why are children so expensive?

September 22, 2006 4:16 PM

Please help me pick out a reasonably good, yet cheap digital camera for my teenager's school program.

The kid is a communications major and they need a video camera for school. That's fine, but I'd prefer to do this as cheaply as possible (without sacrificing qualty too much), so I'm open to used cameras and the like.

Specs from her teacher:

Mini DV format
Firewire
Optical zoom
Manual Focus
White Balancing capabilities
Built in Microphone

Where do I look for something like this, besides Best Buy and the like (which is probably more expensive)? What's a CCD (evidently she's supposed to try to get as many as possible)? Could a digital camera with video capabilities work as well?

posted by Brandon Blatcher to media & arts (9 comments total)

As cheaply as possible with as high quality as possible means a used Canon XL-1S.

When the XL-2s and HDV camcorders came out, a lot of XL-1Ss went on the market. It's still quite versatile and handy today, about four years after its heyday. You should be able to pick one up with the standard lens, batteries, carrying case, etc. for $2000 or so (basically half-price). A lot of people who owned them took excellent care of them (I know my friends and I did), so you shouldn't have to worry too much about models in poor condition.

The nice thing about the XL-1S is that it 3 CCDs and handy controls for zoom, focus, white balance, and audio recording. The VERY nice thing about the XL-1S is that it has interchangeable lenses. Your kid can rent or borrow different lenses and really learn how focal length affects the composition and effect of a particular shot. And it'll make them cool and popular with the other kids.
posted by infinitewindow at 4:42 PM on September 22, 2006

"Digital camera" usually means a still camera. You want a digital video camera, or a camcorder. The video capabilities which some digital still cameras possess are not going to be adequate for this purpose.

CCD means charge coupled device. That's the "film" which records the light hitting it and creates the image. Larger ones record more picture detail, and are more expensive. Some cameras have multiple CCDs or fancy, extra-high-tech ones - this will, naturally, cost more.

Here are some reviews of miniDV camcorders. You can clickety-click around there, look at the specs, try to find one or two good candidate models that fit your budget and the teacher's specs. Then you return to Google and try to find a place to buy it cheap.
posted by jellicle at 4:46 PM on September 22, 2006

In general, on the low end, Panasonics (like this one ) tend to have more manual features.

Most every miniDV camera made in the last couple of years will have firewire and a mic. Those aren't really rigorous or unreasonable specs.

I don't know what Communications majors use video cameras for, but I doubt she'll need anything as elaborate as the Canons mentioned by infinitewindow above. The PV-GS180 has 3 CCD's, for better quality. That's about as cheap as you're gonna get for 3 CCD's.
posted by ruby.aftermath at 5:03 PM on September 22, 2006

If you can get a Sony TRV-25 or a TRV-27 off of e-bay for under 500 bucks and you'll be good. The problem is they're hard to find as they're pretty damn reliable cameras for cheap they were. I was a film student and used that all through school, I really learned the camera and students and professors alike were always amazed when I told them I didn't shoot on an XL-1. It's a single chip camera but performs quite well. Good luck, do her a favor and either buy a back up battery or a very big battery so she doesn't have to worry about battery life.
posted by SteveFlamingo at 5:30 PM on September 22, 2006

I don't have much to add to what's been said already, but I would ignore digital zoom (which manufacturers make a big to-do about) in favor of optical zoom, which is required above. Digital zoom is just computer processing on an image to try to zoom in. It doesn't do anything that a good DV editing program couldn't do (given enough rendering time), and it degrades the image quite a lot with just a little zoom. Depending on your daughter's class projects, she might or might not find it useful, but most people I know in the field never did.

Optical zoom, on the other hand (what's required above) involves zooming in on an image using the built-in lens.

I've never seen a miniDV camera without a built-in mic, but the mics are generally omnidirectional, which means that--you guessed it--they capture sounds in all directions. So in filming you get your interview subject, and the TV next door, and the traffic behind you, and the owl a half-block away. Will the class have access to external microphones? Because that's generally the route to take (using either a lavalier mic or a boom mic). If the school doesn't provide them, it would be worth finding out (if you can) what the professors will typically expect from the audio.
posted by Tuwa at 5:47 PM on September 22, 2006

This is just for high school, so I'm NOT spending 2K.

1 CCD should be fine according to the teacher.

I'm looking at someting around $200.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:09 PM on September 22, 2006

200 is a bit light.

CCDs - cameras come in 1 or 3 CCDs. 3= a bit better of a picture.

I'd make sure I got a camera with an external mike - almost all camera mikes are worthless.

B and H video have the best deals, but often the worst service.

A digital still camera can't fit the bill. You need something that records in DV format for easy editing.

You can certainly buy used at craigslist or ebay.
posted by filmgeek at 8:49 PM on September 22, 2006

200 is a bit light.

It's for a finicky and moody teenager. If she sticks with it, then we'll talk about spending more money on a camera.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:55 AM on September 23, 2006

A Canon ZR-500 Has all those features and can be purchased new for around $250.00
So does a JVC GR-D295. Go to BHPhoto.com and do a quick comparison. These are typical features for the price range. (although most at this range have auto white-balancing)
posted by Gungho at 5:34 AM on September 23, 2006