Looking for video camera advice

8:05 am on 4.21.2006 Family, Geek Stuff

With our new baby’s arrival only a few weeks away, I’m planning on buying a video camera.

No, I don’t want to record the birth. Yuck.

But I do want to record all that other stuff that only parents love to remember and force their family and friends to watch. The problem is, I don’t know diddly about video cameras. So I’m looking for advice. As far as criteria goes:

  • I don’t want to break the bank, but I don’t want to buy on the cheap since you usually get what you pay for.
  • Smaller is better. I’d like it to be as portable as possible, but don’t want to lose any must-have features just to save a few ounces of weight.
  • Needs to be PC and Mac friendly.
  • Can I expect good things of any software bundled with the camera? If not, I’m thinking of using iMovie 5 on my Mac, but if there’s something better that, again, won’t break the bank, I’d like to hear about it. If iMovie is the way to go, are there any compelling reasons to upgrade to iLife ‘06?
  • And probably most important of all, are there any other questions that I should be asking but haven’t?

I promise that everyone who provides advice will not be forced to watch baby videos. :)

Getting Quicksilver-ish with Launchy

Ze Frank never blinks

Comments (5) ↓ Add Comment

  1. Difranco says:
    4.24.2006 at 12:01 pm

    Whatever you decide you’ll probably have to choose a camera that uses DV8. Other media seems to be still too limiting.

    I’d go with a Canon, as I have been looking around. They seem to get the highest reviews in general.

  2. crankygeek says:
    4.24.2006 at 12:46 pm

    I picked up a Panasonic PV-GS36 at Costco over the weekend.

    Seems okay so far.

  3. Mark says:
    4.27.2006 at 6:55 am

    Jack,

    Make sure you get a camera with good sound-recording capabilities. You will always treasure listening to your baby’s first words and other baby noises. I still have a tape somewhere of my kids’ early sounds. That was long ago and far away, before video cameras.

    Anyway, happy baby! Best wishes.

  4. crankygeek says:
    4.27.2006 at 6:57 am

    So you’re still reading the tripe on my blog?! :)

    The mic seems good on the camera I bought, but I’ll give it some thorough testing to make sure. The plus side of a Costco purchase is how painless it is to return things.

  5. Mark says:
    4.29.2006 at 11:09 am

    Yep, I come around to visit but, nearly all the time, comments are closed. Not that you don’t have other things to do ….

    :)