Today seems to have the theme of cheap and nostalgic tech, and with that, I'm on a mission to find the cheapest mini-DV camcorder. My nephew is in high school, and wants to start learning about digital video. Last time I let him borrow a cam (the crap backup cam) it came back with a crack in the lens (I think it was Ajit's fault.) Yeah, ouch is right. Now, I think his parents are ready to drop some money on a camera for them/him. They've come to me (and subsequently, to you) to find the cheapest cam.So far, my leading candidate is the JVC GR-D250. At $300, not a bad buy, and won't break the bank if broken. Anyone else doing any holiday camera shopping on the cheap this season? My only requirement is that is at least NTSC DV (720x480) and uses Mini-DV (for consistant capture, and helping him get used to 'the real world.)
1. Randall, go with anything Panasonic in that range. I had a lot of success there. There are around the same price as the JVC. Also, JVC has generally had problems talking with Macs or even PC's. Make sure it has manual focus. Those auto focus thingee's drive me insane.
Posted at 5:51PM on Dec 14th 2005 by Ajit Anthony