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sparkwrite
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Your opinions of small video cameras please

May 23, 2012 4:14 PM

HI Everybody: I would like to have some of your opinions and feeling on the best of the best of the small HD video cameras. For the last five years I've been using a Panasonic PV GS36, SD MiniDV camera. Nice and small and light with a good lot of manual features to play with to get a little better shots than just on manual.I keep it permanently installed atop my small tripod and it goes most everywhere with me these days. I really like this camera and it has never missed a beat from Barrow Alaska to Key West Florida, but would like to upgrade to an HD camera, small but with lots of manual features as well as the automatics. I have always liked Panasonic, but I'm not locked in. I would really like to hear some views on Panasonic, as well as any other that you feel strongly about. I'm not terrified about price, but I am about size and weight. I want to be able to get super quality footage and some control over how I shoot it. I've been looking for a few months now and there are so many choices that steam comes out of my ears after half and hour of looking and reading. So, I thought I would ask the people who seem to really be into these things and know the most. I would appreciate anyones experiences and opinions with any small HD cameras. I'm thinking I would like to mave MiniDV, but the card is not out of the question. My little camera is a bit bigger than your fist and is real easy to drag around. I also have an XL-1 on a Manfrotto/Bogan 3191 tripod and Bogan 3066 head. It's a wonderfulcamera but just too huge to take along and set up. I hope I haven't droned on too much. Thanks for reading this far and I'm looking forward to your replys.  Spark  

1133 Views   9 Replies   Latest reply: sparkwrite, May 25, 2012 5:46 PM
 
Replies
  • shooternz
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    1. shooternz,
    May 23, 2012 5:50 PM   in reply to sparkwrite
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    Paragraphs ?...please spare my tired eyes!

     

     
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  • jstrawn
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    2. jstrawn,
    May 23, 2012 6:04 PM   in reply to sparkwrite
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    Why don't you just get a dslr? Or would that still be too big?

     
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  • John T Smith
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    3. John T Smith,
    May 24, 2012 8:46 AM   in reply to sparkwrite
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    >best of the small HD video cameras

     

    I had to give up reading because of the one long wrapped line, so have no idea what you said

     

    Pressing Enter Key

     

    Go to http://www.photographyblog.com and read reviews

     
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  • sparkwrite
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    4. sparkwrite,
    May 24, 2012 4:14 PM   in reply to John T Smith
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    Sorry. I think my brain was fried from searching the web for cameras. I

    will insert it here for you and maybe it will go like it should this time.

    I guess my windbag just got too full.  Spark

     

    HI Everybody: I would like to have some of your opinions and feeling on the

    best of the best of the small HD video cameras. For the last five years

    I've been using a Panasonic PV GS36, SD MiniDV camera. Nice and small and

    light with a good lot of manual features to play with to get a little

    better shots than just on automatic. I keep it permanently installed atop

    my small tripod and it goes most everywhere with me these days. I really

    like this camera and it has never missed a beat from Barrow Alaska to Key

    West Florida.

     

     

     

    I would like to upgrade to an HD camera, small but with lots of manual

    features as well as the automatics. I have always liked Panasonic, but I'm

    not locked in. I would really like to hear some views on Panasonic, as well

    as any other that you feel strongly about. I'm not terrified about price,

    but I am about size and weight. I want to be able to get super quality

    footage and some control over how I shoot it.

     

     

     

    I've been looking for a few months now and there are so many choices that

    steam comes out of my ears after half and hour of looking and reading. So,

    I thought I would ask the people who seem to really be into these things

    and know the most. I would appreciate anyone’s experiences and opinions

    with any small HD cameras. I'm thinking I would like to have MiniDV, but

    the card is not out of the question. My little camera is a bit bigger than

    your fist and is real easy to drag around.

     

     

     

    I also have an XL-1 on a Manfrotto/Bogan 3191 tripod and Bogan 3066 head.

    It's a wonderfulcamera but just too huge to take along and set up. I hope I

    haven't droned on too much. Thanks for reading this far and I'm looking

    forward to your replies.  Spark

     
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  • John T Smith
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    5. John T Smith,
    May 25, 2012 9:23 AM   in reply to sparkwrite
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    >windbag just got too full

     

    Grin... do you have a wicker basket connected to take flight?

     

    Anyway, I can't say it is super "small" but I really like my Canon Vixia HFS100 (now an old model that has been replaced by a newer model)

     

    Uses an SD card and has a really nice lens... I don't fiddle with settings much (just a home hobbyist) but I really like the video quality... find some reviews of whatever is the current model

     
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  • sparkwrite
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    6. sparkwrite,
    May 25, 2012 10:27 AM   in reply to John T Smith
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    Thanks John for your reply. I checked it out and found that it has no

    viewfinder. I do a lot of outdoor stuff so definitely need a viewfinder for

    sunny days. I'm narrowing it down pretty well and think that if I do buy

    one it will be the Panasonic HDC-HS900 High Definition Camcorder,

    it's a bit pricey, but has more than all the features I'm looking for.

    Thanks again for your kindly reply.  Spark.

     
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  • Bill Hunt
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    7. Bill Hunt,
    May 25, 2012 11:25 AM   in reply to sparkwrite
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    Yes, having ONLY the LCD (or similar) monitor can be a big issue, in bright daylight.

     

    Wife's tiny Lumix only has the monitor, and it is basically useless in daylight.

     

    Now, going back to early days of digital cameras, some 3rd party source had a little pop-open sunshade for the monitors. They clipped, or glued to the monitor bezel, and could be opened up to shield the monitor from stray light. They were kind of like the old shade for the ground-glass on view/press cameras, but obviously much, much smaller. Not sure if something like that is still available. If one has a foldable monitor, then it would be a real pain to have to clip such on/off.

     

    I would look for a camera WITH a viewfinder.

     

    Good luck, and wish that I was current on the latest crop of video cameras, but as I am not, have no direct recs. for you.

     

    Hunt

     
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  • Ann Bens
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    8. Ann Bens,
    May 25, 2012 12:20 PM   in reply to sparkwrite
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    Canon xa10.

     
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  • sparkwrite
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    9. sparkwrite,
    May 25, 2012 5:46 PM   in reply to Bill Hunt
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    Thanks Hunt for your input. I think I have settled on a camera. Panasonic

    HDC-HS900K

     

    Seems to have all the features that I need and want, Plus. I will give

    myself a few more days before commiting. I may eve consider a DSLR where I

    could get multiple lenses. Don't know much about them however. This will be

    another uphill learning experience. Thanks again.  Spark

     
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