Digital camcorder recommendation - under $200

[volksjager]

im looking to get a digital cam that takes decent video
just looking to shoot home movie
i dont mind buying used or playing the ebay game

i bought 2 inexpensive ones and they are both horrid - my little Canon Powershot takes better video.

am i dreaming or is there anything decent for under 2 bills?

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

i bought 2 inexpensive ones and they are both horrid - my little Canon Powershot takes better video.

Which two specific brands/models have you tried?
And which specific model of Powershot is that?

And if you can, let me know the specs of each of those videos -- MJPEG, H264 AVC, AVCHD, etc.

The devil is in the details.

Would you be open to DV cameras?
Read this recent post, too: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/home...s-present.html

[volksjager]

the Powershot is a A470
2 cams where a Toshiba Camileo H30 and a Vivitar that i dont remember the model (i got rid of it right away)
all of them shot to AVI - the Canon is 640x480 at 12000kbps
the Toshiba was 1280x720 but only 3700kbps

i would prefer to stay away from tapes, but if that isnt feasible....

[NJRoadfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by volksjager

the Powershot is a A470
2 cams where a Toshiba Camileo H30 and a Vivitar that i dont remember the model (i got rid of it right away)
all of them shot to AVI - the Canon is 640x480 at 12000kbps
the Toshiba was 1280x720 but only 3700kbps

i would prefer to stay away from tapes, but if that isnt feasible....

If you want true HD quality, you are going to have to spend at least $300-500. Both the Toshiba and Vivitar cameras are simply rebranded Chinese junk.

New camcorders were introduced at CES this year, so keep your eyes out for deals. I managed to snag a Canon Vixia HF M40 for $320 Christmas Eve, but I haven't seen a deal like that since. That model is slated to be replaced by the HF M50 sometime in March, so keep an eye out for clearance deals. Despite the low price its a great camcorder. It shoots in true 1920x1080 in 24p/30p/60i, has two SD-XC slots, a mic input, and tons of manual controls. It also has excellent low light performance. The Panasonic HDC-TM90 is also a good deal for HD but I don't have any hands on experience with it.

For standard definition, try and find a NOS Canon FS200. Canon was blowing them out for about $100 a while back and unlike the newer FS400, it has a microphone input.

For those wondering what the video "quality" is on that Toshiba, check out this review: