[posthumous]

OK folks.... I have some questions and I kindly ask for advice/answers.

1. In your opinion, what is the best DV camcorder for the money? I am not a pro and I just want to shoot decent video and edit it with iMovie.

2. I've noticed that most camcorders also can take digital photos. This is important to me, so what camcorders take decent pics as well as decent video?

3. I've also noticed that a lot of camcorders have a USB connector as well as a Firewire connector. Can I connect a USB cable to the camcorder and have it interface with iPhoto as if it were a digital camera? Or.. Will I have to use a memory card reader to accomplish this operation?

4. Also, some of these camcorders do not have a USB connector or use memory cards. How does one use these camcorders with iPhoto? For example, there is/was a model from Canon that just stored the images on the tape.

5. I'd like to hear some of your personal experiences and what you like best/least about your own camcorders.

Thanks!

<small>[ 07-19-2002, 06:45 AM: Message edited by: posthumous ]</small>

[nitram_again]

1. i love my Sony TRV17. Best bang for the buck. If you can afford it, get a camera with a 3.5 inch LCD screen, not 2.5 inch. Compare the two in a shop and you'll see why. Go <a href="http://www.dvspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to compare camera features. Then get the Sony

2. My Sony takes 640 * 480 pics which are so-so; screen only. I think that some cams take what is essentially a screen shot while others take a (better) progressive scan. Worth checking if it's important. Do not expect high quality stills from any video camera. Stills are a bonus, not a reason to buy IMHO.

3. When I plug the Sony in with a USB cable, the memory stick mounts on the desktop (OS9) like any removable drive. I think that iPhoto also picks it up.

4. I think if the images are stored on tape, iPhoto will not be able to access them. iPhoto looks for memory cards like those found in digital still cameras. Get a video cam with a storage card.

5. My Sony's small but takes great video. Colour's are great, works well in low light, the night shot feature is nifty.

6. Have fun with your camera - they're great. I've joined a video camera club. Somehow I've also become the secretary for the Federation of Australian Movie Makers <img border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" title="" src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" /> (never put your hand up at meetings )

[warnergt]

I got the Sony DCR-TRV27 (list $999/street $900). It is pretty much like the camera described above except it has the 3.5 inch LCD screen.

See:
<a href="http://www.sonystyle.com/home/item.jsp?hierc=9682x9129x9012&catid=&itemid=34161" target="_blank">http://www.sonystyle.com/home/item.jsp?hierc=9682x9129x9012&catid=&itemid=34161</a>

The video quality is fantastic. I haven't really used the still image features so I can't rate them.

It works great with iMovie. Be sure to set the audio to 16-bit (default setting is 12-bit); iMovie has some trouble with 12-bit audio.

This is my first DV camera and I'm really blown away by the superior quality (versus analog) and the ease of getting the clips into the computer. It is fast (FireWire) and efficient (iMovie separates clips automatically).

Furthermore, it has a digitizing feature that allows you to feed analog video into a jack on the camera and capture the digitized data over FireWire into your computer. I hope to try this out shortly. It allows converting old videos to DV or DVD.

[nitram_again]

AFAIK, the TRV27 superceded the TRV17 (which also has the 3.5 inch LCD screen). The TRV27 takes larger stills I think.

They're great fun. Just be prepared to spend more money on a bigger battery.

[rplotkin]

The Sony camcorders look very good. Did any of you look at other brands, like Canon ZR-[40/45/50] MC series or Panasonics? What influenced your decisions?