Best Low-Light Camera for under $200?

H

hansolothejedi

New member
I need a camera that doesn't require a lot of equipment to work well in low-light settings or to transfer stuff to the computer. I'm broke, so it also needs to be relatively cheap.

I'll be using the camera almost exclusively to film myself doing stand-up comedy at dive bars with lousy lighting and lousy PA systems. Also, being easy to use (shakeproof) or tripod (set & forget) would be a plus.

I have a $40 gift certificate to Best Buy that expires soon. I rarely buy anything from that store, so I'd really prefer to buy something that they carry, but it's not an absolute "must."

Here are some cameras in my price range. I've looked at all the reviews on amazon and cnet that I could find, but none of them are particularly helpful because they're written by people who either 1) don't know what they're talking about, or 2) seem to expect too much (but it's not clear how much...)

1. Canon FS20
2. Creative Vado HD
3. Flip Ultra/Mino/HD
4. JVC Everio (GZMS110BUS)
5. JVC 10.0 MP VPC-CG20
6. JVC Picsio GCFM1VUS
7. Samsung SC-MX20
8. Samsung SMX-C10
9. Samsung SMX-F40
10. Samsung SMXC20RNXAA
11. Samsung SMX-F40BN/XAA
12. Samsung Smx-C20un/XAA
13. Samsung Everio GZ-MG130
14. Samsung U20
15. Insignia HD (NS-DV1080P)
16. Kodak ZX1
17. Kodak Playsport HD
18. Kodak Zi8
19. Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD700
20. Sanyo Xacti VPCZH1
21. Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1
22. Sanyo Xacti HD VPC-1000BKB
23. Sanyo 10.0 MP VPC-CG20BK
24. Panasonic SDR-S26
25. Panasonic SDR-SW20S
26. Veho Muvi Micro DV (VCC003Turin)
27. Hitachi DVD DZ-HS903A
28. Sony Bloggie (MHS-CM5/V)
29. Sony Bloggie (MHSPM5/P)
30. Sharper Image HD920
31. Toshiba Camileo S20 HD (Pa3792u-1ca)

Links:

$99-$149: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemp...SP&sp=-bestsellingsort+skuid&usc=abcat0400000

$150-$199: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemp...SP&sp=-bestsellingsort+skuid&usc=abcat0400000
 
best thing you can get is a tripod.
I imagine you will be uploading on youtube or something similar so something that is easy to get on your computer (flip wins there) but the quality on most these are pretty similar.
Also I would think about investing in a mic that plugs in the camera(would be able to find something under$50). I dont think filp has inputs for mics, the rest of them should.

so a tripod and a mic are going to be more helpful than which of these cameras you use.
 
Additionally,

For free, you should try and get a recording of your performance off the sound board / club PA system and then use that sound instead of the camera's sound. Replace the audio with the better one. This will improve your video 7,842% even if it looks like ****.
 
Han, I know this camera is above your budget right now, but if you find you can afford something costing a bit more in the near future, it's worth checking out the Panasonic DMC-FX75. It has an f2.2 lens which is brighter than the average compact, 24mm wide angle, and might cope with the sort of conditions you mention. I haven't used the camera myself. I agree with the suggestions about using a tripod, and poor audio can make the best video unwatchable so you are going to have to consider that aspect. A cheap used digital voice recorder placed close you on stage would help a great deal and you can add that audio to the video when you are editing.
 
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Buy the cheapest HD camera you can find and invest in some lights. Even if you have to walk around with a lamp on an extension cord it will do more than any camera in that price range alone can achieve. It might be funny as well.
 
Get a Samsung HMX-H100. That camera does absolutely outstanding in low light situations, plus it's HD and can be found for around $180 on amazon or ebay. Watch some footage from it on youtube.
 
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