MarkO

I want to buy a digital video camera. Want something small, good quality, and am considering paying between £600-800. I've seen the Sony DCR-IP7 which looks kewl but is about 500 quid over budget. Is it worth it?

What models should I consider, and where's the best place to buy (online).

Mark

Tiggs

i have a JVC DVP1- very small and very cool also has DV in/out for PC editing.

found it online for about £800 6 months ago.

T

MarkO

Where did you find it for that price?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Just bought a Sony DCRTV16E. Within your budget, but doesn't havedigital in, so you can't put it back on the camera from a computer.
Does have colour viewfinder and lcd screen, and my mate reckons the picture quality is far in advance of his digital8.

MarkO

I'm seriously considering the Sony DCR-IP7 - a few places have it online for about 1050, and by the time you knock the VAT off that's fairly good for such a superb piece of kit.

Anyone know any reasons why I shouldn't go for one?

PG

www.askdirect.co.uk are usualy good for price

Paul

MarkO

Okay, I've read a couple of reviews of the tiny Sony MicroMV, and it's not top-quality. Since it's only fractionally smaller than the MiniDV cams, it seems pointless - particularly given the price.

So the best bet now looks like the JVC GR-DVP7, which I should be able to pick up for about £830.

Any others I should look at before splashing some cash?

Tiggs

got mine from an online shop that looked as iffy as an iffy man in iffy town....but they sent it so i was happy! cat remember who it was now! but i know they were loads cheaper than empiredirect etc.

T

MarkO

AskDirect (mentioned above) seem cheapest for the JVC. Better still, they are a real shop in Tottenham Ct Road, so I can pop down there later in the week and check the cameras out in person (I'm also looking at the Canon MVX1i, but I think it's a bit too bulky for me).

boomer

For me, the big problem with the IP7 (and IP5) is that it records directly in MPEG2, which is really a "final form" format.

Sure, MPEG2 is used for DVD, but there you are only viewing and not editing.

For the IP7 you need bespoke software to edit stuff. Also, i presume that any editing will be "lossy", which means that each time you process it you will lose information - in a similar way to analogue

If you are really on a budget, howz about one of the Digital8 models?

mb

normarker

JVC GRDVL367, DV in and out, stills on a card with USB, £530 or thereabouts from RGB Direct. I think they're in Ilford.