Digital video cameras

[Tom Honeyman]

Hi Catriona,

We were discussing this very issue in the blog-o-sphere quite recently:

http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/elac/2006/08/digital_video.html
http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2006/09/06/using-video/
http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/elac/2006/09/ 
nonintrusive_video_taping_or_s.html

By far I think most people are using MiniDV recorders. If you go down  
this path then make sure the lens is good, and also possibly what the  
sample bit rate and frequency is for audio. Low end consumer models  
tend to have poorer lenses and record audio at a lower quality too.  
If you're not recording audio separately then make sure you have a  
decent mic that wont pick up the mechanical noise of the recorder.

I'm dying to get my hands on a HD recorder, I think they look really  
interesting, but I'm keen to see if you can (a) get the files off the  
hard disk faster than real time, (b) have separate files with good  
file metadata for each stop/start of recording, (c) not have too  
great a quality drop in compression of video and (d) record for much  
longer periods that a 60/90 minute cassette tape. These are all  
potential major pluses.

Has anyone used either the HD or DVD camcorders? I'd _really_ like to  
see what the files they produce are like!


Tom Honeyman
PARADISEC Project Co-ordinator
Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures
Sydney Unit, room 238, Transient Building F12
University of Sydney NSW 2006
tel +61 2 9036 9557
fax +61 2 9351 7572
tom.honeyman at paradisec.org.au
http://www.paradisec.org.au

On 03/10/2006, at 3:20 PM, Catriona Malau wrote:

> I am about to start hunting around for a video camera and  
> anticipate being overwhelmed by the options. Any advice would be  
> greatly appreciated. If anyone knows any websites with useful  
> advice that would be good. Or any personal faves? What about hard  
> disk drive vs. tape? I am looking at spending up to AUD5000  
> including accessories.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Catriona
>
> Dr. Catriona Malau
> Pacific Languages Unit
> University of the South Pacific
> PMB 9072
> Port Vila
> VANUATU
>
> Ph. +678 23093 / 26524 extn 157 (work)
> Ph. +678 56254 (mob)
> Fax +678 22633