I am researching for a digital camcorder with still camera function to use during my trip to India/Nepal next month. I have a nice canon EOS 35 mm system for still photography and am looking for a digital video/still camera for general purpose. My main interest is to take a few travel video and digital stills (640X480). I am not interested in very high resolution megapixel stills. 640X480 stills are what I will be taking with the digital video/still camera. I am considering buying Canon Optura (the earlier not the "pi") minidv ($759 from cameraworld). I would like to hear any suggestions/comments about the Optura or any other digi video/still combo. Thanks.

raj

-- raj lathigara (rajesh1@earthlink.net), July 16, 2000

Answers

Raj -

I bought a Sony DCR-TRV510 this past January and took it on a 10 day cruise. The video was great. The still pictures were a bonus! The - 510 takes only 640 x 480 and has limited shot capacity - about 20 still pictures in the "fine" mode. (Newer Sony models now use the Memory Stick.) I got around the shot capacity limitation by taking a spare 8mm tape and designating it "still pictures". That way, I copied all my pictures from the camcorder's memory to the tape. When I got home, I just moved them back from the video tape to memory and then to the computer. It may sound a bit complicated, but it worked just fine for me. And we really enjoyed the "snapshots" I got from the video camera.

The Sony's advantage for me was the fact it takes standard 8mm video tapes, and it has a very good optical zoom. I also got the extended 8 hr battery which lasted all day when we were out touring. Disadvantage is that the overall camera is just a bit larger and heavier than the mini-dv's.

Have a great trip.

Regards -

Paul in NoVA Sunday, 16 Jul 00

-- Paul Griffiths (plg3@prodigy.net), July 16, 2000.