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Old 09-01-2007, 07:44 PM
beren
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Help with Vid Cams

Gday Just wondering if people could offer suggestions/advice on video cameras ...what to look for in features etc etc.....its for my Wife's birthday/wedding aniversary/Chrissy present . I was hoping to take advantage of the new year sales, I really dont know much about them except the wife wants video and still capture features {and of course possible asto capability } and either be Canon or Sony budget is around 400-600 , mildly flexible either way. Cheers for any suggestions
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Old 09-01-2007, 07:47 PM
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iceman (Mike)
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I don't know that getting a video camera for stills is such a good idea.. It's like buying a digital camera for recording video (at a massive 640x480 resolution if you're lucky!)

Can't help you with brands etc, but I reckon you should stick to it's sole purpose..

digital camera (or your SLR) for photos, video camera for video
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Old 09-01-2007, 08:08 PM
stephenmcnelley
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AVI wise it is possible with the usual cmos ccd cencors with video recorders, i have no experience with this but members like JJJ and many others might be able to advise you on a suitable brand choice for afocal image captures in video mode.
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Old 09-01-2007, 08:38 PM
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Astroman (Andrew Wall)
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Most video camcorders these days tend to have features that not everyone wants but there are always some that do like them. There are different types of camcorders on the market that can quickly get you lost as you no doubt have already found out. DVD, HDD, MiniDV ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! So many choices.... In your price range your a bit limited, but I have just done the look around myself... If you want quality in your images look at getting a MiniDV, For ease of transfering to DVD, you can use either one with the right software..... I have a DVD camcorder DCR-DVD705E that I got from the CameraFarm, it does wide screen and records to DVD, you are limited to only about 20 minutes on high quality with these types of camcorders. The HDD ones are good for the average user, and record to a HDD using MPEG-2, this reduces the resolution of the image and can limit its ability to see in low light, often getting flooded with noise The best types to get are the MiniDV, it records to tape and with the right software you can make some pretty good movies, many video editing software these days support miniDV's, after a while the tapes do wear down and as you record over and over again you lose a little more, but not noticable unless you have a $15,000 camera system LOL...

So my advice would be to look at getting a miniDV system, Sony's do have some good cams goto http://www.sony.com.au and have a look, the prices are usually high but look around for better prices on the net Canons are ok but sometimes lack the features of some of the other brands (JVC etc..) many video cameras can be hooked upto a telescope with the right adapters, but since it really is for your wife, you should think of what she wants more closely... Difficult I know LOL.. Or if you want the DCR-DVD605 is a good DVD recording camera by Sony. it fits in your price range and records stills too. But limited by the amount you can record onto a DVD in HQ mode. although you can get 2.4gb 8cm DVD's... if you do go this way get the DVD-RW disks, so much cheaper LOL

Good luck with your hunt..
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Old 09-01-2007, 09:39 PM
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jjjnettie (Jeanette)
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Both Chrisyo and myself use a Panasonic DV camera. The planetary images they produce are pretty good.

Things to look for and think about.

You may need to purchase a TV card to transfer the video to your computer, if it doesn't come supplied with some other transfer device.
Go for a camera with high optical zoom, forget about digital zoom.
Try to get one that has a 1/3" or 1/4" CCD chip "For planetary work, telescopes with shorter focal lengths will benefit from cameras with smaller image sensors, thus producing larger image scales"-Steve Massey, The Night Sky.
If you can, get a camera with a Video In plug hole, then later you could hook up a GStar-Ex to it and do deep sky imaging.
The still pictures you take will only be the equivelent of about 1-2mp. Still, they aren't too bad for snap shots.
You'll want good manual features. You want to be able to control your shutter speed, apeture and white balance.

I did have a Canon video camera but gave it away to my sister, the Panasonic was so much better.
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Old 09-01-2007, 10:24 PM
beren
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Thanks guys for the input, plenty to think about...trouble is my wife keeps changing her mind about either a point and shoot digi camera {I keep reminding her we have a DSLR "it doesnt fit in my purse"} or having vid camera capability. I'm pushing for a point and shoot
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Old 09-01-2007, 10:59 PM
stephenmcnelley
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Ken (B.Dragons) recieved a top little video recorder for christmas which he showed on the forum, i think the model takes stills- point and shoot, as well as video frames etc. It was a rather neat little unit but i dont know how suitable it is for astro video capture yet, or your stated budget- have to ask him i 'spose.. Ken.. ?
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Old 27-01-2007, 02:25 PM
beren
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Question Anyone use this

Thanks everyone for the help, its a point and shoot digital camera now I'm looking for anyone use the Canon Powershot A630 ? at the moment it looks like the one I will go for my wife {and me } , the swivel LCD screen looks good and some manual control available and decent zoom focal lengths


http://www.digitalfunstuff.com.au/prod931.htm
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