Need a good, cheap video camera!

[Darrin Rasberry]

I'm looking for a camcorder that's a great mix of quality and price. Since I'm not a media chaser, I don't need anything incredibly fancy - I just want something that will record decently for my own memories and to show off to family and friends.

At this point, I want only camcorders that use SD cards/sticks or have internal hard drives. Since the technology is out there, I don't want to have to keep up with cams that use tapes, DVRs, or need a firewire or other fancy connection device just to transfer captures to a computer. HD recording capabilities, although a plus, are not a must; the only other requirement would be to have decent zooming and stabilization capabilities (or else I'd just buy a Flip or use my cellphone).

Suggestions are welcome, as well as posts/PMs from anyone who happens to have a used camera they'd like to sell. I'm looking to spend around $300 and I'm looking to buy when the storm season starts at the end of March, but might be able to squeeze something in during the next month if the price and deal are solid. Thanks!!

 

[Verne Carlson]

I like the Panasonic HDC-SD9. It's 1080p, SD card, 3 CCD, small and lightweight. You can pick one up on eBay for under $300. I use these on my helicopters and rooftop domecam and they work great.

 

[JeffGonzales]

I have a Panasonic HDC-HS250 full HD 1080i. it has a 250GB hard drive and a SD card slot so you have both options to record to. The Optical sensor is a 3MOS 1/4.1, so the picture is amazing. You can find a good one for a bit over $350.

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

I currently have a Panasonic HDC-TM10 that I use when I shoot video. It shoots in 1080i and is actually quite impressive for its substantially low cost. It struggles a bit in low light but that can be expected for an HD camcorder sub $300. I am probably going to be purchasing a new unit this season to shoot with as my primary camera but the TM10 will remain glued to my dash for a while yet. I think I paid roughly $220 for mine last year and they seem to be a bit harder to come by these days but definitely worth a look.

 

[Tyler Allison]

I'd get an UltraHD flip for $200

http://www.theflip.com/en-us/Products/

I used the non-HD version last year while chasing it works just fine.

-Tyler

 

[Darrin Rasberry]

I'd get an UltraHD flip for $200

http://www.theflip.com/en-us/Products/

I used the non-HD version last year while chasing it works just fine.

-Tyler

Don't these have problems zooming and remaining stable? What is the quality of the video as compared to some of the cameras listed above? Obviously space is lower but I don't shoot enough to have to worry about that.