[mattmarshall]

hey all...

i know there's been a proliferation of "which camera?" posts lately...but it's a confusing topic!

i'll try to be very specific....

i'm lusting for digital video. i went to Best Buy and Compusa today.....and played with thier cameras for a couple hours.

i was amazed by the canon zr20 and 25. so small! when hooked up to a monitor, the picture was amazingly clear, too. it seemed clearer than the sony's that i tried (trv330, i think, and a couple others--even more expensive ones.)


my question: is the only difference between the zr20 and the zr 25 that the 25 can take still shots? this feature i do not care about, and the zr20 is much cheaper online ($478 at buydig.com). if that is the only difference, i'm definitely going with the zr20. is it?

now, comparing the sony to the canons.....my goal is to film some movie shorts--i'm not planning on filming birthdays and christmases, but tyring to write some entertaining little scripts, and getting people to act in them. which brand will give me a more "film" look?

thanks!

-matt

p.s. i'm definitely leaning toward ordering the zr20....

p.p.s. oh yea! i forget an improtant part of the question.....i've read over and over that the zr's don't do well in low light....the stores were very well lit....if i film in a normal room, with normal lighting, how will the zr's hold up?

p.p.p.s. which brand--sony or canon--has better stabilization? sound?

[mattmarshall]

found this on canondv.com:

"ZR30 MC
All the features of the ZR25 MC, plus customizable light-up VCR buttons, Extended Recording Functions for up to three times the normal recording time on a standard DV cassette, AND the Advanced Accessory Shoe, which lets you quickly and easily add an optional stereo shotgun microphone or a video light."

can't you hook up a stereo shotgun mic to the zr20 and zr25? what difference does this "advanced accessory" shoe make?

[Daniel Skinner]

Hi! I am a former Apple II + plus owner who is about to become a iMacDV 800 owner (hopefully this week!) and I just went through the same predicament as you. Which camera should I buy?

I did as much on and offline research as possible and finally decided on the ZR20. The only differences between that unit and the ZR25/30 are the progressive scan and memory card features (I already have a decent digital camera so no love lost there). The ZR30 has the additonal light up external VCR function buttons (kinda wish I had that) - a extended record mode = to EP I believe - ZR20 has SP and LP = and finally the accessory shoe thingy.

I also bought mine from buydig.com - GREAT price but they took about a week for an in-stock item...no biggie really but annoying none the less.

As for the camera quality:

Ease of use - This is my first camcorder let alone my first DV. Very easy to setup - menu system was easily learned. One of the first thing I did was run an cable output from my Apex SUPER overriden DVD player and dubbed some music videos onto a DV tape. SUPER easy and GREAT quality!

As I am (with the rest of the world) waiting for my new gumdrop Mac I brought the unit to my editor friend's house and we hooked up the camera to his PowerMac...system recognized it instantly which freakedme out - I was looking for the install disc myself...not needed. Footage uploaded real time of course and the visual and audio was too perfect. We played around with footage and redubed into the camcorder no problems.

As for low-light issues, their is a low-light setting that worked really well provided you do not move the camera while in that mode...moving it leaves neato tracers so I consider it additional digital effects.

I am SUPREMELY happy with the unit.

Hope this helps you in your decision.

Daniel

[Bruce O'Neal]

i bought the zr25mc at best buy last week. there was this guy there that was warning me not to because he said the image quality was poor and that the low light was quality was even worse.

i went ahead and purchased the camera (because that is just how i am -- i think being a mac user has something to do with independent thinking-- ... if I like something, i get it and others be damned ... anyhow, i digress). i am very pleased.

the only complaint i have at this time is that iPhoto does not recognize pictures that you take on the removable card (they ---apple and sony-- should have a work around to this) which forces you to transfer your still shots to tape, which can then be downloaded to your mac using iMovie. i don't know why iMovie recognizes the camera perfectly, but not iPhoto.

well, be independent and make your own choice. i love the super small feel of the camera, the great controls, the remote controller (you can playback movies directly from your camera to your s-video connection on your television) and never leave the couch.

enjoy!

[Moderator]

I also just bought the zr25..canon offers a free usb memory card reader for transferring stills from the memory card, print out the coupon on the website

Given the zr''s low light problem, I thought the zr30 was the best buy. They all have accessory shoes, but the zr30's is a hot shoe which allows you to hook on a light that draws power from the zr's battery or plug.

The zr25 and 20 will accomodate video lights but they need there own batteries which means they are almost as big as the camera. The video light for the zr30 is very low profile..which fits well with the camera.

[mattmarshall]

i ordered the canon zr20....

so, two last questions!

i want to get the longest battery possible. i've heard there is some 9 hour one.....what battery should i get, and where is the cheapest place to get it?

secondly, i need tapes! i've heard costco is real cheap. is there any place online cheaper? also, are all miniDV tapes the same?

thanks!

i can't wait to get my camera!!!!!!!!!!!!

-matt

[jules]

Originally posted by Bruce O'Neal:
<STRONG>i bought the zr25mc at best buy last week. there was this guy there that was warning me not to because he said the image quality was poor and that the low light was quality was even worse.

i went ahead and purchased the camera (because that is just how i am -- i think being a mac user has something to do with independent thinking-- ... if I like something, i get it and others be damned ... anyhow, i digress). i am very pleased.

the only complaint i have at this time is that iPhoto does not recognize pictures that you take on the removable card (they ---apple and sony-- should have a work around to this) which forces you to transfer your still shots to tape, which can then be downloaded to your mac using iMovie. i don't know why iMovie recognizes the camera perfectly, but not iPhoto.

well, be independent and make your own choice. i love the super small feel of the camera, the great controls, the remote controller (you can playback movies directly from your camera to your s-video connection on your television) and never leave the couch.

enjoy!</STRONG>

Pick up the free Zio card reader that comes with the ZR25. iPhoto recognizes it... no problem.

[zigzag]

I like TDK tapes because they come in a soft plastic case, which is not as brittle or breakable as the hard plastic that others come in. Otherwise there's no difference.

You can get 4 TDK's for $23.99 at Costco which is as good a price as I've seen anywhere.

Get a large capacity battery - these cameras burn battery power quickly and you'll come to appreciate it. Avoid using the LCD screen if you want to save battery power.