Abdullah Alhomoud , Jun 16, 2009; 07:57 p.m.
I'm thinking of getting a camcorder, but I don't really know where to start looking. I don't really know much about them.
It's going to be for personal use, and I'll probably be shooting outdoors most of the time, but I'll inevitably shoot indoors as well--so I guess I'd need one with good low light performance.
I'm looking for something with both auto and manual controls--I'm a beginner, but I'm hoping to take more control as I learn.
I'll be editing the videos on my laptop, so I guess a medium that I can transfer easily would be beneficial.
Other than that, I don't really know. Perhaps something with a microphone-in jack, in case I decide to get an external microphone.
My budget is about CAN$500. Obviously I wouldn't mind getting something cheaper if it's good, and I might be able to afford spending a bit over that.
Any suggestions or help would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
Michael Chang 
, Jun 17, 2009; 11:23 a.m.
I think $500 CDN is a bit thin for the features you've specified, Abdullah, unless you look in the used market.
It's difficult to offer suggestions when individual expectations differ; I would recommend doing a bit of on-line research for ~$500 (new) machines then visit a store for a hands-on demo - Sony stores are pretty good for this. It will give you a good sense of what to expect.
If you conclude that features are more important and willing to go used, then be prepared to accept compromises such as Mini-DV where transfer is in real time (a one hour tape takes one hour to transfer via Firewire).
Abdullah Alhomoud , Jun 17, 2009; 02:41 p.m.
Hmm... I don't know why I said $500. I can definitely afford more than that. To be honest, it's not so much the price I'm worried about as much as spending so much on my first camcorder. But I guess it's better to spend more on something that'll last longer.
Anyway, I guess I should go to a hands-on demo store, as you've suggested.
