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>>> Official Black Friday Camcorders Discussion Thread <<<


hairprincessnyu

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Hey all!

I just saw the newly released CC and BB ads!! And they seem to have some REALLY good deals on camcorders! I know nothing about camcorders, but that is the one thing my hubby asked for this year. I am trying to compare these three

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/black-friday-2518-SamsungMiniDVDCamcorder.html

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/black-friday-2522-PanasonicMiniDVCamcorder.html

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/black-friday-2625-PanasonicPVGS80MiniDVCamcorderwith32xZoom.html

Anyone have any reviews or opinion on these? Thanks in advance!!

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The samsung one will be available at the Sears friends and family night sunday 11/11. Regularly $300 its on sale tomorrow only for $199 plus you get the 10% savings. DVD camcorder w/ 34x zoom. Very nice. Im getting that one tomorrow night so I can mark one thing off my list for BF.

The Samsung camcorder also has a SD memory slot for still pictures also. Sears told me the Panasonic one that will be on their BF does not have it. Same price of $199 too.

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i don't think i've ever seen a camcorder come with a light. if it did... it'd be pretty huge. i don't think mine does (i have a miniDV but i never use it...)

 

i don't think they're getting good reviews at cnet because they're low end camera, and it shows in what the camera offers and what features they have that are just subpar. but if the price point is important to you, then you just need to decide which is more important to you - if you want the video to be burned to DVD as you record, or to the mini dv tapes.

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I just need a camera to take video of the kids.... Football and other stuff. Nothing fancy. Other sites has the Samsung as a good camcorder. No bad reviews from this model, just not a perfect score.

Thanks my mom really wants to get a DVD camcorder for my dad and she does not want him to know she is doing it. We were wondering how to trick him on BFs ince he will be going with us. If I can get one of these it will make it so much easier Thanks!!!

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speaking of camcorders, i would like this to be an investment i would make this year.......... i swear i saw one in a ad for about 80 bucks.......... and now for the life of me i cant find it.... first does anyone know what ad that was or am i just completley crazy............ 2nd is it even worth it or should i just go with a more expensive one???
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To answer a few questions here...

 

I would not buy that Panasonic camera. It'll be low quality 640x480 or something similar to that and it'll also write to a memory card which will have limited record time, especially at your higher settings. I think you'd be upset wiht the product unless you're just looking for something that takes the same quality video that most regular digital camera's take now.

 

MiniDVD vs MiniDV is not that big of a deal. Both are re-writeable, and I believe both transfer to the computer in about the same time. The DVD is probably faster in that respect. You can make your own DVD's with both no problem, and tehre's no difference in the actual video quality between them. That said, BB has miniDV tapes dirt cheap BF (I got a few packs last year) so that may affect your decision. I wouldn't worry so much about whether the camera has mini DV or DVD but instead worry about the quality of the product and the video it puts out. I'm partial to Canon myself and would reccomend the ZR800 series for a really nice, well priced camera. They're $300 or less regular price, so hopefully they're available somwhere on BF. Again, these are my opinions, but I like to think I know what I'm talking about :D

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I found this camcorder for $229 now...how does it compare to the $199 ones going on BF...any help would be awesome! thanks!

 

 

MiniDV: The Canon ZR830 records high-quality digital video on small tapes, allowing for an exceptionally-compact camcorder body.

 

Widescreen HR recording: Record video in true high resolution 16:9 letterbox format for playback on widescreen TVs.

 

Zoom: The powerful 35x optical zoom lens and 1000x digital zoom give you an incredible range of focal lengths. Simply select from three pre-set zoom speeds and Smooth Zoom Control does the zooming for you, giving you steady, professional-looking shots every time.

 

Widescreen 2.7" LCD: View your widescreen shot in the large, 2.7" LCD screen. A Widescreen button lets you switch easily from standard 4:3 to 16:9 Widescreen HR.

 

Image stabilization: The advanced image stabilization system keeps shots steady, even when using the zoom or LCD screen.

 

9 Point Ai-AF: Even when your subject isn't in the center of the frame, the ZR600's 9 -point Auto Intelligent Auto Focus will bring it into sharp focus.

 

DoubleShot technology: Capture digital photos on a SD™ card or MultiMediaCard. You can also take snapshots at the same time that you're shooting video

 

DIGIC DV: This signal processing circuit uses two different color techniques to maximize video and still image quality.

 

Programmed AE modes: Choose a mode to move the camcorder controls to the perfect settings. Modes include EASY, P, portrait, sports, night, snow, beach, sunset, spotlight, fireworks.

 

Easy mode: For the ultimate in stress-free shooting, there's the Easy mode. In this setting, the ZR830 will automatically choose the focus, exposure and any additional available parameters to ensure that whatever you're recording comes out looking great. You don't have to worry about a thing— just point and shoot!

 

DV terminal: Also known as FireWire or iLink, the IEEE-1394 DV terminal is a high-speed digital interface that ensures virtually no loss of video or audio quality when transferring your videos to a computer.

 

USB interface: This convenient feature allows you to transfer still pictures to your PC via the USB port.

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Thanks for the info on BB and the miniDV discs on sale on BF!!

 

To answer a few questions here...

 

I would not buy that Panasonic camera. It'll be low quality 640x480 or something similar to that and it'll also write to a memory card which will have limited record time, especially at your higher settings. I think you'd be upset wiht the product unless you're just looking for something that takes the same quality video that most regular digital camera's take now.

 

MiniDVD vs MiniDV is not that big of a deal. Both are re-writeable, and I believe both transfer to the computer in about the same time. The DVD is probably faster in that respect. You can make your own DVD's with both no problem, and tehre's no difference in the actual video quality between them. That said, BB has miniDV tapes dirt cheap BF (I got a few packs last year) so that may affect your decision. I wouldn't worry so much about whether the camera has mini DV or DVD but instead worry about the quality of the product and the video it puts out. I'm partial to Canon myself and would reccomend the ZR800 series for a really nice, well priced camera. They're $300 or less regular price, so hopefully they're available somwhere on BF. Again, these are my opinions, but I like to think I know what I'm talking about :D

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K's M

Best Buy has the Canon ZR850, one model up, on sale till Wednesday for $199. It's listed in their 4 day sale flyer. I'm looking for a camcorder also and decided against the canon miniDV models due to reviews of it's loud motor noise. Several reviews complained about the noise being captured on their recordings. CNET didn't mention it in the editor's review. Other than that it looks to be pretty good. I'm holding out in hopes of a "secert sale" bargain before making a decision. If you buy the canon post a review here.

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We depends on which one you are looking at for the sale both Sears and Walmart have the DVD camcorders for $199 I've done the research and it seems l like a good camera. I am partial to canon myself but if you don't have a way to easily convert the mini dv tapes to a DVD you might want to strongly consider getting the DVD so you can watch it right away without having to working about transferring it and can make copies and send to family ect. just my opinion.
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I bought the JVC Mini DV camcorder at HH Gregg for $179.97 w/ free UPS shipping. Circuit City will have the same model for $179.99 on BF. Other stores will have that model for $199.99. Reviews are good too. Not sure if its still up on HH Gregg at that price but down over $70!
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We depends on which one you are looking at for the sale both Sears and Walmart have the DVD camcorders for $199 I've done the research and it seems l like a good camera. I am partial to canon myself but if you don't have a way to easily convert the mini dv tapes to a DVD you might want to strongly consider getting the DVD so you can watch it right away without having to working about transferring it and can make copies and send to family ect. just my opinion.

Oh Lord, I bought the miniDV on F&F night at Sears, and I was told you can play those mini dvds on anything you can play a DVD on. Is this not true? What is all this about converting? ugg!

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