Hard drive based camcorders from Sony and JVC-prosumer hard drive based digicams.
Hard Drive Camcorders for Christmas Consideration
Tired of all those mini DV tapes and Mini DVD’s? How about converting the video from tape or DVD to your computer for editing? Ever lost a tape or SD card of clips?
Say goodbye to all that BS and hello to hard drive based digicams.
Store all your footage onto the built in hard drive then when you are ready just transfer the resulting mpeg 2 files using Firewire or USB onto your computer for editing. Typical storage times are higher than on tape, lightweight, directly access your scenes, simple and quick in camera edit are some of the biggies in convenience. I anticipate this category is going to take off in the next few years.
Of course like every other gadget there are drawbacks. A big one, price, as hard drives are more costly than simply tossing a tape drive or mini dvd drive into a videocam. Plus, even though all these video cams can shoot stills, you would not want to use one of these as a replacement for anything less than a mediocre 3 megapixel point and shoot digital camera. The still image quality of even the best in the…
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Digital SLR Primer on New York Times
New York Times Technology section has a photo slideshow on digital slr’s for beginners. (Link opens a new window)
This is very basic, essentially pointing out the main differences between a compact and a digital slr.
But if you want someone to buy you a dslr for Christmas and you want another point of proof to explain why you really need it, this may be useful.
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Nikon D80 and Sony A100 10 Megapixel DSLRs Comparison Review
Hardwarezone has an extensive review comparing two popular digital SLRs. The review pits the Nikon D80 versus the Sony A100, both 10 megapixel entry level dslrs.
From the review.
Coming to the closure of this shootout, if we had to choose between the two cameras, it would be the Nikon D80 because of the better noise control and handling. We still like Sony’s implementation of CCD module shifting, anti-dust feature and the beginners’ dual kit lenses package for a lower overall price point. However, if we wanted a camera closer to ‘perfection’, it would still be the Nikon D80.
Its shortcoming of lacking built-in anti-shake technology can be easily rectified with a lens module featuring this technology (at a higher price), but the better noise control and handling capability on the Nikon cannot be had on the A100 no matter what. Sony’s A100 features, package and price point however appeals strongly to the beginners. In the end, it’s all about what meets your needs.
Both 10.2-megapixel Nikon D80 and Sony A100 DSLR cameras are great entry-level DSLR cameras that come highly recommended to anyone stepping up to this segment, but both address differing needs of users as presented in the…
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