The things I look for in a video camera: White balance settings-presets don't always work too well Manual iris External Mic inputs A decent lens that can zoom and also do Macro for those layout shots. Manual focus That Sony looks interesting. I would love to see what kind of images it can capture. It all depends on that little lens. You never know though. sheesh it's cheap too. (relatively speaking) If I had a couple grand lying around... http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Panasonic-Announces-AG-HVX200-HD-Flash-Media-Camcorder-with.htm *sigh*
Before anyone forgets, I'd like to add that a good and sturdy tripod or monopod is an essential accessory for a good steady as a rock shot.
Tripod is everything! Handheld is ok, but a nice steady tripod shot makes a difference. Another tool for shooting is a sand bag or bag full of beans. It's handy for setting the camera on the gound or on a steady object for those low shots or car roof shots.
I'm going to hold off for a while. I just bought my daughter a Sony miniDV for about $350. My research into the hybrids (miniDVD) did not impress me with the image quality. When I make the plunge, I'll go high definition. MK, Glad I could help.
Video is another hobby, I've had experience with Final Cut Pro, i've used professional level cameras on a limted basis (The sony DSR series, really nice cameras) DVcam is the way to go as far as a recording format. I haven't shot any RR related stuff, just school related things.
Well, as long as we're on the video portion of our beloved mode of transportation, is there anywhere here in the forum that we can post video or should I just bite the bullet and set up my own streaming video server, again. Not impressed with youTube's video compression, among others. I'm open to ideas on where to host for the time being. AD
Well, I've attempted to upload a test video or two, all apparently within limits but so far, nothing has shown up. I have been able to upload photos with no problem, it's just that the video never seems to appear in the appropriate area selected. I'll mess with it a bit more for sure. AD
Well, after a few more tests I got some vids to upload that were under 2meg in size, which is kind of small. So, depending on how much space the forum wants to expend for video uploads, it looks like we'll be stuck with things like YouTube for the time being. AD