Not thinking so much about webcam, but the handheld variety.
Is zoom important? If so, digital or optical?
Is image stabilization important?
Is there a low light cam better than most?
Have you a preference for storage format? EG mini-dvd or hard disk?

Thanks!!

I use a sony PDX 10

zoom isnt too important, remember the more you enlarge the image the more stable you need to keep it. manual setting a must

To me optics is primary. If the lense is trash, the video is too. Then the higher the resolution you can shoot the better, you can always render down. To me, media is important. I don't like a bunch of dvd's sitting around. I really like the portability of hard drive or flash memory cams (I have one of each). You reuse and just keep the files you want on the computer. I think there was another post about stability. I like my sony's stability algorithm, but still use a tripod as much as possible. The stability software does tend to lag, and the compression codecs have to work hard with a lot of jumping around. Oh, as long as I'm spouting cheap opinion, I absolute hate digital zoom. Optical zoom keeps the resolution at it's maximum. Digital zoom actually just trades pixels for increased range. You loose detail. In our kind of video, we all want to keep the detail, don't we? ;)

We use the legendary Canon HV20. A few video's coming soon, but the HD will be lost on this site.

My older videos that are SD were shot using an old sony 8mm camcorder. worked well enough...

Done some of my best work (I think) with an 8mm Sony Handicam I bought in 2000. I met this girl on the net, and she suggested I get a motel room. She also suggested I bring some porn. I didn't feel like unhitching my VCR and schlepping it across the county, so I thought I'd surprise her - I stopped at BustedBy and bought a $300 camcorder. (This is our first date, remember.)

We met at the Springdale Motel, and the rest is movie magic. No tripod, no extra charged battery, had to keep the TV going and shined at the bed just to provide sufficient light ... but it was magic. Her name is Dolly, and you can see some of that very night yourself right here on YUVUTU.


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