[Cwvnyfsj]

Hi everyone, just a quick question! I have been considering one of these ( the GZ-MG21EK to be precise) for a while & I've just seen one at a very good price. Does anyone have one of these or something similar & are they any good? JVC has always seemed like a good brand to me, or am I wrong? Thanks for any info.

[Proodustommor]

Hello,

Recently I have done a bit of research on digital camcorders. I came to the conclusion that they just did not have the same quality as tape recorders. The HDD based camcorders and DVD based ones use such a bad compression ratio that it really sacrifices image quality compared to tape based camcorders. An upside though is that they record hours and hours onto that HDD and video transfer to PC is much faster.

However if you are in the market for a HDD based camcorder, look no further than JVC as they have the best.

Here is a good thread to look through for links to good information. GL!
http://futuremark.com/forum/showthre...ight=camcorder

edit: I ended up with a mini DV tape camcorder myself.

[enteltcheft]

Thanks chr0n1c, i was wondering about image quality as they only have a 0.8mp CCD ( I think). Even the bigger models only run to 1.3mp but the price starts to really jump.

[Ingeborga]

Yea that is a problem, no middle ground really. Make sure you read around before you make your purchase though, and then I think you will be all set. [yes]

[quedry36]

Thanks chr0n1c, i was wondering about image quality as they only have a 0.8mp CCD ( I think). Even the bigger models only run to 1.3mp but the price starts to really jump.

0.8MP is all you really need with DV because it only has a resolution of 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL). A higher res really only makes a difference if you want to take photos and also helps to give you better image stablisation.

The type of sensor used is more important when it comes to image quality. Sony DV camcorders generally provide the best quality. If you can afford it, you ideally want to go for a 3CCD camcorder.

Edit: But as Chronic said, DV tape camcorders provide much better quality than DVD or Hard Disk camcorders.

[ZanazaKar]

Thanks chr0n1c, i was wondering about image quality as they only have a 0.8mp CCD ( I think). Even the bigger models only run to 1.3mp but the price starts to really jump.

How much of an issue is this since your TV displays less that 0.8mp? If you want to display on HDTV well that's a whole different kettle of fish and you need a HiDef camera and a big wallet.

Also as far as what chronic says it's kind of obvious if you record to a DVD that it isn't going to be the same quality as the raw DV, it's going to be DVD quality which I think leads to a bigger question what are you going to be outputing your work too? I must admit I record to miniDV mostly but I always output to a DVD so I don't think DVD cameras would be that much of a limitation. What format do HDD cameras store video in anyway?

[LeviBrawn]

Photos not really a great concern, why have a 4mp digi camera & use a device not really designed to do the job as well as I'd like. I suppose I'm a 'belt & braces' type but I don't mind carrying both camera & camcorder providing each one does the job expected of it! If the GZ-MG20 will do what I want (take good video) then it'll do. I'll have to see if anywhere will do a demo. Thanks again!

[rikdpola]

How much of an issue is this since your TV displays less that 0.8mp? If you want to display on HDTV well that's a whole different kettle of fish and you need a HiDef camera and a big wallet.

Also as far as what chronic says it's kind of obvious if you record to a DVD that it isn't going to be the same quality as the raw DV, it's going to be DVD quality which I think leads to a bigger question what are you going to be outputing your work too? I must admit I record to miniDV mostly but I always output to a DVD so I don't think DVD cameras would be that much of a limitation. What format do HDD cameras store video in anyway?

The Hard Disk camcorders use MPEG4.

The problem when recording in MPEG2 or 4 is that if you move the camcorder around a lot, you can get a jerky video because of the way the camcorder compresses the video on the go. Plus if you want to edit the video and then put it on DVD, you are basically highly compressing the video twice, which reduces IQ even more.

Edit: I should also point out only a few video editing packages support the Hard Disk Camcorders.

[Kneefrenolf]

How much of an issue is this since your TV displays less that 0.8mp? If you want to display on HDTV well that's a whole different kettle of fish and you need a HiDef camera and a big wallet.

Also as far as what chronic says it's kind of obvious if you record to a DVD that it isn't going to be the same quality as the raw DV, it's going to be DVD quality which I think leads to a bigger question what are you going to be outputing your work too? I must admit I record to miniDV mostly but I always output to a DVD so I don't think DVD cameras would be that much of a limitation. What format do HDD cameras store video in anyway?

I was only thinking of the still image side, rather than the video side of things. I just want something easy to use to video the family growing up (it's happening so fast & we're missing so much) & I don't want the hassle of dragging out the huge (in comparison) Hi8. Anything done will be put out to DVD & the JVC runs to DVD quality so it'll do what I want.

[fubyFrery]

Anything done will be put out to DVD & the JVC runs to DVD quality so it'll do what I want.

DVD Quality is a technical term that has nothing to do with "visual quality" of recorded video. DVD Quality simply means it's Mpeg-2. It doesn't mean it looks good.

DVD camcorders lock you into using DVD format video, and purchasing expensive media. I would recommend D8 or MiniDV because it's a great format.

Hell, I would even recommend the Sony HDV camcorder. It's around $1,500 and gets awesome quality for the price.

[Foriaelalse]

If you are interested in a HD Camcorder, then ebuyer have them for £800 (although out of stock at the moment)
http://www.ebuyer.co.uk/UK/product/110782