Camcorder for stills or still camera for vids?

[fishoutofwater]

I have a Carribean cruise coming up in about 4 or 5 months and have a relatively decent Olympus p & s camera, of course with limited range, so I was wondering...

Trying to stay in the $400-$600 range, is there a video camera that also captures a decent still or a still camera that takes a decent video clip? If so which way would be better to go for a week on a boat?

Just trying to travel as light as possible. The less I take the less I have to keep up with. If I have to take two cameras to do two different jobs, then so be it. Budget is slightly upward flexible. Thanks!!:camera:

 

[996GT2]

If you ABSOLUTELY must take only 1 camera, then take a still camera and bring along a few SDHC cards...that'll allow you to still capture decent quality video. Since you'll be in the Caribbean, most of your shots will be outside (low ISO) and a P&S/superzoom will work fine for both pictures and shorter video clips (see below)

I have a Panasonic Lumix FZ8 right now, and it can capture 848x480 video at 30 FPS. This is more than my Sony DCR-HC21 camcorder, which shoots at VGA. Quality-wise, I think the Sony has a slight edge, but it's not that much. The Pansconic camera has continuous AF so focusing is pretty quick during video transitions. Beware, though, that a 2 GB card will only net you about 20 minutes of video at the 848x480 30 FPS setting, so if you want to shoot a lot of footage a few 8 GB cards will be necessary.

One thing to note about this camera (and a lot of other point and shoots) video-wise is that it doesn't allow zoom during videos...but if you really need that feature, some other superzooms/P&S cameras do have it.

 

[fishoutofwater]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
If you ABSOLUTELY must take only 1 camera, then take a still camera and bring along a few SDHC cards....

It's not written in stone that I am limited to one camera...just a personal preference since I am rather scatter-brained & have been told most of my life that I would be missing a couple of critical body parts if they weren't attached...

If there were two (1 still & 1 camcorder) that did their respective functions reasonably well & kept me in the $600-$800 range then that would be more benificial in the long run.

I'm just a novice-level user but want to grab some decent enough footage to say "Hah! We're here & you're NOT!!!"

 

[sswingle]

Something like the Sony HDR-HC3/5/7 takes HD video and 4 megapixel stills.

 

[Ballatician]

A lot of the cameras in Kodaks new line take HD video (you can zoom while shooting) and take 10mp pictures.

 

[fishoutofwater]

Any thoughts on the following:

OLYMPUS SP-570 UZ

vs

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 Digital Camera

Panasonic supports higher resolution in video mode, but I'll be on a boat with a bunch of strangers. It's not like I will be taping hours of X-mas morning gift unwrapping.

 

[alexruiz]

Originally posted by: Ballatician
A lot of the cameras in Kodaks new line take HD video (you can zoom while shooting) and take 10mp pictures.

I was also going to suggest a Kodak.

The Z1012IS takes 10 MP stills, takes HD video, image stabilized 12x optical zoom, and what is arguably the best lens in a P&S, the 36-432 eq Schneider-Kreusnach.

As a disclaimer, I don't own the Z1012 Is, but I own it's older sibling the Z712 IS. If the Z1012 has the same shortcomings, there is not custom white balance, buffer flush speed is slow, noise reduction is very aggressive at ISO400 and higher, and macro mode is mediocre.

Again, if the Z1012 retains the Z712 strengths, on the upside the lens is superb, zooming is very fast, AF is very fast, color reproduction is very rich and shines specially in the outdoors, image quality is great at ISO200 or lower, performance is fast with very little shutter lag, recycling times are fast, buffer is big enough to let you keep shooting even if the card is writing, has full PASM mode, video is good and allows zoom, has several picture sizes and allows 3:2 ratio. Use the flash for indoors and don't worry about noise in high ISO situations.

If you can get a Z812, it is the same as the Z1012, just 8 mpixels for pictures. If you pick the Z812 / Z1012 / Z712 I strongly suggest getting a KLIC-8000 battery. The Z712 hates AA NiMH, allowing only like 20 shots with them (voltage, not charge is the culprit here) and chews on AA alkalines like a.... never mind, you got the idea Generic equivalents with charger are like $15 shipped on feebay.



Alex

 

[fishoutofwater]

Originally posted by: alexruiz

Originally posted by: Ballatician
A lot of the cameras in Kodaks new line take HD video (you can zoom while shooting) and take 10mp pictures.

I was also going to suggest a Kodak.







Alex

Haven't even thought to look into the Kodak line-up. I never would have thought that Kodak had upped their game...I still recall the old instamatic days...Thanks for the info.

 

[alexruiz]

Originally posted by: fishoutofwater

Originally posted by: alexruiz

Originally posted by: Ballatician
A lot of the cameras in Kodaks new line take HD video (you can zoom while shooting) and take 10mp pictures.

I was also going to suggest a Kodak.







Alex

Haven't even thought to look into the Kodak line-up. I never would have thought that Kodak had upped their game...I still recall the old instamatic days...Thanks for the info.

I wouldn't call it "upped their game"... their lineup had had huge disparities and that remains. They had the P880 that was fantastic, and some not so good cameras. Nowdays, some models like the 12x Zoooms in the "z" line are very good, but the M and V series are considered less than stellar. Our main camera (my wife's) is a Pentax K100D DSLR, and the Z712 supplements it quite well.

 

[fishoutofwater]

Didn't see anything in the Kodak line to lure me away from

OLYMPUS SP-570 UZ

or

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 Digital Camera

Thanks all the same though...never hurts to look because you never know you don't know until you know...

 

[alexruiz]

Originally posted by: fishoutofwater
Didn't see anything in the Kodak line to lure me away from

OLYMPUS SP-570 UZ

or

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 Digital Camera

Thanks all the same though...never hurts to look because you never know you don't know until you know...

According to many reviewers, the Olympus SP-570 UZ is the BEST superzoom in the market
I proposed the kodaks as an alternative, because there is a big difference in price.