incredible photos from $200 compact cameras and incredible photos from $20,000 DSL setups. Not trying to say a good camera wont improve things, but the biggest impact can be the user.
LiveyMouse22
Active Member
I was thinking that as well. I guess not being a master behind the lens would make me in need of a $20,000 camera.:ROFLOL:I'm going to start exploring the camera I have so I can hopefully start taking better pictures. Thanks. :wave:
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
Look up the "National Geographic Field Guide to Photography"
Its a good basic/beginners book.
Its a good basic/beginners book.
Deadmanwalking
Member
I'm also in the market for a HD Camcorder.
I have never owned a camcorder so this is all new to me. I do know that my mother has one that records straight to mini DVD's. That is one I DON'T want. Yeah, it's easy...but it's a joke trying to get it onto your computer to do any editing.
Here are my issues...
1. When I go on vacation, I hate carrying things. I specifically bought my Sony Cybershot due to its size. It fits easily in my pocket and takes very good pictures. Sure, it may not have a super zoom and it may not be a top of the line SLR...but it's good for what I want it for. Now I'll have a camera in my pocket and a rather bulky (only in the sense that it won't fit in my pocket) camcorder to carry around.
2. I want to be able to easily upload video to my computer and edit them.
3. I want it in High Def. (Let's face it, standard definition is going the way of the DODO and I can't even watch regular tv anymore because HD spoiled me).
4. Because of #1...I don't want to be carrying around a bunch of "stuff" (batteries, chargers, memory cards, blank "tapes", etc.)
Right now, tops on my list is the HRD-XR500V from Sony.
1. It has a built-in 12.1 megapixel still shot camera. (It will eliminate the need for my still camera). Also, it is not that bulky.
2. It has a hard drive so moving from one hard drive to another should not be a problem.
3. It's high def...but still not sure if it's "Blu-Ray" quality. (1920X1080 HD).
4. Again, it has a hard drive...so no need to carry around blank "tapes" or memory cards...which only leaves the battery
There are some other neat features with it also.
Geotagging!
Face Detection (My still has this feature and it's pretty good...it also will only take the picture when people are smiling)
Image Stabilization
You can burn onto Blu-Ray discs.
Has anybody used this specific one? (Plus, we want one because we want to make sure and capture every little thing once the lil cherub gets here
I don't have that Sony HD camcorder I have a different model, what I can tell you is the ability to take "12.1" mega pixel photos isn't that big a deal. The reality is the sensor is smaller than the one on my DSLR so the images aren't that great.... In fact if I showed you pictures taken with it and pictures from my old 6 mega pixel DSLR you would prefer the ones from the old camera.... so don't let that be a selling point. Also remember that having the hard drive means that you are limited to how much you can record before you will have to down load to a computer. You say you like to travel light, well is taking along a laptop to down load to going to take less space than using a camcorder that uses tapes or DVD's ? probably not.
One last thing to consider, that is sound. The one I have claimed it had mic inputs, well it did if you were willing to consider the special Sony mic that attaches to the top as an input. They even claim that there is a adapter that allows you to hook up your own mic to it, but it is no longer made and I have been watching Ebay like a dog watching meat trying to get a hold of one. Why? because the sound isn't that good. Fact is I have used my old JCV mini-DVD player more than my Sony HD camcorder simply because the picture is good enough with the old one and the sound isn't good enough with the sony... don't get me wrong, the Sony does decent sound inside, but outside its horrible.
So before you drop the money on it go look and see if it truly has a mic input and if it does make sure you can live with being forced to bring your laptop for downloads. For me the mini-DV tapes are still the best choice.
RiversideBunny
New Member
Take a serious look at the Canon PowerShot SX200IS
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A17MC6HOH9AVE6&v=glance
One step up from that is the Canon PowerShot G10
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Powersh...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245101946&sr=8-1
The G10 can mount a separate external flash unit, which can be important for good night/inside shots.
The next step up would be a DSLR with separate lenses. Bring $$.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A17MC6HOH9AVE6&v=glance
One step up from that is the Canon PowerShot G10
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Powersh...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245101946&sr=8-1
The G10 can mount a separate external flash unit, which can be important for good night/inside shots.
The next step up would be a DSLR with separate lenses. Bring $$.