Camcoders

Kristy9299 · May 17, 2004

I was just wondering if anyone takes their camcorders on cruises with them...Im contemplating buying one to take on my cruise with me and would like some advice...

BoatrideLover · May 17, 2004

I can't imagine taking a cruise without taking my camcorder. I have one of those little Sharp viewcam which I just love; I don't have to hold my eye up to the viewfinder; I can just look at the little screen on the video camera while I'm walking around videotaping! I tape everything from the sail away party, to docking at every single port, to the port themselves, the ship, activities on the ship, our cabin, dinner in the dining room because the waiters always put on a great show, and docking back at the home port. These videos are what help keep me sane in between cruises!

michelleJ · May 17, 2004

I also have a sharp viewfinder and love it. We plan on taking ours along and I have extra tapes and batteries lol.

scapel · May 28, 2004

I use a Sony DCR-PC7 purchased in Hong Kong in 1997. It still works fine and I love the detail. It will take a still and then record the still for 7 seconds. This is great for snap shots from a moving bus.

I also use a Canon S40 that is small enough to go along with the mini DV Camcorder.

Still can't decide whether I like Video or Still for memories, so I will continue to shoot both.

iriscruiser · May 28, 2004

My hubby has just said we need to buy a digital camcorder. I don't have a clue. Can someone help give me some ideas of what yto look for?

KeithnRita · May 29, 2004

We have a JVC Digital Video Camera GR-DVP3 - Mini DV &Digital Still. We bought it in St Thomas about 2-1/2 years ago. They are a lot more pricey over here, however, you can find them on ebay for about 1/2 of the suggested retail price. The Video portion is outstanding, but the digital still is a little tricky because of the size. It is hard to hold the camera steady for great night shots.

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL026270&page=3

TheSkipper · May 29, 2004

I have taken tons of video on cruises over the years and we do go back and look at them to get in the mood for a cruise. I have used everything from a very large professional type camera (the one used be CNN during the Gulf War) to the very small ones.

I think for the average cruiser, smaller is better (yes, size does matter!). If I were going to buy another video camera today, I think I would opt for one of the new ones which records directly to DVD's and forget tape all together! Tapes do age, they can break or the cassesetes can and do fail and most folks now have a DVD player. If your computer has a DVD burner, you can still edit your movies.

These cameras are not the smallest on the market, but they are quite small and you will have no problem holding a tiny one steady for night shots as mentioned and the controls are not too small for large hands.

Just my thought while strolling. I too have a viewcam, problem with it is that in bright sunlight you can't see anything on the screen and it has no optical viewfinder!! I also have a Nikon and a Sony Procam.

The larger ones are less likely to go ashore with you because they become a bother! Don't know if this helps, but these are some things you might want to consider.

One last thought, go ahead and buy your new camera at home, no REAL deals in the islands and in fact the major stores will admit that they sell pretty much at US retail; however, they usually throw in little extras to make the package more attractive and you do save sales tax, but the saving are not worth no having the camera at the beginning of your cruise. (I have bought a couple of still cameras in the islands, not because they were just such great prices, but because I wanted them NOW!

I think

scapel · June 4, 2004

Get one with anti shake,

Get one with a 10:1 Optical Zoom. Do not get confused with Digital Zoom which is not good.

Be sure you can use the view finder as well as the LCD screen.

Be sure it has the IEE 1394 attachment plug.

I like mini DV. I think you have to edit your pictures no matter what. You can put them on DVD later if you like.

My camera has the ability to put a wide angle lens on, but I don't thnk that is necessary. I bought one and don't use it very much.

The new Digital Videos have memory strips or whatever to take stills. I don't have any experience with that.

Digital Still camers- I have a Canon 3:1 zoom. I watch a friend that has a 10:1 zoom on his and noticed him using a tripod. Unless it has an anti-shake, I would bet there is a frequent blurring of the shot, but again I have no experience with that. The digital technology is a little different than the old shutter speed and lens aperture, though there are comparison settings.