MJ Sterling

Hi gang,

I'm going to get myself a new camera this week and figured I would see what you nice folks use before I go spend a small fortune.

I've been using miniDV until now and I'm tired of it, it's time for an upgrade, something that records to hard drive.

What do you recommend?

Kevin Riley

I'm still totally in love with my Flip, and all my videos are shot with it. However, no external mic jack. I hear Kodak's new offering has a jack.

Nice thing about both is the USP that allows direct upload to hard drive. Very easy to use and quick.

jayveen

I just got a Kodak Zi8 for Christmas. So far I'm loving it; its the first video camera I've had in 7 years. Very basic (no zoom), but it shoots both full 1080p HD and 720p/60fps for good motion. Its pretty amazing to carry around, too, its just a little pocket device that looks like a cell phone, and its under $170.00.

Quentin

I have moved away from the expensive cameras as most of my videos go on the net and lugging around camera and accessories is a pain.

The flip camera or the Kodac zi8 are just so easy to use and making videos for the net is so easy and whats more if they get stolen or break are cheap enough to replace.

You can create videos on the run and easy to upload, edit etc.

I do use my big Sony for studio shooting but have a lot more fun recording on the run.

How to create video for your business! | The Internet Marketers Club

Quentin

MJ Sterling

Thanks guys, you've really helped me out here.

So either a Flip or Kodak Zi8 it is, they are shockingly inexpensive.

mr2monster

Sanyo Xacti... hands down. Even the cheapie little CG10 has zoom, shoots 720P, and is small as can be.

I've got one of them and it's been nothing but good stuff thus far.

Shoots into MP4 format so it's basically a drag and drop into many of the online video players, and it's easy to watch on your computer.

It records onto SD card of any size, so you can do quite a bit of video with it and even swap out cards if you fill up. a 4GB card gets me about 50 min of video.

Image quality is great.

Takes great still photos and has an on board flash..

if this thing were waterproof, I'd be in heaven.

Kevin_Hutto

Flip HD is my favorite... I just keep in in my bag and have it ready all the time.

Mattk

I've got the Zi6, but it's awesome. Especially for $100.

If you want to shoot indoors, you might want something with a bigger lens. The indoor shots without much light leave much to be desired.

Otherwise just get a cheap trouble light from your garage and set it up to shine on you while you record.

The outside, natural lighting shots are fantastic. And it's HD.

I shot some videos of the family, and watched them on my 42" TV. They turned out great.

Mattk

I forgot to mention...

The downside of the flip is that it only uses internal memory. If you go on vacation or shoot a lot of video, you might need to empty your hard drive onto a computer in order to keep shooting.

The Kodak used SD cards, so you just need to have one of those on hand when the memory is full.

I know it won't make much of a difference for shooting IM videos. But you might want to use it for other things.

Another thing nice about the Kodak, is it comes with rechargeable AA batteries. Nice when you run out of juice, you just need to find a gas station.

Pauli7143

I have the Kodak Zi6 and love it, I like the removable memory card also.

I'm thinking about getting a Zi8 because of the audio features mentioned above. Waiting for a little while to see if people still like it a few months from know.

ant_arias

Gotta throw my vote in for the flip HD.

George Wright

I have to mention my Cell Phone.

HTC Droid.

5mpx camera, FTP, 16gig storage, Videos, Instantly send Videos and Pics to my Gmail account, but, with a ton of pictures and Videos I've not used a fraction of the SD card.

And you can call people.

George Wright

boaterscott

FLIP HD.

I am a professor and tape many of my lectures from my flip. You need to experiment with it. Oh, I also have shot many Youtube promo vids too.

I've found if I am a maximum of 8-9 feet I still pick up decent audio - after that it too low. Just test it. Have the camera 3 feet away and shoot it - keep the film running and move it a foot back, then another then another. Eventually you'll find the range that works best.

TimCastleman

Kodak Zi8 is on my desk still in the box.

Sany Xacti - I had one and sold it, regret it for sure.

My wife bought me a pocket cam for Christmas for some reason.

Lots of toys.

Tim

David Mintzer

Well for Christmas I got a great deal on this Kodak M341 camera which also allow videos as well. It cost less then $100.00 with tax. Now this same camera is going for $150.00 at most retail stores like Target,Best Buy, and Wal Mart. I love it since it is so easy to use and upload to my laptop.

MacS09

I vote for the Flip Ultra HD. Great sound for such a simple device, great also for indoors/low light filming. And for the price, it's priceless

One warning, though, not about the Flip but about using Flip videos with Windows Live Movie Maker - WLMM gets the sound out of sync big time and I haven't found a way of fixing it yet. The only way I can think of right now is not using WLMM, which is a shame as it's free and reasonably useful. From checking online I know that I'm not the only one who has this problem.

MJ Sterling

Sounds like HD is the way to go, thanks for all your input guys.. I'm drawn to the kodak Zi8 because it allows an external mic.

Thanks again.

cathyanderson

Guess I'm going to start looking for an Kodak Zi8, as I need a new camera and want extra memory & an external mic.

Thanks for everyone's input. Once I started reading the thread it got me thinking---hum, maybe it's time I go shopping too!

Great thread & great help, even though I wasn't the original one asking for it.

Cathy :-)

MJ Sterling

The only thing that puts me off the Kodak Zi8 is the lack of swivel for self recording. If it had that I'd buy 2 of them!

Dexx

Sony Xacti for sure! I have the CG10, only thing I wish it had was an external mic jack, otherwise the LCD display being flippable so you can seeyourself as you record is great.

Also it can double as a webcam which is a plus for doing Video-to-Video over Skype etc.

Scott Henderson

Olympus Stylus 9000 a bit pricey but an awesome camera. Features a 10x optical zoom and wide angle lens that takes beautiful pictures. I paid close to $300 for mine last year but today you can find them for a little over $200.

mr2monster

I can't get mine to link up as a webcam, how'd you do it?

Oh also it's a Sanyo (not Sony )

MJ Sterling

Just a quick update to this thread, and to thank you all for your suggestions.

I decided on the Kodak zi8 and I have to say it's awesome, the picture quality is great. I wouldn't have heard about it if Kevin hadn't of mentioned it.

André Silverspoon

Love the flip sony pocket device - nice one

SimonHarrison

I was really tempted with the Zi8 until I realized
it has no live stream, so can't be used as a
web cam and you can't see yourself while
recording.

So that's out which is a shame as overall it
sounds great.

What's out there which delivers as good a
picture but can also be used as a webcam
and allows you to see yourself on your
PC monitor whilst recording.

An external mic slot and ability to put it on
a tripod would be a bonus.

John Piteo

I ordered the mini remote control for the Zi8 from Kodak.com (less than $20, shipping included). It's great for making talking head videos of yourself. You don't have to run to the tripod every couple of minutes to turn the recording button on and off.

John P

SimonHarrison

Thing is John, don't you find it disconcerting not
being able to see yourself as you talk ?

How do you guys even know you're correctly
"in shot" ?

White Dove Creative

The Sanyo Xacti does great in outdoor light, but once you get inside you gotta be sure you have nice bright lighting, else your vids will come out poorly. (my experience is with the newest model Xacti Hi-Def)

My recommendation is to go for a Sony Hi-Def camcorder. It's a regular sized camcorder. Certainly not nice and small like the Flip and Xacti however the Sonys are getting quite small nowadays.... I can put it into my side pocket of my dockers or dress pants. While traveling it goes into a fanny pack nicely, along with extra memory cards and batteries.

You can go to Sony's site and do a side-by-side comparism of their Hi-Def camcorders, and print it onto one double-sided page. What is very important is how the camcorder does in low light, and that's where Sonys shine. In addition to performing well in low light, they have additional modes including Night Shot, and Super Night Shot. (SNS is greenish, like looking thru night-vision goggles)

When it comes to Prosumer (professional for consumers) video cameras, Sony is hands down the best. But also most expensive. Canon is not as good, but they are quite good, and definitely the best bang-for-the-buck.

White Dove Creative

ps.....
For business projects and for important family events, it's the Sony HD. But for day-to-day stuff, I shoot video from my iPhone. It's easy, and it's always right there. And with a few finger swipes I can edit, plus with a few finger taps I can email the clip to family or friends. slightly off topic but worth a mention ; - )

wariswar

Sony Cyber-Shot Digital Camera

DrGUID

I just got the 18megapixel Canon EOS 550D. It's totally over the top for shooting pics for the web, but the colours are incredibly vibrant compared to my old 300D and I've hardly had to adjust contrast in photoshop at all. I've also got the 17-55 f2.8 EF-S lens which has lovely bokeh .

Gravc

Kodak Zx1 Fantastic

White Dove Creative

Some newer DSLRs do incredible video that rivals or exceeds many lower-cost professional video cameras. So now there is a new trend by professionals, to shoot video on DSLRs.

Chris Faraday

Sanyo Xacti CG-20 - ultimate low cost camcorder - sexy

Not sure - hoping for an external mic tweak - checking audio quality

Zi8 Blows away flip - aside from the mic - Xacto triumphs over Zi8 - again hoping to rig a mic - as audio is key (consider & compare)

$180

willoh

remember that puny lens are puny lens. No matter how good the processor is, they can allow only so much light in, so albeit they work great in bright light, they perform rather poorly in normal indoor light conditions.

SimonHarrison

Does the Sanyo CG20 have an external mic and tripod function?

Can it be used as a webcam ?

Does that screen flip around so you can see yourself whilist filming yourself?

EDIT, NM, Found all the answers jhere

Seems a shame the mic is on the back of screen.

No external mic?

Chris Faraday

Hey Simon,

Yes Tripod - no external mic - good for low noise settings - you can flip the screen away from you and have better sound - as the mic is on the back of the flip out screen. Still experimenting with the audio - if an external could be rigged - usb? - it would be the only clear choice - still looking into the mic aspect.

However - You look like your in this business - may consider an xacti (smalll & portable) + a larger pro unit - for serious shoots.

Best

Chris

rakib2010

Flip HD is my favorite... I just keep in in my bag and have it ready all the time.