CamCorder

I`m considering buying a Sony CamCorder. The one I`m considering isn`t very expensive, but does record directly to a DVD, or the hard drive of the unit.

Any of you have experience with recording your own hunts, and your buddies hunts? I`d like comments and feed back on whether the unit I`m considering would suffice, as well as just general tips and hints for videoing hunts.

Sony is a pretty good brand. I'm not sure about their low-end stuff, but their higher end cameras are good. The OYOA TV show is shot with Canon cameras.

Recording your own hunts can be frustrating. You will need a tripod, and that is a lot of extra gear to carry around and is also a distraction when you are hunting. You'll have to make sure the camera is on the animal before you shoot, and those seconds can cost you a shot. Having another person filming helps a lot, but then you have two people trying to sneak up on a critter instead of just one.

Lastly, if you want to edit the video and send it to friends, it is more difficult to do so with the DVD and hard drive cameras. They are lighter and more convenient than tape-based ones, but for editing, tape is still the best.

Hope that helps!

A good tripod is worth its weight in gold. Something solid with a nice fluid head. If you're planning on editing, tapes are nice, but I haven't used the new harddrive cameras yet. Sounds like a great idea with less moving parts and less places for dirt and moisture to get into the camera and heads. Especially for using for hunting. Internal drive means no tape wine when you turn in on, which I've had spook animals before. Sony seems good, also look for 3 chips or chip size. I bought a sony because it had bigger chips than the canon at the time. Just a better picture. HD is also very popular, but I've heard you need more computor to store and work with it. I've never used a DVD camera, but for hunting, I would probably back away from it. My guess is the sound of the spinning disk would bother me. You could probably get a minimal camera and create great video to share with your buddies if you use a tripod. Back in the day I did the same, but with a high 8 or digital 8 and we all enjoyed the video. Just my two cents......