Audio/Video Chat → Re: Video Camera

I'd like it to be consumer grade. Only a couple hours run is needed at a time. I will be able to recharge at night. I'd like Color, don't need black/white. If it works at night, great. I'd like for it to be small, but it doesn't have to be the smallest thing out there.

What are the good technologies out there for this right now?

What are the chances it'll get caught in the rain or heavy dew?

Is it going to run (tape) all the time, or do you need a motion detector?

Do you really want video, or will a still camera work?
(The reason I asked this question is that Walmart has a couple of game cameras specifically designed for what you want, but they are still cameras, not video.)

Whether won't be an issue, and we'd like to have video. Basically, we wan to take it with us on a trip to document all the wildlife we see.

Okay, I think I might have misunderstood you in the very beginning. I was thinking you wanted to set this up in the woods somewhere and catch them at night...

However, if you're just looking for a good camcorder, then go to Walmart, Best Buys, Circuit City, and any other electronics-type stores you have in your area. Being in DC, you should have quite a few.

Sony's are what I use, but others have had good luck with other brands. I like the low light capability of Sony's Digital8 camcorders, around 2 lux (light capturing capabilities), but that's just me.

Digital8 camcorders use a tape about the size of an audio cassette tape. DV tape is about 1/3 that size. Both formats give about 1 hour of recording at standard speed. Transfer to your computer for editing must be done via USB, Firewire, or composite video/audio, and is done real time, so, if you're transferring 1 hour of video it'll take you 1 hour to do it. These will mostly be in your price range until you get to the 3 CCD types or some with many fancy features.

DVD camcorders use a mini-DVD and I think you can even use a mini-DVD-RW so it can be used over again. I don't know what the recording time is here, but like the tape units above, it can be changed out when it gets full. The nice thing about the DVD types is you can put the DVD directly in your computer to play or edit them, and maybe your stand-alone DVD player to play them immediately. You might find some within your price range.

Hard drive camcorders have a, yes, you guessed it, hard drive, about 20 gigs, I think. This type is probably above your price range.

There are really no "bad brands" that I'm aware of, but just stick with the name brands and you should be okay.