Which Dig Camcorder to get?

[Jonathan Beilin]

I was looking at digital camcorders 'cause I need one by the end of the month, and found the Sony DCR-TRV820 for $936 and the Sony DCR-TRV11 for $1045. Which should I get? It will be mostly used for recording plays, and other live entertainment. Which should I get? Thanks!

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-Jonathan Beilin
http://members.tripod.com/Black.Lotus
Abit BX6R2@133 Mhz FSB, P2-400@533, 128MB PC133 SDRAM, G400 MAX, Hansol 19", MX300, Altec Lansing ACS56, Zen 52X CDROM, and 1746 MP3s. 2046 3DMarks (3DMark2K).

[Patrick]

At the forum we've gone over and over and over the pros and cons of Digital8 vs MiniDV.

If you decide to go with D8, I suggest you check out the TRV720. It's the same camcorder as the TRV820 minus the built in printer. Unless you really need this printer for some reason, it's just extra baggage you're forced to carry around. And as can be expected, the TRV720 is cheaper than the TRV820.

[Dr Mordrid]

And if you decide to go non-Sony DV check out the Canon Elura-2. Great cam with progressive scan and optical stabilization.

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian Ellis]

... and if you want the best colour rendition, go for a 3-CCD camera...

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Brian (the terrible)

[wkulecz]

IMHO there is no reason to condider D8 unless you have a bunch of 8mm and/or Hi8 tapes you'd like to digitize as you move to DV.

Otherwise I agree with the archived opinions as to why DV is better than D8.

I have a D8 because I had some 8mm footage I wanted to use after my 8mm camcorder died, and I've been very happy with it, but I'd have gone DV if I was starting from zero or VHS/SVHS.

--wally.

[AVminor]

Only problem with the DV cameras that they sell in the superstores is that when they record fast moving objects, they tend to show big jaggy pixel patterns. Looks unprofessional. Not sure why that is. Progressive scanning technology supposedly gets around this, but is available only
on very high-end cameras.

[Riddek]

Hey Doc,
Besides the option for the media card thingy, what improvements over the original have been made on the Elura-2? I remember the Elura came highly recommended and was wondering what new features the "2" has.

[Brian Ellis]

AVminor

After 4 years of mini-DV use, I've never seen this in practical use.

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Brian (the terrible)

[Hal]

Hi all. I also have a ton of analog (8mm) footage that I want someday to digitize and put on VHS tape, and am looking for a DV camera. I was considering a D8 to allow me to do both my old analog and new DV, but I have a question now: If I buy a mini-DV camera for my new taping, and my old Sony 8mm still works, why can't I just buy a capture card that handles both analog and DV (e.g., Pinnacle DV500 or Matrox RT2000) and just plug in the appropriate camera to transfer its data to my computer? Isn't it really that simple, as long as I already have an 8mm camera? Or am I missing it something.
thx,
Hal

[CarterTG]

Doc:
Are you sure the Elura2 has Optical Stabilization? When they first made their PDF brochure available, I skimmed it a few times to see how it differed from the original Elura. The E2 kept dancing with the phrase "Image Stabilization" which I took to imply EIS.

I'd definitely put the Elura2 on top of the wishlist if it had OIS to go with its tiny size.

Hal:
Your plan is reasonable... and IMO it further erodes the reason for D8. I amassed a collection of Hi8 tapes with a Canon L2. When it came time to upgrade, Digital8 just didn't make sense. A great deal of USA miniDV cams have analog Video-In... so when I need to, it's just a simple matter of hooking up the L2 to the GL-1 to dub the Hi8 into miniDV. I suspect most folks likewise looking to make the leap to DV has a functional 8mm unit that they can hold onto as a playback deck. Once the old footage is sitting digitally on miniDV cassette it can then be fed into an inexpensive DV Capture card. No need for a pricey card that features Analog and Digital (unless you're seeking the other features like Real-Time)

While my time spent with the Marvel card was appreciated (for its pricerange back then), on more than one occasion it drove me nuts that the transfer from Hi8 into the Marvel always involved a colorshift. Stuff like the bright-red hood of a car would end up distorted inside the computer... and further distorted when it came OUT of the computer either onto VHS or TV.

That's a thing of the past with a DV setup. The first time the new setup was wired together, I had one of those "fall outta the chair" experiences after spending a few minutes with DV.


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Carter
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[Hal]

Carter,
Thanks for reply. So you are saying I can skip the dual input (analog/DV) capture cards (or, as you suggest, buy them for other reasons) if I make sure the DV camera I buy has analog in as well as DV in/out, right. Then it's camera to camera to PC?

What's a miniMURCer? I see that next to names in the posts?

Thanks again,
Hal

[Patrick]

Hal, if you believe that your current Hi8 camcorder will be reliable enough to continue to play back your library of Hi8 tapes, then you certainly can investigate buying a MiniDV camcorder instead of a Digital8 unit. However, I would suggest that you buy a MiniDV camcorder that has analog to digital conversion built in. (I'm not recommending this particular model, but the Sony DCR-TVR11 is one camcorder that has this feature.) This would allow you to connect an analog source to the MiniDV camcorder and to output a digital signal without having to actually record a second generation tape. The end result is that you can buy an inexpensive DV board and be able to capture digital and/or analog signals.

In regards to being a mini MURCer, post a few more times and you won't have to worry about it.

[rleist]

How does the Canon Elura-2 compare to the JVC GR-DVL9800U.

[Jonathan Beilin]

I just got the JVC GR-DVL9800U... and it rocks! I haven't tried it on my computer yet (busy with other stuff), but it is supposedly supported by my firewire card and stuff so... for now, YAY! Best price: http://www.moreaudiovideo.com

[AVminor]

Do not wish to contradict the good Dr. (Mordrid), but the Elura 2 uses digital stabilization, not optical stabilization.

The old Elura has optical stabilization, but Canon could not fit the optical system into the much smaller Elura 2.

If you want optical stabilization, get the Canon Optura Pi.

I just went through all of this over the
last month and decided that the best camera
for the money was the Optura Pi. (And
so I bought one.)

You don't get 3CCDs with this camera, but the RGB filtering is pretty darn good for most lighting conditions -- much better than
any single-CCD Sony or JVC camera that I have seen.