Buying a camcorder, any suggestions?

[itsjed]

My budget is around $350-400 (taxes included).

At this price it seems that I'm stuck between not-so-good 720P camcorders, or really solid SD camcorders. I'd really prefer to record on SD cards/DV just so I'd have the flexibility to bring a bunch of media with me for longer trips.

Image stabilizations and good low-light performance are particularly important.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd obviously prefer HD recording, but the reviews I've encountered at this price leave me underwhelmed.

[torseller07]

My dad bought a camcorder last month. His budget range is similar to yours (he wants something in the $500 range with accessories and taxes). So we ended up getting him a JVC Everio 120GB Hard Drive Camcorder (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10118709&catid=23053) for $449.99. Obviously it's not HD (it records at DVD quality) and the stock battery doesn't have a lot of juice in it, but it gets the job done. All you need to buy is a few backup Class 4 micro SD cards ($9.99 for 4GB at various retail stores), a bigger battery (http://www.amazon.com/JVC-BN-VF823U-2190-mAh-Rechargeable-Camcorders/dp/B000NAWJSI) and a mini-HDMI cable ($5 shipped from Monoprice), then you are good to go for an one month trip. :)

P.S. As you found out already, at your budget range that aren't a lot of good HD camcorders. To get a good 1080p one, you probably need to budget at least $600.

[itsjed]

Thanks, I'll give the JVC Everio line a look.

Has anyone had experiences with the Sanyo Xacti HD700? Vimeo and YouTube clips look pretty good.

[legendofxix]

JVC colours are not so great.
They look bland and uninteresting.

Did ya check out the new Samsung K40?
Its SD but it upconverts to HD when you play it back through the camera.
Also it has optical stabilization, which most of the other competitors do not at the budget price.

[itsjed]

JVC colours are not so great.
They look bland and uninteresting.

Did ya check out the new Samsung K40?
Its SD but it upconverts to HD when you play it back through the camera.
Also it has optical stabilization, which most of the other competitors do not at the budget price.

Thanks, that camera looks intriguing. But because it's relatively new, reviews/footage seem hard to come by. I'll definitely keep an eye out for it though, as I'm in no rush to make a purchase.