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General discussion

Digital camcorders.... which is the right one??

May 20, 2006 12:55PM PDT

my family and I are about to embark on a trip to europe and it would be nice to bring back footages of the trip....hence ive been doing some research for which dig vid cam to buy...been looking at different sites now for the last 24hrs...and im now just totally confused!!
i liked the idea of the Canon DC40 (supposedly a new technology?) but after reading a few discussions on here, i am now having second thoughts as there is some risk of losing data.
i realise its all about personal choice (and i suppose that is why there are so many models out there), but if someone could help me make the "right" choice i would be most greatful.
my personal criteria is a unit that is compact, reliable, able to connect to a PC, HD wide screen tv, and obviously takes great movies. i like latest technology so if direct CD/DVD recording is reliable "enough" then that would be my preference, but not mandatory.

Discussion is locked

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I am having the same problem!
May 20, 2006 2:34PM PDT

I too was looking at the Canon DC40....but really can't get enough feedback about it, since it seems to be too new?!!! From what I can gather though...the lowlight conditions are not as good as the Sony! Next question for me is which sony?? some say the 403 is still better than the 405....I don't think I need to waste the expense on the 505...I can't tell the real difference in them, and its slightly bigger???

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Answer to both of you
May 20, 2006 11:22PM PDT

The Canon is not a bad camcorder, but I would choose Sony miniDV or miniDVD. MiniDV is old but is very reliable. Bad is that you can accidentally record over what you've taped! MiniDVD is new and is not as reliable as miniDV but is still reliable "enough". It also has many helpful features: EASY playback, no need to rewind or fastforward, create menus when finalizing.

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jrg200
May 30, 2006 5:03AM PDT
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RE: Half Canadian...
May 30, 2006 11:17AM PDT

Hi, yes this was clever, but I don't mind if you write straight to my hotmail account by the same username?!! Might be easier for now...up to you.
That is a great website....I had a look at some of the places online, I wonder if you know if 42nd st photo is reputable....cos it's about $600 incl delivery through them???? It seems the prices have dropped a little already!
I haven't read all the reviews, but will get to it later today...thanks for the address though!

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DC40
May 21, 2006 3:38AM PDT

If you want to edit, go with mini-dv.
If not, dvd cams can be good.
You can find a full detailed review of the DC40 at
camcorderinfo.com

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Check out the editing process
May 25, 2006 11:33PM PDT

Before you buy, check out the processing part of your plans. If you expect to make movies and DVD's using your PC, this will reveal many hidden problems and compatibility issues. Sony is not a good choice in the editing and processing end of things.

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MiniDV camera would be the best.
May 26, 2006 2:59AM PDT