Q. about digital camcorders

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barsbyart

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Paul Barsby
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First, a confession; I prefer shooting with film and have only recently purchased a digital camera because it's the best tool for a project I'm currently working on. So I'm new to this digtal capture mularkey.

I have another project that has been slowly churning around at the back of my mind and I believe I can only get what I want by using a camcorder. BUT I want static images (screengrabs?) from it.

Is this easy to do or does it involve a steep learning curve? AND what is the quality like compared to (say) a 10mp camera? Obviously 'quality' will vary from model to model but how do you compare the capture quality of a camcorder to a digital camera? (If this makes sense).

All help appreciated.
 
The actual editing and collection of the image is made easy down to the software that comes with camcorders, or off the shelf stuff ... loads of home movie editing packages available that can export sills etc.

In my limited knowledge... You'd need one serious professional camcorder to get anyway near to reasonable quality in a still, several thousand quid ...to get upto a semi-pro dslr 10mp frame quality you'd probably have to spend ten times as much I reckon.
 
Ouch! Thanks FB. Pretty much what I was thinking/dreading. I only want 'dip a toe' into this maybe take a small plunge but definitely not leap off a precipice!!!

I think I want to make 30x20ins (maybe larger) prints and I know that that there are apps that can give you good results BUT I need a reasonable quality image to start with. Maybe the 10mp comparison was a bit over-ambitious but whereas I can 'guess' the difference in quality likely from a 1mp camera (given away with 10 litres of petrol) and a 10mp camera or a digital camera to Velvia I'm lost when it comes to comparing a camcorder to a still camera.

I was hoping someone here would have experience with both and save me from having to reinvent the wheel.
 
I have a Panasonic GS-250 MiniDV camcorder, which takes excellent video. It also has a 2mp still facility which I never use. The quality was poorer than my old 2mp Canon A40 Powershot.

If you take screengrabs from your video, you'll only get a resolution of 1024x576 for PAL widescreen.
 
I'd say from a few tried myself... Off my sons standerd PAL digi cam (If the image is simple) can return still shots like those early 1mp phone camera, not very good, but just acceptable printed postcard size for the family etc.


Can I ask what your trying to do, why do you have to use a cam over your dslr for stills? ... I'm intrigued ... there might be another way if your not used to a digi.
 
I was at a wedding over christmas and took some video of the night do with the wifes new canon IXUS 950 camera, I have to say the quality is better than i expected and a lot better than my old DV camera.

I doubt any screengrabs will be good enough for print, certainly not a 30x20.
 
Some sony cams can take memory stick and shoot stills to that, while filming. Definitely on Mini DV, and some of the HD cams too.
 
Stills from a video camera as always going to fairly poo, mainly because that just isnt what it is designed for :( Even HD wont give you enough resolution to make decent large prints. I think your best bet would be to to try and recreate something in real life and photograph it so that it appears to be a still from the video, or have someone taking stills while you do video or whatever.

The fun alternative is to try and mount a stills camera on your video camera and have a way to trigger it when you want a still. I bet you could mount a simple digital points and shoot on the hot shoe of a video camera quite easily. The angle would be slightly off, but probably as close as you would get.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
I'd say from a few tried myself...

Can I ask what your trying to do, why do you have to use a cam over your dslr for stills? ... I'm intrigued ... there might be another way if your not used to a digi.
Click to expand...

Thanks FB. It's just an idea at the mo' - I want to know IF it can be done. I'd rather not say too much just now as it might be a ridiculous idea (and it might turn out poo!) BUT if I can work this out I will post the results for C+C and be happy to explain and answer all questions.

(Don't know how to do multiple quotes)

Jimmy Lemon - I like the way you think. But in answer to you and FB I think it really has to be a camcorder because of the particular nature of a moving image rather than a still image (think pinhole camera or Lomo - you can replicate the type of image you get from them but why not use them?)

Checkmate - as above. I don't need the still facilty - it's the movie aspect I'm really interested in.

nutter426 - I think you might be getting close; I will look into this.

Milestone - you are most probably right. 30x20 is a bit ambitious for now but I'm looking ahead. If what I'm thinking works I will definitely need large prints but maybe see if I can get acceptable 'postcards' for now and worry about printing larger later.

Thanks ALL for your comments. I know it's difficult to help me when you don't know exactly what I'm trying to do but you HAVE helped by giving me things to think about!

Paul.
 
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