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Cheap Div X cameras ?? 19-Sep-2003 At 1:20:19 PM V

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I bought a Sony TRV16 about a year ago. Cost me about $1500, probably cheaper nowadays though. Even though it's at the bottom of the MiniDV range, I've been more than happy with the features on it -- it does great night vision footage and has an awesome zoom. Ultra reliable, I've used it in subzero conditions in the mountains, even in the rain with a home-made cover (take a UV filter and one ziploc bag, cut holes, use rubber bands). The camera is pretty light as well. Capture to PC is via USB (poor quality) or FireWire (awesome quality). I can film for about 2 hours using the viewfinder (as opposed to the LCD) before the batteries run out.

You're probably after a 1-chip MiniDV camera. I would recommend getting the latest technology standard, AFAIK it's still MiniDV. Also it's worth spending the extra cash to buy a decent FireWire card (I have a Pinnacle), but USB capture is okay to start with. It's also worth having a spare battery, UV filter, mini tripod ($10 from Ted's Cameras, can also be used as a grip). I've found I don't really need heaps of features, it's better to buy a simple, decent quality camcorder. (Some of the more advanced Sony models had larger LCD screens, memory sticks, and other stuff.)

James: I think you may have seen my camera in action over summer -- the first cut of the movie is now complete!