I need/want a video camera......

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froglips

New User
Jim Campbell
Ok, after my day of 30 second video clips from the Klingspor Showcase, I'm hooked.

So, looking for some recommendations for video cameras of the "digital" variety.

I plan to shoot mostly in woodworking environments, so dust is likely my main concern.

Oh, and $$.

I see there are flash, tape and cd burner models out there.

I may need one that can survive my creativity as well......

[YOUTUBE]ZY9W7Sd0d6s[/YOUTUBE]

Jim
 

Sandy Rose

New User
Sandy
I bought a JVC Everio before our son was born - It was fairly inexpensive and uses SD flash memory cards up to 32gbs of memory. It's really easy to use and the only problem I have with it is in low light conditions, the video can be kind of grainy.
 
M

McRabbet

If you don't need zoom and fancy features, buy a Flip camera which runs on two AA batteries and has a built-in USB plug and software to save your videos to your PC (they have plenty of on-board memory and are ideal for short clips to be uploaded to YouTube. They are about $150 at Sam's Club (I have the earlier, non-HD model). I would recommend using it on a small tripod since it does not have image stabilization.

Our Western NC Woodworkers Association just bought a Sony HDR-CX150 Handycam ($450) that is HD, has image stabilization, has 16GB of internal memory and a 25X Optical Zoom lens. We just taped Greg Paolini's presentation on Mortise and Tenon joints to the group yesterday and simultaneously displayed the video on a large screen with our Epson EX51 video projector so everyone had a great view of his demo. We bought a spare battery (base battery will do nearly 2 hours before recharge) and a 16GB SD card as well -- we can record more than 6 hours if we want! It also has the ability to write directly to a DVD. It is a bulky (ha!) 4-1/2" by 2-1/4" x 2", about twice the size of the Flip, but with much more capability!
 

WoodWrangler

New User
Jeremy
Flip HD. $140, plus you can buy a waterproof case if you want one for $35. Wonderful picture, easy to upload, and goes anywhere.
 

merrill77

Master Scrap Maker
Chris
Many/most digital cameras have video recording capabilities. I've purchased my last 3 primarily based on their video quality. My current Canon A710is shoots 640x480 at 30 fps and has excellent quality for stills as well. I can get about 28min of video on a 2G card. It is several years old now, so current models are no doubt much better. I mention this because I didn't want a dedicated video camera: since I rarely remember to bring the camera at all, having two cameras would make it twice as likely I would not bring the one I need. Depending on how serious you want to get, a good camera with video might be enough for you.

This is usually the first place I visit when I'm looking for a new camera: http://www.dpreview.com/
 

froglips

New User
Jim Campbell
For the record, I'd like to shoot longer videos.

Would zoom features help with close up shots of woodworking tasks?

I'm happy with my current camera for stills :)

Jim
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I really like my Canon SX10 camera. I use it for video more than our video camera because I always have it with me. I have a couple 16 gig cards and get over an hour of vid on each. It does zoom and macro. It really is easier to use than our Sony video only camera and cost less.
 

CarvedTones

Board of Directors, Vice President
Andy
For the record, I'd like to shoot longer videos.

Would zoom features help with close up shots of woodworking tasks?

I'm happy with my current camera for stills :)

Jim

One thing to note is that making long videos and shooting long videos are not necessarily the same thing. It is certainly more convenient if you can shoot long segments, but most of the time you will be patching together a lot of short segments. If you shoot long segments, you will likely find that you will need to cut pieces out and re-record some parts anyway. Anyway, don't get too hung up on the internal capacity; SD cards are not that expensive.
 

sapwood

New User
Roger
+1 on regular camera with video capabilities.
Had a Panasonic Z-28 (stolen :cry_smile) and replaced with Z-35. Currently $300 on Amazon it has 18x zoom in regular camera and HD video with good image stabilization. :icon_thum

Roger
 

CarvedTones

Board of Directors, Vice President
Andy
HD video on a "still" camera? That is awesome! I didn't realize they had started doing that. That really blurs the line between them and video cams. Do any of the still cameras have a jack for an optional better mic? The video cams often come with good mics and always (I think) have a jack so you can use a better one. Some still cameras have issues with sound. A mic can be especially important for making a video of you using equipment as you can place it so that you are between the mic and the machine or even use a headset mic so the machine doesn't drown you out.
 
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