ccanon elura 100

[ridon127]

I need to buy a new camcorder. I am thinking about the canon elura 100. Do you think there is a better one? I need one that has the analog to digital run thru. Also need to purchase an external hard drive for my laptop. Any suggestions? Best Buy has a Maxtor 250 for $89.00. Is that a good deal or is that not enough storage?

Thanks
donna

[Steve Grisetti]

Wise move to get a miniDV, Donna. I can't tell you the number of posts I see every week from people having problems with Elura hard drive cams!

I wrote a Steve's Tips last year that lists some features I think are really important, when looking for a camcorder. It might be of help.
http://videoinasnap.chuckengels.com/sou ... _12-05.htm

As for the external hard drive, I think a USB2 is better than a FireWire for video storage. It's less likely to interfere with the FireWire connection to your camcorder during capture.

Beyond that, be sure, when you do get one, to format it NTFS before you do anything else. (Most come formatted FAT32.) The FAT32 system has a file size limit of 4 gigabytes, which can mean some video captures choke on it.

[ridon127]

Thanks for the info. What are some good brands to consider on both questions?

Thanks
Donna

[Ric]

Donna,

I had bought the Canon Elura 100 about 6 months ago and like it so far. I have only used it 6 or 7 times but what I have done with it so far looks great indoor and outdoor.
I just bought and external hard drive Western Digital 500 gb at Office Depot yesterday and it was $99.00 after rebates $139.00 in store price. I had a Simple Tech external drive which had a 1 year warrenty and it lasted 1 year 3 month and Simple Tech support people said sorry I was past my year. No more Simple Tech for me, that drive didn't have 100 hours of use on it. And I don't let it run all the time and only used it what I was doing video or picture editing.

[Steve Grisetti]

In this age of digital video, there really are no bad brands. I personally like Panasonic's and Sony's rich color and Canon video is very clear, especially indoors. But you really can't make a bad choice. It's all near-broadcast quality. Naturally, if you spend a little more, you get a little more quality -- but even a $300 miniDV is pretty amazing! And, with 3 CCD camcorders selling for under $500, you can even get broadcast-quality color at an affordable price.

Still, if you need guidance (and reviews can sometimes be as confusing as they are helpful), http://www.camcorderinfo.com offers lots of great reviews.

But, as I always say, there's nothing like a test drive. Take note of the features that are important to you, and then go to Best Buy or wherever and try a few models on for size. As long as you stick with miniDV, you can't make a wrong decision.

[rustysterling]

The Elura 100 is a great little camera. A lot of the footage I shot in this video was done with an Elura 100:

http://www.muvipix.com/cpg/displayi ... p?pos=-673

Another thing, the Elura 100 has a microphone input, which is a huge plus AFAIC. The only thing it doesn't have that would be nice is a flash shoe. But you can get a bracket to take care of that, which is what I did.

I love my Sony HDR FX1 but my Elura 100 is a close second.

[Paul LS]

You should take a serious look at HDV... even if you dont work in HDV now you can downconvert to SD and keep the tapes and in years to come you can look back and appreciate the superior quality. You wont get back those memories but at least you can capture them in the best quality.

[ridon127]

Thanks. That is a cool video... I don't think I can afford a HD right now. I just had alot of expenses. I had to make a trip to Arkansas and then when a week later the neighborhood crack head went on a robbery spree which included me. I was lucky. He played with all my digital camera equipment and went so far as to diconnect my laptop and then left without anything except the girls medication. SO that all had to be refilled at one time. It was really wierd. He hit 7 of the houses in this sub division. Soooooo, I also need to get an external hard drive. There seems to be some sales on those right now so maybe I can get a good deal on it.

Thanks
donna

[Clayton]

Gosh Donna, since we are so close I hope they caught him and he doesn't come to college park.

[ridon127]

He is jail. They had him in custody before I got home. He lived on Arbor.
Donna

[Clayton]

[rustysterling]

Donna: I don't know you budget. But if you do want to make the plunge to HD check eBay for a Sony HDR HC1. This camcorder has become a hit with a lot of pros who use it as a quick grab camera. If that still is too much for you then the Elura 100 will do quite nicely I believe. It's a great camcorder as I noted before and when it was first out it got rave reviews everywhere. VideoMakers rated it the top camcorder of the year in 2005.

[ridon127]

Rusty,

That's a little more than I can go for now. I think I will probably go with the canon. By the time I go to HD, there will be something bigger and better out there. I don't think there is a way to keep up with the technology. Thanks for the info. I did check out ebay and they had one for $500 but I can't get it until the end of the week.
Donna