We must be the only ones without a camcorder...

[natividad]

We also don't have a DVD or a digital camera LOL! Anyway, we decided to start shopping for one to record Alexander before he goes off to college. Any suggestions or recommendations? Our budget is about $400.

Thanks in advance!

Naty,
Mommy to Alexander 2/26/03

[flagger]

Hmmm. We thought and thought about this decision but honestly we don't watch any of the videos we have shot in our 9 years of marriage. Photos are just so much easier to share online and by snail mail. We both want to invest in a big screen TV before a new camcorder.

That being said I will see if I can find a report on camcorders for you! :)

[sweetbasil]

Naty~
We just got our first DVD player in March, so I understand! :)

This info comes from ConsumerReports.org:
"An analog camcorder is right for you if you're not likely to use it often, you can't afford to spend a lot, and you have little interest in video editing. Among VHS-C and S-VHS-C camcorders, consider the JVC GR-SXM240U, $300. (VHS, of course, is the only tape format that can play directly in a VCR; all the others need the camcorder for playback.) Among Hi8 camcorders, consider the Sony CCD-TRV608, $400, and Sony CCD-TRV308, $350.

A digital camcorder is right for you if you want better picture quality, you're willing to spend more than $450, and you want to try editing on a computer. Among digital camcorders, the Sony DCR-TRV25, $900, and Panasonic PV-DV402, $800, topped the Ratings."

We like www.cnet.com a lot too, when considering electronics purchases- here's a link to their Camcorder Reviews:
http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-6342639.html?tag=st.cn.1.camcorders.6342639

We've used our still digital camera much more than the video camera, but adore the video camera for special events, when DS wants to sing for the camera, and just getting perspective on how much his language/physical skills/emotions have developed over time. Just wish we would've gotten it sooner (DS was almost 12 mo when we finally made the purchase).

Good luck!

[Ryansmom]

Hi Naty,

We did our research for our camcorder right before Ryan was born. We found that Sears would honor any published price. We found a digital Sony that we wanted and then scanned the web for the lowest price. We took the printout to Sears and they honored the lowest priced one with a warranty in the US. We saved at least $150. I will ask DH tonight for more info and get back to you.

PS - we love watching the videos of Ryan - especially him log rolling around the house. It's fun to share with fmaily members - all of whom live far away.

[JustMare]

DH is the electronics buyer in our house, but I surprised him years ago with a camcorder for christmas. I purposely went to Sears because they always offer no interest, no payments for 6 months on their charge card (which I have and never use). Also, Sears was great because the unit I wanted was $499 and out of stock, the salesperson gave me the $800 for the $499 price!! It was years ago, so we don't have digital features, but it's loaded with everything else.

I selected a Sony camcorder only because of the "laser link" feature. With the purchase ($49) of a device you put on top of your tv, it allows you to shoot a laser beam from the camcorder to the tv to watch your movies. No need to connect cables. I LOVE that feature!

I also recommend getting features like a light (for nighttime shots) and some sort of stablilizer. Sony makes a "steadyshot" feature so the unit stays stable and won't shake too much even though your hand is shaking.

I never thought we actually need one either. But we've enjoyed it over the years. We use it on every vacation. Some nights we pull out the videos just to say "Gee, we were thinner back then!" :)

Oh, and go to epinions.com for reviews on the models before you make your purchase. I love that site!

Have fun shopping!

[nigele]

Well, I thought ours was the only household left in the U.S. without a DVD! I'm still bugging hubby to get one...

Sorry I don't have any recommendations on the camcorder but good luck with your research and purchase!

[cuca_]

Although we have a camcorder and a digital camera, we do not have a DVD. We are not planning on getting one either, since DH and I don't really rent movies.

We seldomly watch the movies filmed with the camcorder (we have a Sony digital), however, I still think its a great thing to have. Just last year my Mom had some Super 8 movies put into a videotape. The movies were from when my siblings and I were very young, and had no sound, but they were a blast to watch. So I figure, eventually we will really enjoy watching these movies with our nieces and nephews (so far the only protagonists) and our own kids!!

Finally, I highly recommend getting a digitial camera, especially if your family is far away. That way you can easily send them updated pictures of your DS. We have an Olympus and love it.

[kransden]

I would recommend a 3 mega pixel camera. We have a camcorder and use it occasionally, but I use the camera all the time! I have a Kodak with the docking station. You take pictures drop, it on the cradle and hit a button. No muss - no fuss. I love it. I am a tech geek but have no time, so this works great for me. Sam's Club Online has the cheapest pictures online and they are great quality. The shipping is free to your local Sam's Club. Some newer Clubs have 1 hour photos inside that you can take your cd or smart card to.

I just love the fact I can take 30 pictures and keep the 2 good ones.
Karin

[August Mom]

We had decided that we needed a digital camera (we haveand Olympus C-3020 that I LOVE) and that for the amount of use we would get out of a camcorder, we really didn't need one. Well, I was 2 weeks late and scheduled to be induced. A couple of days before my scheduled induction I decided that I had to have a video of the baby coming home from the hospital. LOL Pregnancy hormones maybe?? Anyway, I started researching and then went out the day before my scheduled induction to buy one. I wasn't planning to buy at the first store I went to, just look. But, the salesman asked "When are you due?" and I responded "2 weeks ago." Either the salesman felt sorry for me or wanted to get me out of the store before I went into labor because suddenly I was getting all kinds of great deals on video cameras and their accessories. So, I left the store camera in hand... (along with tapes, battery, camera bag...LOL).

I am so glad that we bought the video camera. We've watched the coming home from the hospital video several times and I get tears in my eyes every time. We also have lots of other footage of DS making different sounds, laughing, rolling, sitting, crawling, etc. Some of these things really can't be captured in a still photograph and for that I'm glad we bought the video camera.

Now because we had originally decided that we didn't want a video camera (and hadn't really budgeted for it) I didn't want to spend a ton, but I wanted good quality. We wanted to spend between $450 and $600. I didn't care whether the video camera could take good stills because we had the separate digital camera for that. I also wanted something relatively compact. So, I went into the store and said I was looking at cameras in the x price range and tried them out. We wound up with a Canon ZR40 for $550 and I really like it. It is a Mini DV format, is compact, has an 18x optical zoom and easy to use functions. It's not the best in low light (looks rather grainy) -- I should add an external light to improve that. It also has a color viewfinder (many are B&W) which I thought was important, but I rarely if ever use the viewfinder - I always look at the LCD screen. Overall it is a very good camera, easy to use and records my little one's precious moments.

HTH Sorry this post was so long.

[Ryansmom]

We also used epinions.com to reserach our Sony camcorder. We then used the compare prices feature, printed the screen and brought the print out to Sears. The salesman at Sears reviewed the list against their computer to find the legitimate retailers. He then honored the lowest price. Very quick and easy with a big savings for us.

As far as digital cameras - we have an Olympus and love it. It is about 3 years old. I am hesitant to use my regular camera anymore, as the digital is so easy and fun to use.

Good luck with your purchase and have fun!

[celfsh]

This is the exact camera that we have, and we love it. August Mom is right--it is easy to use and you get a lot of great features for the price (if I remember correctly, it has the best optical zoom in its class). We bought ours online last summer for around $450. Check out www.dealtime.com to compare cameras and prices.

HTH a little!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[natividad]

Thanks for the suggestions and recommendations. You have given me a lot of information for me to use and follow on. Again, Thanks!!!

Naty,
Mommy to Alexander 2/26/03

[egoldber]

We bought our digital video camera a couple months before Sarah was born and I am SO glad we did. I ended up with an unexpected C section. But DH was still able to video her arrival. I was a bit groggy on the table, so DH was also able to video all the things I would have otherwise "missed": Sarah being weighed, APGAR scores, etc. He also took video of the first time I held her in recovery. I cry every time I watch it and I am tearing up now even thinking about it. Those are very special moments and I think it is wonderful that I will be able to share it with Sarah when she is older.

HTH,

[C99]

Nah. We don't have one either. Though we don't want one either, so I'm no help on options, etc.

[heva]

One more rec: We have a Nikon Coolpix 990 digital camera that we bought about 2.5 yrs ago. It is AWESOME, and I know that Nikon has continued to improve this line of cameras since then. The features are really great - you can even take short Quicktime movies that you can post on the web! The model we have is really nice in that it has a swivelling mechanism (like a lot of digital movie cams) so that you can hold the camera at waist level or above your head and direct the lens independently towards the action. As a result, you can take GREAT candids and above-the-crowd photos. In addition to being very easy to use, the photos look wonderful and you can very easily transfer them from the SmartCard it uses to either Windows or Mac computers (we have both). I can't tell you how nice it is to store thousands of pictures on your computer, instead of in dusty albums or shoe boxes. So much easier to share with the family, etc.

We also have an HP PhotoSmart DeskJet printer and you can buy photo paper (either glossy or matte) and print photos. We started doing this for our non-technical friends and family, but found that the pictures were SO GOOD that we actually started framing some of them to keep ourselves. My husband (who is an IT geek) recently acquired a photo scanner that allows you to take photo prints or even negatives and transfer them to your computer...can you say labor project? Admittedly, we're on the extreme end of the geek scale when it comes to computer gadjets, but I highly recommend the CoolPix for anyone.

Now I just have to figure out how to get an Avatar photo on here...

[gravymommy3]

Even if you think that you won't watch DVDs, get a digital video camera if the budget allows. DH (who is a gadget freak) came home with a DVD burner the other night and proceeded to burn our tapes to DVD. Now it is very easy to watch "home movies". You can also edit the movies and it makes it very easy to share the movies with family - just mail them a DVD!

Also, and this is just my opinion, but I really like being able to watch my two older kids' births. This is, of course, only for DH and myself (no sharing full-frontal birthing nudity with any of the family :) ) but I am glad we have them. I just regret like the devil that we did not think to grab the camera when we had Hayden at home. But, there really was no time for it.

Good luck on your decision.