Camcorder recommendations

CAMCORDERS:

The recording equipment you need to shoot your video scrapbook does not need to be expensive. You can certainly spend a lot of money but here are three video camcorders that will fill the bill.

The Canon – DC100 costs around $300 and uses a Mini DVD so it records directly to a digital medium. You then use the DVD in your computer.

The Panasonic Palmcorder PVDV701 costs around $388 and uses a mini DV videotape. Mini DV tapes will eventually be replaced by mini DVDs or other digital formats.

The Sony DCR-HC40 costs around $499 and uses a mini DV videotape.

It is always a good idea to actually handle the camera you will buy before you buy it. Get a feel for it and see if you like what it does and if it makes sense to you.

By the way, if you'd rather not make a purchase like this, you can check out your local rental center type businesses. They often have cameras you can rent for day rates. Be sure to get a video format like a mini-dv.

I would not suggest buying a used camera on-line as you really don't know how it has been treated or even if it is legal. Ask friends if they know of anyone selling one - often those who are "latest-greatest" types will sell a perfectly good piece of equipment that is slightly outdated because they want the latest toy. Remember, ANY recent unit (VHS on up) is quite good enough to get the footage into the computer.

JUMP FROM Camcorder to the Middle of Your Video Scrapbook.