Help - guide me in buying a camcorder for imovie HD 6 and iDVD

And something else the grey folk always say is: 'optics not features' to spend your money on.

Jan-Willem

I too am looking to buy a camcorder that will download into my IMac and then edited on IMovie. But I am looking for the least expensive way to go - under $400. So far it looks like Sony and Cannon are the only brands that are Apple friendly. Consumer reports rates the Sony DCR TRV280 as their best buy at around $275 but it the format is D8. Am I correct that D8 won't work and that I should go with the miniDV format? All the other Sony's are more expensive.
Canon makes two miniDV camcorders under $400 - Elura 100 and the ZR700 - both about $300. Also rated in Consumer reports but not as high as the Sony citing notiable background noice on both models. Anyone have any takes on this, experiance or other suggestions?

Missed one - I just came across the Canon ZR200 or the ZR300. Rated higher than the Sony in consumer reports and is around $300. States good picture quality, easy to use and the audio is fair (better than the other Canon models)

Google for reviews in 'camcorderinfo.com' ..they're usually pretty good.

Some Canons suffer from the internal mic picking up motor or zoom noise: again; camcorderinfo should give fair reports about that.

Canons don't like an external FireWire disc to be connected to the Mac at the same time as the camcorder ..but if you don't have, use or need an external drive (..for more storage..) then that doesn't matter.

I've always stuck with Sony (..though I did buy a small cut-price Panasonic several months ago [see tiny words below] and that's a good camera for the money, but more fiddly to use than a Sony, I find). If you can afford a 3-chip camera you'll get better performance (brightness, good colours) in dimmer light indoors ..you know; Christmas (or Hanukah) lights; roaring fire; brandy flames on the Christmas pud; carol singers (..and her brother jerry singers..) at the front door; ruddy faces, red noses, blue glow from the TV ..all that kind of thing..

Thank you for your reply.
I have a LACIE Hard Drive for back-up. Does this mean the Canon Elura 100 won't download to IMovie?

I checked out camcorderinfor.com and it was brough up in a discussion - Quote: "The issue is not so much a defective batch as it is sample variation between individual units - some units are loud while other units of the same camera model are quiet. This seems to be a random issue which, unfortunately, seems to be reported more commonly with Canon brand models. The problem cannot be detected just by listening to the camera itself. One has to record a sample video and playback on a TV or computer to tell if the recorded noise will be objectionable."
Sounds like "hit or miss" to me.

Hello - I'm looking for an inexpensive camcorder that will easily download into IMovie. I understand you bought the Sony dcr-hc36 last June. How do you like it?

So i was reading that sony's are compatible with a mac os x, so will my Handycam DCR-SR40 work???
Cause everywhere i am reading is saying to take it back! I don't know what to do! They are saying it will not work!

I don't know if my camcorder has firewire, and it has to have it in order to work in iMovie correct? Or can i buy that cord somone was saying for 20 bucks to make it work?

Aldo, my camcorder has HDD,is that good or bad? They guy at the store said it was good because you can have like 7 hrs of video in it. Or would i be better off with a Mini DV?

Any names of cameras i should of bought, or solutions that someone might haveregarding my existing DCR-SR40 and how to get it to work great on my mac book would be great.

Oh and i heard i shouldn't buy the pixela software #1 cause it is 200 bucks, and secondly it does not work on a intel-core do.

Any help would be awesome!

Geat discussion group! THANKS!!!!!

No, your HDD recorder will not work. You must get a miniDV.

ok, will do so.
so now i want to look for one that is miniDV, AND has firewire?
any suggestions on what i should buy?

oh and should i buy sony or canon?

so now i want to look for one that is miniDV, AND has firewire?

Yes. (Since Firewire is part of the miniDV specification, you can't go wrong with miniDV.)

Important: Don't confuse miniDV (tapes) with miniDVD (discs). MiniDVD are NOT compatible.

Don't limit yourself to those brands. Buy one that fits YOUR needs and have the size and features YOU like.

All these posts have been sooo helpful, I've just spent the weekend filming on a miniDV tape Samsung video recorder for a friend but now find we cannot get it onto my Mac - wrong connections - RATS! Looks like I'll have to go & buy a Sony, my camera of choice anyway, with a Zeiss lens.

Thanks a lot, I would probably have thought about buying a DVD version, now I know not to.

Wippitwalker