Need some input: Okay this is a little out side of what is normally discussed here. Hopefully we have some members who shoot video with a camcorder that would care to comment. Wife...

TJBNovember Loc: Long Island, New York

Okay this is a little out side of what is normally discussed here. Hopefully we have some members who shoot video with a camcorder that would care to comment.
Wife needs a camcorder for work ASAP. Needs the capacity to shoot 3+ hour video in a classroom setting, will assume that with a large enough card that would not be a problem, under fluorescent lighting. Need to keep the expenditure down, say under $500 for the camcorder and essentials total, sufficient capacity card, spare battery, tripod, etc., while not skimping on reliability or reasonable quality. Looking at Sony and Cannon, any thoughts, thanks gals and guys.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

TJBNovember wrote:

Okay this is a little out side of what is normally... (show quote)

I think the price is too high! I can get one in a few days --Sony brand for less than $200!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

TJBNovember wrote:

Okay this is a little out side of what is normally... (show quote)

My son has been using Sony camcorders almost daily for decades. They work well and are durable. You can buy large capacity non-Sony batteries online, and they will give you a lot of recording time. Most can record to either/both internal memory or SD cards. I don't think you'd be able to buy a bad camcorder. It's more a question of looking for specific features you might want. Read reviews and comparisons.

https://www.lifewire.com/best-video-cameras-to-buy-4064602
http://www.toptenreviews.com/electronics/photo-video/best-hd-camcorders/
http://bestreviews.com/best-camcorders

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

The best hand held video cameras would be from Panasonic and Sony, florescent light shouldn't be a problem. I used a Sony back in the 1980's and it shot well in any lighting situation. You might have to look on line about the three plus hour video.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

I'm not current on this but a few years back I would have gone with a Sony digital and plugged it into power and into a laptop to directly record the video. Three hours is really pushing both battery life and recording media, especially if you wanted any video and sound quality.
Plugged into power and a laptop there are no worries. A used Sony video camera would be inexpensive.

TJBNovember Loc: Long Island, New York

ballsafire wrote:

I think the price is too high! I can get one in a few days --Sony brand for less than $200!

Thanks, but need it for her to take tomorrow.

jmizera Loc: Austin Texas

Just pick the Sony or Canon camcorder that fits your budget, but leave room for the largest capacity battery, and a 64GB or 128GB SD card. These items alone will run around $150 to $175 total. Another $50 or so for a tripod if you don't already have one. A table top one for $30 or so might do. You can still get a very respectable camera for $300. If you have a local camera store, go there.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

I have taken some video in years past and the first thing that comes to mind is to question how much video you can get on a card. For some reason 3 hours worth seems like a lot for one card. Memory capability and battery power (unless you use an AC adapter) would be my 2 concerns to question as you evaluate a camera.

ggab Loc: ?

TJBNovember wrote:

Okay this is a little out side of what is normally... (show quote)

Agreeing with others, you can get Sony handhelds with an internal hard drive. No problem with storage capacity and they work well.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DCR-SR46-Camcorder-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B07DPW4G8X/ref=sr_1_23?s=electronics&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1535634858&sr=1-23&keywords=Sony+Hard+Disk+Drive+Handycam+Camcorder&refinements=p_89%3ASony%2Cp_85%3A2470955011

TJBNovember Loc: Long Island, New York

Thanks all for the input. Went with a Canon VIXIA RF800 that came with a battery, AC adapter-charger, and additional USB cables. Added 2 64GB cards, case and a tripod as part of a Best Buy bundle. According to the specs by varying the recording quality, a 64GB card will hold a 3 hour plus video.

jmizera Loc: Austin Texas

Country Boy wrote:

I have taken some video in years past and the first thing that comes to mind is to question how much video you can get on a card. For some reason 3 hours worth seems like a lot for one card. Memory capability and battery power (unless you use an AC adapter) would be my 2 concerns to question as you evaluate a camera.

It depends on the camera and the resolution, but you can usually expect about 10 gigs per hour. 4K is going to do at least double to quadruple that.

jmizera Loc: Austin Texas

ggab wrote:

Agreeing with others, you can get Sony handhelds with an internal hard drive. No problem with storage capacity and they work well.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DCR-SR46-Camcorder-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B07DPW4G8X/ref=sr_1_23?s=electronics&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1535634858&sr=1-23&keywords=Sony+Hard+Disk+Drive+Handycam+Camcorder&refinements=p_89%3ASony%2Cp_85%3A2470955011

Lol! Nice socks!

ggab Loc: ?

jmizera wrote:

Lol! Nice socks!

jmizera Loc: Austin Texas

ggab wrote:

Look carefully at the photo in the Amazon posting.

Logan1949

TJBNovember wrote:

Thanks all for the input. Went with a Canon VIXIA RF800 that came with a battery, AC adapter-charger, and additional USB cables. Added 2 64GB cards, case and a tripod as part of a Best Buy bundle. According to the specs by varying the recording quality, a 64GB card will hold a 3 hour plus video.

Only 3+ hours, really? My 64GB card holds 8 hours and 45 minutes of MPEG (MP4) quality video, which looks very good on a 40-inch television. Also, MPEG is probably the format you want if you are posting on the internet.