I'd like help choosing an inexpensive digital camcorder.

N

nopeda

Hi,

I'd like to get a digital camcorder for taking family and vacation videos and definitely want to get one with a remote control. For years I've used a Sony DCR-TRV 250 and that did well enough but would like something with better picture quality and doesn't require tapes. I found a good deal on a new Sony DCR-SR200 but that is not high def so how much does that matter? One thing that might be a problem from a review about it says: "the SR200 does not have a USB port or video output options on the camera itself making the data transfer process tedious" so would that be a real problem? I want to load videos to a computer.

Also found a used Canon HF200 HD Camcorder with SDHC slot. Would that be easier to deal with? And a used JVC Everio Camcorder GZ-MG21U HD Drive. And a used Panasonic HDC-HS100 60GB HD Camcorder. Are any of these particularly better overall than the others?

Or can someone suggest something they feel is better than any of these? I don't want to spend much over $100. I see Ordro cameras from China for under $30. What would be wrong with going that route? If the main thing is they can't be repaired they can be replaced for less than I ever paid for repair to a Sony DCR-TRV 250. Also see what looks like it might be an Ordro from a US seller for $85 and these are all brand new with a remote.

Also a basic lighting question. I see videos that are nice and clear and very realistic looking color wise. I can usually get that appearance using outdoor sun light. But inside things usually look too orange with incandescent lighting and too blue when I use fluorescent. And going from one lighting condition to another makes the video look totally different as far as color. Is there a particular color temperature bulb that will give the most true to actual color look?

Thank you for any help or suggestions!

David
ME, USA
 
You’re not likely to find anything new that uses tape. That’s a defunct media as cameras have pretty much moved on to solid-state media.

The Canon Vixia cameras are great for someone looking for a traditional camcorder for family videos. You can get them in HD and UHD (4K) flavors. Some have internal hard drives for recording, and all of them have SD card slots. SD cards make computer transfer easy since you just have to pop the card into an SD reader slot.

nopeda said:
Or can someone suggest something they feel is better than any of these? I don't want to spend much over $100. I see Ordro cameras from China for under $30. What would be wrong with going that route?
Click to expand...

Now you‘re in a difficult place. $100 is pretty low. $300-500 is more like it. At the most basic, look at the Canon Vixia HF R80. A quick search just now turned up a refurb on B&H as well, if you want to save a little cash.

And the cheap-o knock-off brands? Don’t expect much performance or durability. They’re disposable junk.

nopeda said:
Also a basic lighting question. I see videos that are nice and clear and very realistic looking color wise. I can usually get that appearance using outdoor sun light. But inside things usually look too orange with incandescent lighting and too blue when I use fluorescent. And going from one lighting condition to another makes the video look totally different as far as color. Is there a particular color temperature bulb that will give the most true to actual color look?
Click to expand...

Different light sources have different color frequencies. Daylight is going to look more blue-ish and tungsten (incandescent, halogen) will look more orange. Fluorescent can shift green or magenta. And back to daylight: that will look different on a clear day than it will on an overcast day or in the shade of a large tree.

The answer is your camera’s white balance setting. You need to set WB to match the light source. Look through the menu and you’ll find a WB setting menu that has icons for basic settings (sun, shade, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent). You should also find a manual white balance setting. With manual white balance, you put a white card in the light and make sure it fills the camera’s frame, then hold down the button until the camera has adjusted itself for white. I try to use manual white balance where I can when I’m using camcorders. The preset values can get you close enough in most cases.
 
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