guys i need your help....i want to buy my boyfriend a camcorder for x-mas he will want to buy a housing for it in the future...so i need to get one compatible to use in the water....as ye have probably guessed im not a diver so i need your expertise ...ive about 400 to spend(am i kidding myself) im in cork city and wont be able to buy it online....hopefully ye will have some ideas for me thanks in advance
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- Thread starter Leona
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marshallkarp
Contributor
What kind of video camcorder did you have in mind, Leona?
DaFireMedic
Contributor
What types of video will he be using it for? There are many features that are available, and it will help narrow it down if we know his interests (in addition to Scuba) with regards to video.
For Scuba, my suggestion in that price range is to look at the Panasonic PV-GS320. In my opinion, it will give the best video quality for that price, and there are underwater housings available for it. It runs right around that $400 mark (It's $379 at B & H right now).
If you can't find the GS-320 under $400, then the Canon ZR800 is a good buy. It's less expensive, and has some good features, but the video quality will not be as good as that of the GS320.
Just to give you another more expensive option, the Sony HC96 will give top notch video quality, excellent feature set and runs about $500 right now.
All of these camcorders have housings available for them.
For Scuba, my suggestion in that price range is to look at the Panasonic PV-GS320. In my opinion, it will give the best video quality for that price, and there are underwater housings available for it. It runs right around that $400 mark (It's $379 at B & H right now).
If you can't find the GS-320 under $400, then the Canon ZR800 is a good buy. It's less expensive, and has some good features, but the video quality will not be as good as that of the GS320.
Just to give you another more expensive option, the Sony HC96 will give top notch video quality, excellent feature set and runs about $500 right now.
All of these camcorders have housings available for them.
hi Guys thanks for your replies.....well he probably wont be doing much other than taking it diving..we're having a baby in January so it will get a bit of use for general family stuff too....
im in ireland...so was hoping for info for this side of the water.....think ive found one....sony dvd 106 handycam Ikite have a housing to fit...is this a good choice?? plus ive found it for 377 euros including a disc and carry bag thingy....see i told ye i was fairly useless when it comes to gadgets ha ha ha ha ha ha
im in ireland...so was hoping for info for this side of the water.....think ive found one....sony dvd 106 handycam Ikite have a housing to fit...is this a good choice?? plus ive found it for 377 euros including a disc and carry bag thingy....see i told ye i was fairly useless when it comes to gadgets ha ha ha ha ha ha
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I personally would look for either a tape-based or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) model. The limiting factor on most DVD camcorders is the short length of the recording time at the quality setting. Also when finished filming, you finalize the disc in order to view it. Then to edit the contents later you use a software program to break the contents apart into an ediitable format. It's a little confusing until you've done it a few times.
With either tape or an HDD model you simply capture the footage directly into your computer.
DVD based camcorders are good for surface shooting where you plan to shoot the disc and then pop it into your DVD player to watch. Not so good for u/w imo.
Ikelite's are good housings. But they're camera specific since their controls are mechanical so they're not adaptable to later models.
With either tape or an HDD model you simply capture the footage directly into your computer.
DVD based camcorders are good for surface shooting where you plan to shoot the disc and then pop it into your DVD player to watch. Not so good for u/w imo.
Ikelite's are good housings. But they're camera specific since their controls are mechanical so they're not adaptable to later models.
DaFireMedic
Contributor
Another question: Will he be living in Ireland or in the US? The reason that I ask is that the US uses the NTSC format and I believe that Ireland uses the PAL format. Being that you are buying the camcorder in Ireland, this could lead to compatibility problems if you live in the US, although probably only if trying to playback the video directly to the TV from the camcorder. Even then you may be OK, but try to buy a camcorder that uses the video format for the region in which you will live.
Regarding DVD camcorders, they offer a degree of convenience, but the video quality tends to be lower than that of MiniDV tapes because of the video compression used, and the video must be converted in order to edit it. I also did not realize that you were talking about Euros. You can get the Sony HC96 for under 400 Euros, it will offer great video quality, good low light sensitivity (very important for underwater video) and a good set of controls. Also, look at the Panasonic GS series, (like the NV-GS280).
