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  1. #1
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    Default How much memory do I need for HD camcorder?

    We have recently upgraded to an HD camcorder. We picked Canon HF200, which has no built in memory. I am trying to decide how much memory to buy, I am thinking 16GB or 32GB, which is how much Canon HF20 has built in. DH is pushing for more memory, of course. If you have HD camcorder how much memory do you wish you had/is enough?
    Mom to DS born on Thanksgiving 2003

  2. #2
    codex57 is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    As much as you can afford.

    One 8GB card takes about 45 min of video. I have the Canon with 16GB built in memory. If you're on vacation, it goes pretty quick.

  3. #3
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    i bought DH an HD camcorder 2 hanukkah's ago and ended up NOT getting the kind with the built in memory becuase they are apparently really fragile. if you should drop or even bump the camera into the wall, that can be enough to completely bust your memory. i'd keep that in mind b/c i was told that by lots of people (dont have first hand expereince).

    we ended getting one that has tapes (i think!!) i'm seriously little help. i can't even remember, but i'm almost 100% thats what we bought. Sony. (and this way you dont have to worry about memory at all! - just swap in a new tape).

    oh, and the ohter thing is...if you buy memory camcorder, that you apparently have to be pretty diligent in uploading it to your computer, b/c even though it says up to 12 hours recording time (the camera with the most memory at the time i was shopping), it really is over about 4 hours in the highest quality.

    lots to think about!
    Mom to DD 7/06, DS1 8/08 & DS2 9/11!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by sewarsh View Post
    i bought DH an HD camcorder 2 hanukkah's ago and ended up NOT getting the kind with the built in memory becuase they are apparently really fragile. if you should drop or even bump the camera into the wall, that can be enough to completely bust your memory. i'd keep that in mind b/c i was told that by lots of people (dont have first hand expereince).

    we ended getting one that has tapes (i think!!) i'm seriously little help. i can't even remember, but i'm almost 100% thats what we bought. Sony. (and this way you dont have to worry about memory at all! - just swap in a new tape).
    I was told that hard drive camcorders are fragile, but not flash memory ones. So that's what I got; an HD camcorder with built-inflash memory storage.
    Strollerqueen

  5. #5
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    According to Canon's website, with a 32GB SDHC card, your model will be capable of recording ~3-12 hours worth of footage depending upon the quality setting you choose.

    Tech Specs

    I would do as codex suggests and buy the largest card you can afford. Cards are relatively cheap nowadays. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

    Also, since you'll be capturing full motion video, you should try to get the fastest card you can. You don't want your recording hanging up because your memory card is too slow to record the data. Again, according to Canon's site, your camera is capable of accepting Class 10 SDHC cards, but apparently that standard is relatively new and it doesn't look like all the camera's features are supported by that Class. Looking at the website, it looks like either a Class 4 or a Class 6 card will work best for you.

    Memory Card FAQ

    ETA: Bah! Second link doesn't work quite right. Go to that link then hit the link to the Frequently Asked Questions, then hit the link for the first question about size/type of memory cards to use.

    Hope that helps!
    Last edited by Penny's Pappa; 01-28-2010 at 11:36 PM. Reason: Clarification of a link

    Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.
    --Dr. Seuss



    Penelope Grace
    Born 02.25.2010


  6. #6
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    Thank you so much for all the responses. I did read the manual and online reviews so I know that I need a SDHC card with a minimum of class 4 speed rating. And I also know how many minutes of video I can record per GB at various speeds. What I want to know is how much memory others have bought and whether they found it to be enough or not. I also get very confused as to different types of SDHC cards and how important speed is.

    Last but not least the price of memory keeps dropping and I see no point buying what I don't need even if I can afford it. Even when we travel, I always have a laptop so I only need enough for a day's worth of video and I don't plan on shooting continiously. So far we've been able to get away with using the memory we have from our dSLR.
    Mom to DS born on Thanksgiving 2003

  7. #7
    codex57 is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    That's why I told you how much actual record time you get from an 8 GB card on a Canon. I can't remember if it matches what the specs say, but we all know it's better to get a real life example then what the "specs" say it "should" get. Like miles per gallon on a car. Real life is different from the EPA amount.

    I dunno if 45 minutes is enough for "one day" for you. On a trip to a theme park, it's not enough. Even if you have your laptop with you (say, a home movie), events happen while you're downloading the card (that's just d/l the file itself, converting it into a format watchable on dvd or something takes a LONG time).

    That's why, with HD Video, buying a bit more than you need isn't a bad thing. Sure you can go frugal. THen you might miss something cuz you ran out of room. I have a dslr. 2GB is plenty even when I don't really hold back. However, that's cuz I shoot in jpg for my vacation pics. To get an idea of how fast you eat up memory on a camcorder, start taking some pics in RAW format on the dslr. It goes by QUICK!

    Essentially, think of 8GB as 1 mini-dv "tape". Can you get by with just one tape for a whole day? It's true you usually don't shoot continuously, until you get the parade at disneyland or something like that where while you might break it up, you still end up shooting the bulk of it. Otherwise, you might as well just take photos and not record video at all.

    I gotta double check my cards, but I think they are Sandisk Extreme IV level cards.

  8. #8
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    I just bought SanDisk Ultra II 16GB card. My justification for going with this brand, speed and size were as following:

    - SanDisk is one of the three manufacturers whose cards were tested by Canon for our particular model, and they also have a smaller percentage of complaints than others;
    - Card is rated as class 4 for speed and according to reviews on Amazon and camcorder's manual that's enough to shoot HD video;
    - SanDisk Extreme Class 10, which seems to be the next step up in terms of speed, is more than 2x as expensive and offers 30mp/s rate that is not supported by my camcorder;
    - It is one of the two cards recommended by SanDisk for HD camcorders;
    - We have never used 2 miniDV tapes in a day, hardly ever one;
    - We have 6GB or 8GB in SD memory already for our dSLR so we have some backup;
    - Prices for memory will continue going down and we don't plan any large outings any time soon.

    I figured I'd share this for the benefit of the community.
    Mom to DS born on Thanksgiving 2003

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by codex57 View Post
    I dunno if 45 minutes is enough for "one day" for you. On a trip to a theme park, it's not enough. Even if you have your laptop with you (say, a home movie), events happen while you're downloading the card (that's just d/l the file itself, converting it into a format watchable on dvd or something takes a LONG time).

    That's why, with HD Video, buying a bit more than you need isn't a bad thing. Sure you can go frugal. THen you might miss something cuz you ran out of room.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a long, detailed message. I really appreciate your help. And I completely agree with you that 45 minutes is not enough for a day, which is why I was not even considering a 8GB card. I was trying to decide whether to get a 16GB or a 32GB card, and finally settled on the smaller of the two with the idea of buying more if we need it. By the time we figure it, chances are prices will drop even further and we'd be able to buy extra 16GB card for less than the difference between cost of 32GB and 16GB card right now. In fact it is cheaper to buy 2 cards 16GB each than one 32GB, which does not make sense to me.
    Last edited by kozachka; 01-29-2010 at 03:34 PM.
    Mom to DS born on Thanksgiving 2003

  10. #10
    codex57 is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Oh, 16GB sounds perfect for you. I wasn't sure if you were looking at 2GB cards or up to 32GB.

    And yeah, I bought two of the smaller cards instead of one of the bigger ones cuz it's cheaper that way. I don't think it's too big a deal as long as you stay at the 8GB size and up (to allow enough room to "plan" a break in the filming to swap cards).

    Your next problem is to get enough spare batteries cuz the standard size Canon ones only last about 50 min. If you buy on eBay and get an extended battery, be sure it's one single battery instead of two standard ones.

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