Camcorder tech updates....

... what are the current ins and outs; pros and cons of the various recording media ? Different manufacturers seems to have their own recording format[file types]... which ones are easier to be converted to other more common file types... e.g. mpeg2, mpeg4 & avi ... Thanks.

christy

Not much. I presume you want to stay in the consumer camcorder range.

MiniDV tape can store
=> standard definition, DV format. 25 mbps data rate. Least compressed of the available video formats.

=> high definition, HDV format. at 25 mbps, it is also the least compressed of the high definition video formats.

Regular miniDV tape can store DV or HDV format video. A single 60 minute miniDV tape can store up to 60 minutes of SP mode standard def video or 63 minutes of HDV format video. At around $3 per blank, it is a cheap archive mechanism when the tapes are not re-used.

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Hard disc drive and flash memory camcorders generally use the same video file formats (there are some file type differences in the pocket video recorder or pro-grade ranges, but for the most part, the MPG and MOD files are standard definition and high definition uses AVCHD compression to make MTS or TOD files. Depensding on the video quality selected in the camcorder, data rates can be as low as 7mbps (more compression, lower video quality, uses less computer hard drive space) up to 24 mbps on some of the higher end cams doing high definition.

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DVD based camcorder should not make anyone's short list, so the only thing I'll say about them is they barely make useful doorstops.

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The consumer miniDV tape camcorder selection is pretty slim - Canon ZR960 (I think) standard def, HV40 high def and Sony HDR-HC9 high def. Panasonic may still have a few PV-GS320 cams in the warehouse.

High compression and action don't get along too well - so the AVCHD cams can be problematic - but flash memory may be the only non-tape viable choice. On top of the compression issue, hard disc drive camcorder have known issues with high altitude and vibration - so I try to steer folks away from them.

The Canon HF series is pretty good - I bought an HF S100 for my son. He is still wrestling with archiving, but the manual audio control and mic jack are welcome features. And SD cards are relatively cheap - and lack of lots of moving parts keep battery power longer than the others.

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The biggest difference I have seen is not the storage media or the video compression - but the lens sizes and imaging chips have grown to allow better low-light capture behavior. The 58mm filter diameter lens system is quite an improvement over the 30mm to 37mm filter diameter lenses (but nowhere near "pro grade" 70mm+ filter diameter).

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I have not shopped computers recently. I do know the MacBook has had an on/off/on/off firewire port availability record. The MacBook Air has no firewire port - the MacBook Pro line up all have a firewire port - as do all other Macs. The HP EliteBook I got about 6 months ago has a 1394 port. And if the computer has an available PCMCIA or ExpressCard expansion slot, adding one is inexpensive (my EliteBook has a multi-card reader, too - so it did not replace anything - just added stuff). That said, I do all my video editing on Macs... The Windows machine is merely for checking compatibility.