[Novalug] Linux and a memory camcorder

[Bryan J Smith]

On Sun, 2010-04-04 at 11:57 -0400, Ken Kauffman wrote:
> I do realize you mentioned getting a flash based unit.  I picked up a
> NON-flash hard drive based Sony Camcorder DCR-SR300 for a very good
> price (<$400).   The reason I picked it up is that it stores video as
> pure .MPG.  Not a separate video/audio stream that need to be muxed
> together.  Hence - no special software.

> Some do not like the built in compression artifacts of the camcorder,
> but there is an option to change it to a higher video quality at the
> cost of hard drive space.

> The camcorder is also picked up as a straight USB storage device on
> Linux and you simply copy/play the videos off the camcorder.  It also
> has the ability to add a Sony memory stick and snap pictures with it.
>  You can also snap pictures to HD.

> Just an additional data point for you.

I carry K-mount dSLR systems.  While dSLR systems have added video, they
still have many issues, largely because of the size of the mechanics and
other things (e.g., auto-focus is slow or non-existent, because of the
noise).  There's still along way until video is done with commodity SLR
glass and their larger sensor with drastically reduced noise from the
Point'n Shoot and compact camcorders.

For that reason, as well as size, I just carry a little Point'n Shoot
camera.  Instead of going for superzooms, I just carry a small Panasonic
DMC-FX series, which are some of the smallest (Canon has some thinner,
and others might be fatter but not as wide).  A big reason is for the
25mm equivalent 35mm wide angle (around 16-17mm in a typical dSLR focal
for sensors of APS-C size).  I can take nice landscape shots of a wider
horizon.  They also run only about $150 (DMC-FX30/FX37 and
DMC-FX40/FX48, the latter superceding the FX30 series and now been
superceded by the DMC-FX50 series itself).

The Point'n Shoots are not quite as good as most of the dedicated
camcorders in options, but the image quality and optics are usually
better IMHO.  But people will argue over image quality.  Frankly, until
they offer MJPEG (motion JPEG -- frame compression only) instead of just
MPEG or some AVI+codec (frame + inter-frame compression), which some
dSLRs offer, there will always be the issue of artifacts when individual
frames are edited.


-- 
Bryan J Smith <b.j.smith at ieee.org>