Digital Camcorders Preview
Are there any websites that give objective previews of digital camcorders?
I don’t want shopping sites
I recently purchased a digital camcorder so I can provide some personal insight on the “digicam” enlightenment you seek, being one to always “research something to death” for fear of not getting the best quality or the best deal, or so I am told.
Starting points I used were the following:
http://www.epinions.com/Camcorders – providing many more opinions than just for camcorders, this site usually has several good write-ups for specific items. The info appears to be typically provided by the end-user and not marketing hypesters.
Several online stores provide areas for feedback of the various items sold. Once I narrowed my focus ( I wanted a DVD camcorder), I used the following websites:
http://www.newegg.com/ProductSort/SubCategory.asp?SubCategory=205 – Each camcorder has ratings and reviews from purchasers to see likes and dislikes.
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ – a solid choice for drilling down on specs you are looking for and specific reviews. Most appear objective, from journalists rather than marketers, but this is where the forum (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/) for end-users comes in handy to see questions and issues with cam types and brands.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7607_7-1023271.html – as alluded to in the previous post
Once you’ve chosen type (mini-dv, DVD, HDD … I assume you are not backtracking to Hi8 or digital8) then you can also hit the shopping starting points and select e-tailers for the best price. I know this part is not what your asking for, but for reference to my own journey I used the following:
shopping.yahoo.com
froogle.com
and
newegg.com
outpost.com
epinions.com
walmart.com
(checked samsclub.com and costco.com since I am a member)
amazon.com
crutchfield.com
I also went to the respective brand sites to see their full pitch (sony, canon, panasonic)
I found what I was looking for a store I had used in the past, buydig.com. I purchased the Sony DVD405 with multiple lens/filters and accessories kit( I found having a macro lens no matter what camera you get is key to getting more in your video in small spaces, such as in a house.) They don’t sell it anymore.
FYI, Other reasons I chose this (despite dislike of proprietary memory stick media for photos) was size of CCD sensor (largest available for quality of recording) and reputation of Sony quality (I went with a cheaper JVC last round and was dissappointed, reader input pointed to sony has consistant with lens and product quality). Canon, whose cameras I use a lot for work and home, would have been my next choice.
Good luck wading through the noise! At least you’ll be well armed with info…. 
JVC 3D Camcorder Preview at Meeting with JVC Headquarters
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