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06-21-2012, 01:48 AM   #1
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Best small camcorder up to US$1,500?

My friend is looking to get a decent small camcorder.

Right now he has his eyes on this:

Amazon.com: Sony HDRCX760V High Definition Handycam 24.1 MP Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom and 96 GB Embedded Memory (2012 Model): Camera & Photo

Does anyone have any experience of this or other good quality camcorders that can share some advice?

He's asked me for advice and I haven't got a clue!

I suggested a GH2 with the hack, but he said it was too complicated. He bought his wife a D90 and she never picks it up. They just want something that takes good quality video of their young kids running around, that is simple to use.

06-21-2012, 05:35 AM   #2
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Sony HXR-MC50U Ultra Compact Pro AVCHD Camcorder HXR-MC50U B&H

Geared more towards intermediate use and will last considerably longer.

For not much more someone might be able to find one with 3x 1/3 sensors.
06-21-2012, 06:39 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by Medium FormatPro Quote
Sony HXR-MC50U Ultra Compact Pro AVCHD Camcorder HXR-MC50U B&H

Geared more towards intermediate use and will last considerably longer.

For not much more someone might be able to find one with 3x 1/3 sensors.
But this is a 29mm lens vs 26mm and shoots 1080i/60 vs 1080P/60.

What am I missing?
06-21-2012, 08:35 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Medium FormatPro Quote

For not much more someone might be able to find one with 3x 1/3 sensors.
It seems Panasonic still offer R/G/B sensor camcorders:

Camcorders - Expert HD Camcorders - HC-X900 - Overview - Panasonic UK & Ireland

Nice F1.5 lens, but not very wide these days (30mm).

06-22-2012, 08:23 AM - 1 Like   #5
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I have the Panasonic TM700 3MOS 1080p60 camcorder with F1.5 Leica 12x zoom and it was the top rated camcorder under $1,500 in 2010 and has the same resolution as the current Panasonic 1080p60 3MOS camcorder.
Panasonic HDC-TM700 Comparison - Panasonic HDC-TM900 Camcorder Review
Panasonic HC-X900 Camcorder Review - CamcorderInfo.com
Panasonic HDC-SDT750 Camcorder Review - CamcorderInfo.com

I also use the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 superzoom compact with 1080p60 and 24-480mm eqiv zoom.
06-22-2012, 06:29 PM   #6
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Nice low light performance. Thanks for sharing.

Yeah, I read that Panasonic haven't substantially improved anything in the last two generations of camcorders since the TM700 (added GPS and the ability to stick a 3D lens on the front).
06-22-2012, 06:31 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by jogiba Quote

I also use the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 superzoom compact with 1080p60 and 24-480mm eqiv zoom.
How does it differ from the TM700? Does the TM blow the ZS20 away with IS? Or are pocket cameras starting to seriously encroach into camcorder territory?

06-23-2012, 09:45 AM   #8
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The TM700 3MOS sensor shows a better overall image and sharpness without any moire or jello effect but the ZS20 has a much wider FL range (24-480mm eqiv).

Two more TM700 clips at night :

Last edited by jogiba; 06-23-2012 at 09:59 AM.
06-23-2012, 02:49 PM   #9
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I don't do video. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, and I'm open to criticism, but please be nice because I know nearly nothing.

The GH2 with hack is supposedly amazing. For example, here's a quote from someone who probably does know something: "The Canon Cinema EOS C300 at $15,000 is just not a good investment for me I’m afraid. It is out of my budget and far too expensive when I can get such similar results in terms of image quality from the $700 GH2 with good glass, or a $4500 FS100." From here: Why I am no longer a Canon APS-C user | EOSHD.com

As you stated in the first post, the D90 is too complicated, so the GH2 is out.

My response, then, is to try the GF2 or GF3. Both have been hacked. Both are familiar in feel for a point-and-shoot user. No viewfinder. Hold it out at arms length.

As for the hack complexity issue, it is only as complex as you want it to be. I like easy stuff. So I downloaded a stable hack, installed it, and carried on. I don't push the boundaries, but even so the results are tons better than originally provided.

If you want to go for it then I'd be happy to help you install the hack. Once the hack is installed you can move on and forget about it.
06-23-2012, 06:34 PM   #10
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QuoteQuote:
The GH2 with hack is supposedly amazing.
Watch on youtube in full screen 1080p :
06-30-2012, 10:37 PM   #11
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Thanks for sharing and the kind advice. My friend ended up getting the Sony 760.

It's a bit smaller than the Panasonics, and like them, has excellent cyclops-like optical IS.

For me, I can't get enough of my LG Optimus 3D Max's videos. Seeing my family in 3D is very cool, and somehow spookily realistic.

Another friend's dog died yesterday (he fell down a cliff), and he has a tiny sliver of solace in that I got some 3D shots of him last weekend.
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