Pchan 5,162 Report post Posted February 21, 2008 So ... the big debate since I need some advice on choosing; Whether I need a digicam or camcorder; What brand/ model is best for my decided budget. Camcorders are basically movie-makers, correct? Do they also take still shots? Digital cameras are still shot specialists and can do movies too, right? How long can a clip be (I'm guessing that'd depend on the memory of either the card or the internal cam memory)? Camcorders look to be more expensive than digital cams All my questions may seem stupid, but I know squat of digital cameras, so gomen! My purpose: I'm a cam whore (everyone is), and I'd love something great in terms of picture AND video quality. I want to be able to go to concerts and click high def snaps plus videos (with poor lighting which is a given at venues). I need something with a GOOD amount of storage space either internally or it should be compatible with high capacity memory cards or whatever they're called. It should be able to take longass videoes too. Considering that, I know Cabbit has one and Sledge/ Lady have one too ... what make/ MP capacity do you guys have? Where do I look for online reccos in terms of product specs? What are the things I should be careful of when I'm making this investment ... like battery life, LCD quality or Zoom, etc. I'm just a confuzzled goofball who woke up X'D ... or is too stressed at work ... or is plain baka! Quote I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dubird 6,815 Report post Posted February 21, 2008 Well, it depends on what you want to do more of. If you want to shoot lots of video, getting a camcorder is a good deal. If you just want to take the occasional short video, but lots of pictures, get a higher end digital camera that has a memory card you can swap out. (i think they all do, but make sure anyways) That way, you can take lots of pictures, but if you want to get a movie shot, you still can. Quote Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pchan 5,162 Report post Posted February 21, 2008 It also gets me thinking ... and another dumb question props up -> if I get a high end camera with a higher megapixel, the videos I take with take up more memory than the lower megapixel ones, right? How short is a short video on the digital camera? Also, would both options have the capability of replacing batteries or memory devices so if I run short of memory or batt, I can simply change em while I'm in the middle of a concert/ outing? I'll know what to pick once I know the pro's and con's of both devices! *gets smacked by Dubie* Quote I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CabbitGirl 4,018 Report post Posted February 22, 2008 well my digital camera takes decent videos (just go take a look at my youtube) mine is a 6.3 megapixel. short videos are usually 1-3 minutes long. enough for a song, ect. but you can also get a memory card with like.. 2 gigs on it. it holds a lot of pictures and such. most digital cameras also have an option to switch to a lower resolution (causing pictures and vids to take up less space) you take a lot of pictures anyway, but your experience with editing the media isnt all that good, so i would go with getting a digital camera. its easier to get into a show with one than it is to go in with a video camera too =3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pchan 5,162 Report post Posted February 22, 2008 Thanks! Ok quick questions: a 4 minute video at your camera's resolution takes up how much space (without using Zoom, I figure Zooming with increase the file size)? Also, is it important to choose a camera that saves the videos in a specific format or all come in a standard format these days? What're the formats to stay away from? Lastly, how do you upload them online? With Photobucket, I've noticed I can't upload my videos that exceed 20-25 MB. Quote I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ladywriter 7,783 Report post Posted February 22, 2008 you tube n myspace have the 100 mb cap............I think there are a lot of different programs to convert vid to other file types and to make em smaller. I run everything thru elements Quote Look at the flowers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CabbitGirl 4,018 Report post Posted February 23, 2008 zooming doesnt increase file size. you DO NOT want a kodak camera. they save the files in format for quicktime. and they arent very good anyway =/ 4 minutes doesnt really take up a lot of space. it differs from camera to camera so youd have to test that out yourself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vincent 2,861 Report post Posted February 23, 2008 I wouldn't be too worried about megapixels unless you want to print your pictures really really big. My digital camera right now is 5.1 mp but has 8x optical zoom and it takes magazine quality pictures (under the right lighting of course). I never intend to use my pictures outside of my computer and if i do then it's only going to be standard photo size like 3x5 or even 8x10, in which case 5.1mp is sufficient. Quote But can you save me? From the ranks of the freaks who could never love anyone... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sledgstone 8,672 Report post Posted February 23, 2008 Our camera is a Panasonic DMC-LZ5, it is a 6.0 megapixel. It takes video in qt format, but the quality is good and its damn good with battery usage. I'm pretty certain most camcorders can take good still pics, but I don't know much about them. Go to a bestbuy or circuit city store and talk to some of the sales people, they mess with them every day and probably have the latest information about them. If you get a digital camera, get the biggest memory stick you can get for it. The more storage space you have the longer the video you can get. I've also noticed our batteries die a helluva lot faster when taking long videos (3-5+ mins). Most of the time its a race as to whether the batteries will die first or the memory card will run out of space. Also, with our camera and with a couple others I have tested, you cannot zoom in or out once you start taking video. Usually we zoom to the distance we want first and then take the video. Make sure you test whatever you're going to buy first. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dubird 6,815 Report post Posted February 23, 2008 and buy rechargable batteries....you'll save a LOT of money in the long run b/c even just taking pictures can use it up pretty quick....espically if you use the flash a lot.... Also, the closer you zoom, the shakier the video can be. If you can't get close to your subject, find something steady to rest it on while you film. Quote Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pchan 5,162 Report post Posted February 25, 2008 Thanks for the mega tips. I did go in to J&R which's close to the office, only cos I didn't have time to look for a BestBuy or CircuitCity around where I work or live. I noticed Camcorders in the range of 250-400 which I'd pick up, BUT their resolution is 1 MP ... that put me off! They have little on sale that's over 3 MP, and the price obviously on the higher end on those. So I'm a lil disappointed or maybe the salesman was crappy! They also had two internal charts of assessment for (i) MP vs Mins/ Hours of video recording vs Space; and (ii) MP vs No of pictures vs Space that I'm gonna steal the next time! But, it's on their side of the counter ... >_> Anyway, moving on, I'm sorta inclined to the digital camera option now because it makes more sense. I saw a huge rush for Panasonic Lumix cameras, not too sure of the brand though. I take it Olympus, Canon, Sony, Panasonic MAY BE at par, and then there's the rest of the lot. How easy is the user interface? I don't want to get stuck in a Motorola situation when I have the option of a Sony or even better - Nokia (example given on Cell Phones) Quote I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ladywriter 7,783 Report post Posted February 26, 2008 they all come with an instruction book silly but most of em are pretty ez Quote Look at the flowers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pchan 5,162 Report post Posted May 11, 2008 So, I've shortlisted 2 products; Canon Powershot G9 - (price range $450 - 600) http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=321&modelid=15669#ModelTechSpecsAct Canon SD870 IS - (price range $260 - $3/400) http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=15655#ModelTechSpecsAct Whatcha think? Quote I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sledgstone 8,672 Report post Posted May 12, 2008 Both are nice, but obviously the more expensive one has the much better specs. The cheaper one only has 4x optical zoom tho.. Its a shame it doesn't have at least 6x. I don't care for digital zoom because it can lead to pixelation. The only other thing I've noticed is that both cameras use rechargeable lithium battery packs. They have much better batter life than rechargeable AA batteries, but if that battery runs out of juice, you better have a back up charged one because if you're on vacation or something its not like you can go to a store real quick and by some batteries for it. Nice cameras tho. That powershot G9 is beastly nice tho, the addon accessories include different lenses which is hella nice if you ever wanted to upgrade your camera again you could just by addons for it instead of getting a whole new camera. The price range of the two cameras you choose really looks like you have to ask yourself: how much is too much? Do you really need a crapload of features and higher end gear or do you just want to take good quality pictures and video? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pchan 5,162 Report post Posted May 12, 2008 My thought process while going through various products and choosing those two was, why not go for the best within the range of my want/ need. I wanted to pick up a 7+ MP camera, and going through various websites, the best 8 MP camera was the Powershot SD870 IS and the best 8+ MP was the Powershot G9 for it's stability and wide angle. But, after reading your post I got thinking on why I even chose the G9, why not the Mach III which's the best in the industry but that's 4-5+ grand! So yeah, I had to stop somewhere and break my heart. So, I went with the Powershot SD870 IS and e-bought it this afternoon. It came for around $360 inclusive of shipping, a case, a spare battery, a year's warranty and 1-2 day shipping. I need to pick up 2 backup memory cards, just cos I'm a careful geek X'D. Quote I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sledgstone 8,672 Report post Posted May 13, 2008 Nice. Staples.com has sales on SD chips all the time and if you order $50 or more you get free shipping with them.. but then again, you could probably get the same deal with amazon.com and get free shipping at $25 too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
