With first child due soon I am in the market for a camcorder and would be
grateful for any help in narrowing my choice.

Cost isn't the major issue but I don't really want to go over the top for
features I may not understand/use, just something reasonably small and
reliable. So far I have decided on MiniDV format and at the low end (maybe
£300 to £350 direct) have come up with JVC GR-D20 and Panasonic NVDS60B and
for about £100 more a number of models from these as well as other
manufacturers (JVC GR-D50, Panasonic NVDS65B, NVGS30B, Canon MV600i.....).
The main differences I have noticed but don't really understand a

- PC connectivity options - S-Video input, if I don't have this what can
Firewire do for me and is my PC (a new and fairly standard Dell) ready for
it? Is USB important to have as most don't seem to.
- Manual/Autofocus - when might I need manual?
- Memory card

Many thanks if you can help me on the stuff I don't understand and point me
in the right direction.

In message , Steve
Carter writes

Snipped...

- PC connectivity options - S-Video input, if I don't have this what
can Firewire do for me and is my PC (a new and fairly standard Dell)
ready for it? Is USB important to have as most don't seem to.
- Manual/Autofocus - when might I need manual?
- Memory card

First of all, I'd suggest that you have a read through:
http://www.camcord.info/buying/ for very general advice on buying. Then
you might like to have a look at:
http://www.camcord.info/basics/ to see what video editing is all about.

In answer to your specific questions:

Firewire is the de-facto standard method of moving video from your
camcorder to your PC for video editing (using a video editor which
controls the camcorder while you're doing so). Firewire, iLink and
IEEE1394 are all the same thing BTW. It's useful to have DV-in because
you can archive your movies back onto miniDV tape.

USB is usually the method of moving still pictures (if your camcorder
takes stills) into the PC for viewing/editing/printing. Different
manufacturers use different types of memory card for their camcorders
that take stills, Sony standardise on memory sticks. Beware though if
you go for a camcorder that supports stills/memory cards/sticks that the
maximum size of decent prints is about 6x4.

S-Video is the common way of viewing movies directly on your TV, or
directly recording from camcorder to VHS recorder. Some camcorders may
offer phono connectors for this. Sometines S-Video is output only (from
the camcorder) but some camcorders provide "analogue in" which is useful
if you're transferring analogue video to digital (miniDV).

You'll probably only use manual focus if you get serious, but is useful
when shooting through glass or in low light.

Depending on budget, If I was replacing my excellent Sony TRV-30 now,
I'd definitely go for the Sony TRV-80, with less cash the TRV-60, and if
money was tight I'd try to afford the Sony TRV-33.

At the low end some of the Panasonics are nice, but others will give you
better advice in that direction than I. According to reports (here and
elsewhere) Canons are "iffy".

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info

Tony, many thanks for your advice, I will check the websites and Sony models
you have mentioned.

Regards,
Steve Carter

First of all, I'd suggest that you have a read through:
http://www.camcord.info/buying/ for very general advice on buying. Then
you might like to have a look at:
http://www.camcord.info/basics/ to see what video editing is all about.

In answer to your specific questions:

Firewire is the de-facto standard method of moving video from your
camcorder to your PC for video editing (using a video editor which
controls the camcorder while you're doing so). Firewire, iLink and
IEEE1394 are all the same thing BTW. It's useful to have DV-in because
you can archive your movies back onto miniDV tape.

USB is usually the method of moving still pictures (if your camcorder
takes stills) into the PC for viewing/editing/printing. Different
manufacturers use different types of memory card for their camcorders
that take stills, Sony standardise on memory sticks. Beware though if
you go for a camcorder that supports stills/memory cards/sticks that the
maximum size of decent prints is about 6x4.

S-Video is the common way of viewing movies directly on your TV, or
directly recording from camcorder to VHS recorder. Some camcorders may
offer phono connectors for this. Sometines S-Video is output only (from
the camcorder) but some camcorders provide "analogue in" which is useful
if you're transferring analogue video to digital (miniDV).

You'll probably only use manual focus if you get serious, but is useful
when shooting through glass or in low light.

Depending on budget, If I was replacing my excellent Sony TRV-30 now,
I'd definitely go for the Sony TRV-80, with less cash the TRV-60, and if
money was tight I'd try to afford the Sony TRV-33.

At the low end some of the Panasonics are nice, but others will give you
better advice in that direction than I. According to reports (here and
elsewhere) Canons are "iffy".

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info