At the moment I'm using a Nikon D600 SLR to record video, which works well but is a big cumbersome thing to cart about sometimes and also not the sort of thing you can drop into the hands of a helpful friend or colleague to 'point and shoot' if you want some film of yourself narrating.
What I need is a compact camcorder capable of fairly professional results that can be used quickly and simply on auto, but gives me the ability to control things like exposure compensation.
1080p HD
Decent stereo microphones with effective wind baffle (or the ability to fit one easily)
Records to memory cards, not tape
Decent battery life (and/or ability to fit higher capacity battery)
A degree of control rather than being fully automatic (manual focus, exposure compensation etc)
Face detection focussing
Reasonably compact
Decent zoom
Easy for anyone to operate on full auto (point and shoot basically)
I know a bit about photography, but little about camcorders. What should I be looking at and are there any other 'must haves'? It's mostly for outdoor action type stuff.
Budget is preferably about £500 but can go higher if needs be.
I'd appreciate any advice, thanks.
What I need is a compact camcorder capable of fairly professional results that can be used quickly and simply on auto, but gives me the ability to control things like exposure compensation.
1080p HD
Decent stereo microphones with effective wind baffle (or the ability to fit one easily)
Records to memory cards, not tape
Decent battery life (and/or ability to fit higher capacity battery)
A degree of control rather than being fully automatic (manual focus, exposure compensation etc)
Face detection focussing
Reasonably compact
Decent zoom
Easy for anyone to operate on full auto (point and shoot basically)
I know a bit about photography, but little about camcorders. What should I be looking at and are there any other 'must haves'? It's mostly for outdoor action type stuff.
Budget is preferably about £500 but can go higher if needs be.
I'd appreciate any advice, thanks.
