TechnoGeek video advice needed....

[Candyman]

OK. I am getting a new computer in a few days. And I am so needing some video equipment. I am in the market for a camcorder and a digital still cam. But is it worth it to buy both? Is it necessary? Will a digital video camera take just as high quality still photos? Or would it be better to buy a still cam and a more reasonably priced video cam???

 

[SkyMaxx]

I think you are better off getting a good still camera (read 4 mega pixels or better) and a decent digital camcorder. The camcorder will give you some okay stills, but not nearly as high a quality as some of today's digital cameras.

I have one of each, and my digital camera continually kicks the camcorders tail for quality of image.

 

[WoodiE]

Candyman,

I agree with SkyMaxx. As I too have a digi camera and a digital camcorder. The camcorder doesn't take anything near the quality of the still camera.

Though then again, Eddy and I both just bought the Sony DSC-F717 digital camera, which takes images up to 5megapixels


-WoodiE

 

[Mayhem]

Well some digital camera are able to recored up to or more of video footage.

 

[SkyMaxx]

Originally posted by WoodiE
Candyman,

I agree with SkyMaxx. As I too have a digi camera and a digital camcorder. The camcorder doesn't take anything near the quality of the still camera.

Though then again, Eddy and I both just bought the Sony DSC-F717 digital camera, which takes images up to 5megapixels


-WoodiE

Can I say that you SUCK!?! That is a great camera.

I will be coming to you looking for a good deal when I am in the market for any new SONY toys. I understand that you are a pretty good hook-up in that area; or so I've been told.

 

[Mayhem]

I've noticed that any sony digital gadgits are worth your buck. Just got a Kodak LS443 4 megapixel with a LCD, speakers, Light sensor, Microphone. and that can take video footage yo to two and a half minutes I think. The camera was around 500.00 or somthing with a free 32MB flash card.

 

[x_789]

OK I will hit on a couple things. First genrealy sony stuff is excellent qaulity but you have to watch out for their propriatary nonosense. Example memory stick, betamax, mini-disk the list goes on.

Now as far as one item or two if you want still images get a digital camera no question. You have to spend enourmous amounts of money well over a grand to get a digital cam corder tha will do stills equivillent to a low end 2 megapixil camera

Now on the camcorders make sure you get. A Mini DV camcorder its the best highest qaulity out right now. Stay away from the Hitachi dvd cams even though they look cool. They are a flash in the pan. I am a hitachi lover I have a hitachi HDTV in my living room but I did the reasearch and you dont want to make that mistake. this is a great site for camcorder info there is a chick on there that does reviws that KNOWS her sheit. Robin Liss. They also break down what they think are the two best cams in a certain price range lots of great info.

Now back to digital cameras here is what to look for. Throw the digital zoom out the window its worthless optical is all that matters so a 10x optical 100x digital compared to a 6x optical and a 250x digital zoom the 10x optical will smoke it in qaulity. Last there seems to be a mith that you need a 5 gigapixel camera well thats just not true in my opion. at the time when I was looking over a year ago I got a 2.1 megapixil that a paid over 3 bills for backspur has the identical cam he bought it before we met. if you look at all the pictures in my articles on my site or the ones in the dirty boys pictures they are all taken on what I consider a qaulity 2.1 mega pixel cam. Go out to a store like circuit city if you have and look at their cams. They will let you takes pix on all the cams print off images on there dime lots of stuff. The main bemifit of the larger mega pixils and this is my opion is that they just let you get astonomical size images. 2060x1800 what ever they next resolutions up are.

Lastly I wasn't bashing Sony. I have some sony stuff just telling you what to look for when dealing with them and sometimes the extra dough put down for the sony name can be better used else where. X

 

[SkyMaxx]

A comment on the high pixel count for digital still imagery. While it is true that you can get a decent picture from a 2 megapixel camera, for true photoquality (ie near 35mm quality) the higher the pixel count the better. The image size isn't the critical issue. Granted shooting a 5 megapixel camera will give you a photoquality image that is 3 foot by 2 foot in size, the real proof is in the print out of that image at 4"x6" (your typical print size from WalMart). The 5 megapixel image at 4x6 is going to be a much better quality shot than the 2 megapixel of the same size. To prove this take any image you have from a 5 megapixel camera (if you want one ask some of the guys on this forum...I have a 4.1mp camera) and then dumb it down with any image editing software by changing the resolution down to the 2megapixel equivalent. Then without changing the image size print both images. Take a look and compare them...my money is on the 5mp image to have the better quality.

Just food for thought.