EMG has, for years, created broadcast-quality films and videos for client institutions, and these are typically produced by our experienced (and award-winning) film crew. But to maximize emerging Web 2.0 applications, we plan to do a lot more quick turnaround, low-cost videos than we’re doing now. And if we’re going to do it, we want to do it right.
I knew I was going to enjoy hunting for a camcorder since I generally love researching tech stuff online. Even when I’m not in the market for anything I spend a lot of time browsing sites like techdealdigger.com and bensbargains.net just waiting to see an intriguing deal. It’s kind of weird since I so rarely pull the trigger on anything.
When starting to look for a camcorder the one thing I realized right away is that you really have to consider your entire setup when purchasing one. Everything from the computer you’ll be editing the footage on to the microphone (if any) you’ll be using for sound. You need to have a roadmap in place before pulling the trigger.
I started by taking the natural step of reading some tech guides right off the bat. This one from PCWorld I found to be the most straightforward and comprehendible, while still having enough of the necessary details. Another helpful resource, as always, was CNET with both their Camcorder Buying Guide and Quick Guide to HD Camcorders.
The first decision you should address is how you want to record your media.
- MiniDV tapes? Recording on actual tape nowadays might seem silly when you can record directly to a hard disk or flash card, but according to a lot of folks, it still provides the very best in standard and high definition quality.
- DVD? I have no interest in recording to anything on a disc, and this option is especially unattractive because the quality isn’t quite as good. In addition to the fact that the smaller discs in digital cameras won’t load in a slot-loading disc drive found on many newer computers and laptops.
- Hard disk or flash card? Now we’re getting somewhere. The two small drawbacks to a hard disk camera are that it’s slightly heavier and it has moving parts, which run the risk of going south. So that leaves recording to a flash card; and there seem to be only a few small drawbacks. The biggest of the drawbacks is the “perceived” challenge of editing in the newer AVCHD format. Other than that you are good to go.
I spent an unbelievable amount of time investigating online forums and camcorder reviews looking into people’s experiences editing AVCHD content, specifically in iMovie on a Mac. I was concerned about it working at first, but I found more success stories than horror stories so I’m confident this is a good choice, at least for EMG. If we are editing video files on a computer with enough horsepower to process/edit the video (which we do), we should have limited issues. It’s also important to keep in mind we are downgrading the video for the Web… we aren’t actually presenting anything in full 1080p quality.
EMG ended up choosing the new Canon Vixia HF200, the updated version of the popular Canon HF100. The HF200 records directly onto flash memory cards and has no internal flash memory (the Canon HF20 does).
The camcorder JUST arrived so we’re just beginning to play with it and learn the ropes. You will probably see some videos soon and I will do a follow-up post in a month or so once we get some videos under our belt.
April 30, 2009 at 10:41 am
Just went through the same thing and ended up with the Canon HF S100 editing on Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. So far so good.
Canon seems to be the camera of choice in the <$1500 market.
April 30, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Yes, Canon does seem to have the best reputation in the prosumer market… apologies to Sony.
I did read a lot about Adobe Premier and it’s certainly an advanced suite packed with features, with a mostly satisfied user base, too. The one drawback of course is its steeper price tag, similar to Final Cut. A lot of the more advanced features we’re just not going to utilize for Web video, which is primarily what this camcorder’s going to be used for. Just about 100% of what we shoot is eventually going to be downgraded to 720p for use on the Web.
The HS100 is a powerhouse of a camcorder and when you get around to uploading footage online I’d love to see it. Let us know and good luck with it!
May 20, 2009 at 8:48 am
After using the HF200 for a week i gotta say that canon went to the wrong direction with the HF200, they lowered the camcorder performance in trade for smaller size,lighter weight,Lowered costs
They used a new sensor that have less quality than the HF100 Sensor which made the HF200 low Light simply unacceptable unless you play with the settings and record on 1080p30 progressive mode, if you record your videos outdoors or in a room with great lights then it wont effect you
This Camcorder is pretty Much like HF100 (Check my Profile and my LONG HF100 Review for FULL Details that’s help you)
Just as a reminder the Camcorder is not bad its Awesome, but if you compare to HF100 it just fall short, why pay more for a downgrade?, if you can get HF100 get them while you can, but if you cant I’d say take a look at Canon Vixia Hg20,if you do not like hard disk based camcorders then get HF200 if you are a normal user it wont disappointment you
June 7, 2009 at 6:23 pm
There are dozens of digital camcorders on the market today; however, there are few clear or consistent guides to which ones are the best quality and most reliable. Well, Which Digital Camcorder? has personally tested and evaluated these digital camcorders so to give you an easy and simple recommendation of which ones you should choose and which ones you should avoid.