Flash-Based Camcorders with Line-In?
I'm in the market for a camcorder for various projects—my bulldog isn't getting any younger—and while I have no inherent distaste for miniDV, I was hoping to move to something flash-based. (It's hard to argue with 8GB of SDHC for sixty bucks and I've got a NAS for long-term storage.)
The two models I'd be looking most closely at are the Canon Powershot TX1 and the Sanyo E1, the former because I liked the idea of having a nice still photo point-and-shoot camera in my pocket and the latter because it was water resistant. (I am a scuba dilettante, although the E1 is only rated to five feet.)
Unfortunately, neither has a dedicated line-in for an external microphone. That's not that important for the dog (though he does have a lovely snore), but if I were to use it to record an interview or something in the future, I'd like to be able to use a real microphone and save the audio with the video, instead of using a separate audio rig and mixing it together after the fact.
I've looked through a lot of the high-end flash-based camcorder specs and it just doesn't look like line-in is something that's offered. Even the upcoming 1080i-capable Sanyo VPC-HD1000 doesn't say it has a line-in, even though it inexplicably has a headphone out and a "microphone adapter cable" is a listed in-box accessory. It's confusing!
Should I just give up and get a cheap miniDV camera and a shotgun mic and call it a day or is there some amazing product out there that's slipped me by?
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The Sanyo Xacti HD2 has a microphone line in, and I've heard good things about the quality of video - it's 720p like the Powershot TX1. I haven't been able to pull the trigger and buy one myself yet, but it certainly is tempting.
I'll assume that you need an external microphone because you're shooting video that you'll later edit, and not just making the "regular" kind of home video that everyone else has been doing since the 80's.
If that's the case, you might consider using a separate flash-based audio recorder, and a clapper. You can then line up the video and audio later in your favorite video editing software.
The obvious advantage is that you get to pick your favorite camera, and your favorite audio recorder, instead of compromising with one or another.
If you're already resigned to carrying a microphone around, you probably won't mind having to carry an MP3-player-sized audio recorder and a simple clapper.
The Sanyo mentioned above isn't the most comfortable to hold. Another you might consider is the Panasonic HDC-SD1. It's pretty great, but I don't shoot enough video to justify the purchase just yet.
That Panasonic looks fantastic, but that is way out of my price range. I was already counting pennies looking at the Xacti HD2. :)
That Panasonic does look awesome, but it doesn't have a line-in.
According to its spec sheet, the Sanyo VPC-HD1000 does let you hook up an external microphone (and they sell one as an accessory), although it's unclear whether the adapter is from some proprietary connector to a 2.5mm jack or from 2.5mm to 3.5mm.
Well, if that Panasonic is more than you want to spend then my suggestion is not much better, but..here goes.
Canon HV20. MiniDV, Line-in, ext. mic, HDVI. 1080p.
I bought one around when they first came out in April and felt lucky to have found one somewhere they were still in stock. Availability still seems to be an issue, but this is a nice camera.
Several Aiptek models have combined audio and video line ins, are less than $200, and available at Best Buy. I'd point you to a specific model (MZ-DV?) but their page is a little slow right now.
I have a Sanyo Xacti HD2. It does indeed have mic in. I've been using it with a pair of head-mounted binaural microphones, which it seems to power OK even though it's not specced as a hot mic jack.
I don't find it at all uncomfortable to hold.
The video quality isn't great if you're expecting HD, but since I don't have any way to author HD discs and everything ends up on DVD anyway, it's adequate for my needs.
the other approach you could take would be to use a mixer or other device that would convert line level signals to mic level inputs (such as sold by Shure).
i've got the exacti hd2 and it's not really any better than a dv camera, except that it fits in my pocket and I can hook up a beachtek to it which is like putting a hemi on a golf cart. -Bre
start typing model numbers into youtube...i guarantee you will not end up buying a flashcorder. they. are. crap. sure, they're fine if you don't move the camera, or don't move while you are ON camera, but the instant you do the image ripples horribly. fully unacceptable. (i was looking into these myself, earlier...the best image quality is from that waterproof sanyo one (~$450) but it is still useless...even for posting video on the web) stick with miniDV.
I ended up going with the Canon HV20, which was out of my budget, but looks like the best solution for the sort of work I will end up doing in the future. The flash video stuff is really cool, but I started looking at video compression formats and the like and realized I should just stick with miniDV and its various (also somewhat crap) compression formats for now. Plus: Hotshoe!
Thanks for all the input, everybody. It really helped.
Awesome choice Joel. I'm a DVX preacher myself and similar minded DVX fanboys have praised the HV20 for its abilities. Its 24p to boot.
Yeah MiniDV has compression issues with HD, but you can always buy Adobe OnLocation and hook your camera through firewire to your computer and record straight to an avi file on your HD.