Sony DCR SX 40

[singlesnipershot]

Hi Guys

i am really new to videography and was rather attracted to buying the Sony DCR SX40(SGD620 @ Cathay Photo)

Can anyone advise me if this is a good camcorder to buy ? What should I be looking out for when buying one ? Also, it does not say it records in PAL, is that a problem ? What about the quality of MPEG2 formats ?


My priorities are:
- value for money
- image quality
- ease of handling (I am a dummy)
- full specs of a camcorder that should have (nothing critical missed out)

[michaelongcj]

Originally Posted by singlesnipershot Hi Guys My priorities are: - value for money - image quality - ease of handling (I am a dummy) - full specs of a camcorder that should have (nothing critical missed out)

I assume you just want something that can point, shoot and get a video. By that just about every camcorder can do that. Its in the bells and whistles that the difference comes in.

Here are the alternative options to the DCR SX40:

Last year's models can be gotten for a fraction of the price as dealers phase them out. If you want value for money, this might be the way to go.

A 2008 HD model can be gotten for around the same price if you buy online. Although they are older, they are usually built as higher up the line so the features are better (eg better lens, bigger sensor and better image quality).

A simple check on amazon.com gives this (US$):

Panasonic SD100 - 485
Panasonic SD9 - 379
Canon HF100 - 540

NTSC cameras as used in the US have no problem playing on Singapore TVs, the only problem is if you want to mix footage with PAL footage.

For standard def camcorders, there isn't much difference in price between here and the US, so just buy here. They are cheaper but they don't have the bells and whistles that a HD one might have (e.g. option to add microphone, better audio etc).

However, you might want to read up about AVCHD which is somewhat more complicated than MPEG-2.

If you can go read up the reviews at various sites like camcorderinfo.com, goodgearguide.com, etc.

Hope this helps you.

[singlesnipershot]

Originally Posted by michaelongcj I assume you just want something that can point, shoot and get a video. By that just about every camcorder can do that. Its in the bells and whistles that the difference comes in. Here are the alternative options to the DCR SX40: Last year's models can be gotten for a fraction of the price as dealers phase them out. If you want value for money, this might be the way to go. A 2008 HD model can be gotten for around the same price if you buy online. Although they are older, they are usually built as higher up the line so the features are better (eg better lens, bigger sensor and better image quality). A simple check on amazon.com gives this (US$): Panasonic SD100 - 485 Panasonic SD9 - 379 Canon HF100 - 540 NTSC cameras as used in the US have no problem playing on Singapore TVs, the only problem is if you want to mix footage with PAL footage. For standard def camcorders, there isn't much difference in price between here and the US, so just buy here. They are cheaper but they don't have the bells and whistles that a HD one might have (e.g. option to add microphone, better audio etc). However, you might want to read up about AVCHD which is somewhat more complicated than MPEG-2. If you can go read up the reviews at various sites like camcorderinfo.com, goodgearguide.com, etc. Hope this helps you.

Bro. Thanks for the detailed reply. Really appreciate the sharing!

I am very new to this so am a bit fluttering all over the place to understand better

More into DSLRs though and am now wondering if the new EOEOS 500D that offers HD movie recording a good option that has best of both worlds. (can al;so use as my main cam body ro backup to my 40D :-D) Any thoughts on this approach? What would also be a good recording speed for a video-cam ? 30fps ?

Thanks again bro

[jaegersing]

The 500D can shoot 1080P at 20 fps and 720P at 30 fps. The 20fps is a bit slow for normal video shooting, in fact some folks have trouble even with 24 fps. So probably 720P at 30 fps is the way to go with this cam.