Video Cameras? Hard drive or MiniDV or Digital Hi 8
I've got a bunch of reward points from my credit card and the wife has approved the purchase of a video camera. I would really like to find a camera that lets me edit the video, add menus, on-screen text, titles, and maybe even soundtracks. I then want to put the videos on DVD. My budget is between 800-1000. Any suggestions?
Can I do these kinds of things with MiniDV cameras? What about Hard Drive cameras?
One additional feature I would really like would be analog to digital passthrough so that I could convert my old Hi8 videos to DVD.
Any help would be appreciated.
Re: Video Cameras? Hard drive or MiniDV or Digital Hi 8
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brewhaha
One additional feature I would really like would be analog to digital passthrough so that I could convert my old Hi8 videos to DVD.
So basically you need a digital camcorder that has A/V in. That will be the feature to look for in your search, and then you should narrow it down from there.
One thing about MiniDV cameras, is the heads can get dirty and worn out. I don't have experience with the hard drive camcorders though, but I still like the idea of removable media such as the SD cards.
As far as adding titles, music, transitions and all that... I wouldn't look for the camera that can do that. I'd save that for the video editing software. You'll use each program in phases, so don't lock yourself down to your camera.
Will you have special filming needs? What kind of footage will you be shooting?