Consumer lever camcorder recommendations

RalphM wrote on 8/8/2015, 2:21 PM

A friend asked me to recommend a sub-$1000 camcorder for family use. I've not researched anything in that market for almost 10 years.

I'd appreciate nominations for models fulfilling the following requirements:

1080P
Tapeless
Good optical zoom - at least 12X
External mic input
Good low-light performance
Clean HDMI output
Playback through the HDMI output

Thanks in advance,

RalphM

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 8/8/2015, 2:55 PM

Virtually any Canon Vixia AVCHD camcorder will do. They're excellent high-def quality at an excellent price.

New ones start at $300-400 -- though I picked up a refurb a few years ago for about $200 and I love it! It's small enough to fit in my pocket and delivers terrific video.

And, if it's AVCHD (and do make sure it is), it's going to interface perfectly with Vegas or even Sony Movie Studio Platinum.

RalphM wrote on 8/8/2015, 3:24 PM

Thanks Steve,

I should mention that the friend is not going to do any editing. Just wants to be able to show the grandparents what the grandkids are doing...

RalphM

ritsmer wrote on 8/8/2015, 3:33 PM

Definitely check the SONY AX33 before buying anything else.

Besides the quite astonishing video quality (no line skipping or binning) - it is tablet/phone remote controllable, has got manual audio recording level setting etc.
and it gives a "feel" of a reliable everyday working video tool (I have it for a couple of months now - and it has never let me down)

VidMus wrote on 8/10/2015, 1:00 AM

ritsmer Sony Certified Vegas User said, "Definitely check the SONY AX33 before buying anything else."

I am seriously thinking about selling my CX-900 and getting the AX33.

What do you all think?

OldSmoke wrote on 8/10/2015, 2:06 AM

I am seriously thinking about selling my CX-900 and getting the AX33.

Never ever!

The X33 has a much smaller sensor and smaller lens which leads to very poor low light performance. I had one for a week and returnedt it.

ritsmer wrote on 8/10/2015, 10:51 AM

In our local videomakers club we have compared many of the members cameras - also a CX900 and a AXP33.

We did not see a big difference under normal light conditions - but of course there is a difference between Sony's great 1" sensor and their 1/2.3" sensor from -approximately- the same year of production/development.

I would not trade a CX900 for a AX33 -

Myself I am waiting for the next Sony 1" 4K video-camera where the sensor might be of the new "stacked" type (like in the recent Sony RX100 IV) ...

RalphM wrote on 8/10/2015, 1:14 PM

CX900 looks interesting, but it's above the budget range...

RalphM wrote on 8/11/2015, 7:24 AM

So there is only one Sony that fits the requirement?

OldSmoke wrote on 8/11/2015, 7:38 AM

For family use there are plenty. Vertically every 1080 60p capable Sony handycam will do; almost all shoot AVCHD. Just do a search at B&H with your criteria.

ritsmer wrote on 8/12/2015, 4:26 AM

... or check some comparisons from Sony.com. These cameras are all new:

http://store.sony.com/gsi/webstore/WFS/SNYNA-SNYUS-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProductCompareService-Show?CategoryID=z8kKmUBw94oAAAFGjzdPjMo3

The cheaper models have 1/5.8" sensors - right - but as they do not have a "Marketing People Mega Pixel Overkill" number of pixels, then the single sensor pixel-points each have a larger area than some more expensive cameras - ensuring reasonable low-light noise values.