Video Cameras QuickTopic: the bottom line

About the only near-unanimous consensus to arise from our recent Video Cameras QuickTopic is that everyone loves his or her digital camera. Although several users had bad experiences with certain units (JVC cameras in general were singled out as problematic by several respondents) most often users ultimately obtained a camera they enjoyed. Most people had purchased Sony cameras, but that should not necessarily imply they are the best choice.

The second point that nearly everyone agreed upon was to do your homework before making a purchase. The amount of information available on the Internet is overwhelming, and there is no question that cannot be answered before you spend what will be a considerable amount of money. For example, most vendor's Web sites feature downloadable PDF versions of a camera’s manual and sales brochure.

The other items of basic agreement include the need for a FireWire cable, a second and perhaps third battery, a protective case, and optionally a good external microphone and a tripod. On the camera itself, control layout and general ergonomics were deemed important as well. Several folks also cautioned against the pricey accessory syndrome, where the buyer finds a discount camera only to pay full price for the extras. For example, a FireWire cables costing upwards of $50 can be had for less.

Most recommendations came down in favor of MiniDV, because while the signal quality is very close if not the same, MiniDV cameras are typically much smaller and lighter than Digital8. One other item mentioned frequently is to consider the available camera imput and output ports. For example, many cameras lack an analog input, which is essential if you want to dub older footage from other pre-digital cameras. One user wrote: "If you're considering a low-cost digital camcorder with FireWire, make sure it does Analog-to-Digital Conversion with a pass-through. This will allow you to connect alternative video sources to the camcorder's input and feed that through to the Mac via FireWire, which avoids the additional step of dubbing to digital tape prior to capture."

Except for the JVC cameras caveat we noted earlier, there was very little consensus on potential problems with specific models or brands, suggesting that overall quality and performance in this entire product category is quite high. There were individual notes of praise and concern, but they were often contradicted by another user’s experience. It was clear that the preferred brand selected by most respondents is Sony. European users were also cautioned to be aware of cameras where the DVin port has been disabled, which is a common practice because of tax regulations.

In contrast to the lack of consensus over potential problems with specific models, there was consensus on certain features. Digital zooms are not worth it, and users should select based on the camera’s optical zoom capability. 3.5" LCD viewfinders are better than 2.5" models. Nearly everyone agreed that while useful in certain limited situations, still capabilities are generally poor, and they do not come close to the quality offered by dedicated digital still cameras. And finally, most effects, such as titles, scene transitions, and graphic overlays are handled much better by iMovie, and should be performed on the computer rather than in the camera.

Several users also noted, and we agree, that iMovie 2: The Missing Manual is a must have, preferably before you buy your first digital video camera. Not only does it cover the iMovie 2 software, it also covers the basics of composition, editing, and output techniques.

On a personal note, we purchased and have been using a Canon ZR-25 MiniDV camera and iMovie 2 all summer, and our experience has been overwhelmingly positive. iMovie 2 and FireWire are revolutionary technologies, and using them brought us the same seductive "this changes everything" thrill as using a word processor for the first time.