CheapBuyingGuide

A night vision camcorder is the perfect tool for surveillance during the nighttime. Though it will not necessarily stop intruders from coming into your property you’ll be able to see who the perpetrators are when they do! A night vision camcorder comes in numerous styles. All you really need to be aware of is what you’re trying to find and how much you happen to be willing to pay.

Customer Reviews:
“OMG the picture is outstanding, and the mic allows me to whisper in my helmet, and you can still hear me. I’m going to get another one for my husband. Great for hiking trips, helmet cams, perfect for just keeping in you pocket to whip out if you see something you want to capture. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!!! Much better than using your cell phone to film anything!! If you not sure, just get it anyway. You will find a way to use this! I’M SO HAPPY THAT I DID!! ” – K. M.

Customer Reviews:
“I have owned a HDR HC1, HC3 and now this camera. They have served me well. My HC3 has taken over a thousand hours of video. I use it for semiprofessional shoot at ballet performances (HD) on a tripod with three other cameras. I drag them with me when I am snowboarding, hiking or traveling in Europe. My cameras are dented and dirty but the video they shoot is still stunning. I still like archiving to tape. ” – B. F.

Customer Reviews:
“Purchased one of these and promptly rigged it up on the tiedown mount of an RV8 aircraft and flew it thru barrel rolls and high speed (200mph+) passes at airport. Camera did a very good job, only a slight pause for some unexplainable, reason (very slight). Handled the lighting variables in good shape. Excellent for the cost, and this is coming from a retired USAF Motion Picture Cameraman who has done several kinds of these applications on higher speed aircraft.” – S. S.

Customer Reviews:
“This device is great. It works well on two AA batteries. Focus and 2.5 power are good to have. Wide field of view. The only drawbacks, this is Gen1 and Chinese in origin. The IR LED will glow red when in use. Use a Surefire light with IR filter or IR LED flashlight for better results. Add a Tenebraex or Killflash filter for the large lense to conceal reflection and you are set. The optical quality and view through this is great for the price. I have used more expensive gear, but for the price this is one to get. It also has a tripod mount built in so you can use it for night spotting of animals. Has a built in light sensor to shut down in bright lights. The main lense cover is a bit cheap, just blue plastic over the main lense, but this is moved out of the way for use anyway. I keep thinking this will crack or break as the plastic feels cheap, but it has held up well and has rubber in many places to protect it. I shoved this up against a video camera lense and it worked very well. Highly recommended if you can only afford one device and a cheaper one at that.” – N. D.

Customer Reviews:
“I am really enjoying this purchase. As other reviewers of NVDs have stated, this is not a military class unit (unless you are comparing it to a 1960 era unit), but for $200 who cares. I have about an acre of land and I can check out the whole yard without a problem. It is more solid than the picture gives it credit for, and is comfortable to hold. I would recomend this unit to anyone who just wants an NVD for recreational purposes.” – R. Z.

Customer Reviews:
“After doing hours of research on the internet (and I do mean hours and even days) EXTENSIVE research, I have found that, for the money ($259 from Amazon w/free shipping & also getting the Amazon Visa Card for an added discount), this is the best deal as far as digital camcorders go available today. It is certainly the cheapest priced digital camcorder I could find brand new, and the best built camcorder, especially when compared to the many mini dv’s available (they look like they could break if you look at them the wrong way)! I had a friend who had a mini dv camcorder comment on their delicate nature, and her mini dv camcorder also quit working after only a few months of normal use (think about the same price range as digital 8 now–not more costly mini dv camcorders).

The Sony digital 8 camcorders may be discontinued soon by Sony (at least that is the asumption from what I read), but I have read more positive reviews (at this price range) for the Sony digital 8 camcorders than any of the comparable mini dv camcorders IN THIS PRICE RANGE. I purchased a Samsung (JUNK JUNK-AVOID) mini dv camcorder from Sam’s Club prior to purchasing the Sony DCR-TRV280 from amazon.com, and I was more than disappointed in the performance of the Samsung mini dv camcorder. The picture from my old RCA Autoshoot VHS-C camcorder produced a picture much better than the Samsung could. I couldn’t believe how horrible the quality was on the Samsung mini dv camcorder! This was difficult to tell in Sam’s Club as all of their camcorders are in a very bright area of the store.

Also, I think blank tapes (8mm/high will be available still for several more years, and this Sony digital 8 camcorder suits my purposes quite well. The tapes can be erased and reused many many times with very little loss of quality, if any, when well taken care of. I must state the opposite of most people when asked “should I go for mini dv or digital 8?” I say go with digital 8 if you’re a “point and shoot” person like I am. Consumer Reports also states that these digital 8 camcorders are amongest the best buys in digital camcorders available today. You have to remember too, that Sony is a big name with a big reputation of producing great quality electronics.

Oh, another thing, how many digital camcorders can you get hours upon hours of use out of a single charge on one battery? Check out the optional batteries that are available with these digital 8 handycams. The NP-QM91D is the longest lasting (6 to 12 hours on 1 charge!) Also compatible with this digital 8 handycam is the NP-QM71D and NP-FM50. BEWARE of generic batteries, however (I found out the hard way!) Sony makes many of their newer models to detect the generic batteries and cause the camera to shut down and not charge the battery. I just sent back a generic NP-QM91D that was only $37.50 (Sony brand is around $149 new). Just stick with the Sony brand name infoLITHIUM batteries only. I re-ordered and got the NP-FM50 for $44 from amazon.com (Sony brand). It will give 2 to 3 hours recording time, which, when combined with the battery that came with this camcorder, will be about 4 hours of battery time. This should be plenty for most users. The batteries also recharge remarkably fast (except for the first two batteries I mentioned. Those require an optional “fast charge charger” to get them to charge quickly).

By the way, the Samsung mini dv had many complaints of low battery time (40 minutes or less). I think Sony makes the longest lasting batteries, and I have done a lot of research on this! I hope you will take my word for it, and check out this digital 8 handycam yourself!” – N. N.

Customer Reviews:
“First off, this is one of the best sport cameras available in terms of picture quality and shooting duration. Add to that it is small enough to be totally forgotten strapped on top of a bike helmet. It takes wide angel shots so all the action is captured and the one thing I wish it did better is sound recording. This is minor when good post editing software is used. typically, the two hours shooting duration provides more than enough distance to film any venue you want. I would recommend for anyone wanting a good outdoor camcorder reasonably priced.” – S. B.

Customer Reviews:
“If you want an easy to use camera just to do the basics, this one is great. It’s lightweight, and the one touch DVD burn is a really nice feature. The image quality seems fine-no complaints so far!” – A. C.

Customer Reviews:
“Although this is my first camcorder, i am very impressed with this model. For $300, you get a lot, night shot plus, image stabilize, 25x zoom, many available accessories that will make your productions profession looking. The video quality is really good, along with audio, the colors are true and the camcorder focuses well. The battery they give you lasts a while, but i would recommend the FH70, it lasts a lot longer. Overall i am pleased with my purchase, it got here on standard shipping in 2 days, thanks amazon!” – G. K.

Customer Reviews:
“I just received this camcorder (DCR-SR85) and I am very happy with it! It is so small & lightwieght, plus it takes fantastic videos. The videos download very quickly with the included software, and are crisp and clear as any DVD movie that I have (standard definition). I stuggled with all the choices out there, but I am very satified with this product. I use it mostly to document procedures for work, but it is great for home movies also. I think it would be nice to have a larger mega-pixel camera in it (only 1 meg) since it is so small it could easily replace my digital camera also! I also purchased the extended warranty from Sony for only 89.00 (3 years), and an extra battery. This one is a keeper!” – M. B.

Prices may well start for as little as $40. Choosing a make and model will depend on your surveillance intentions. Do you need to keep an ‘eye’ on a remote area in your yard or monitor the exterior entrances. Or maybe keep a watch on your baby. Installing a night vision camcorder in your babies room will help you watch and hear what is going on in their room without waking them up. You can pick up any sound your baby makes and capture each and every movement. You’ll want to be sure to position the camcorder exactly where it will be able to capture movement and noise. Knowing your uses is important because the type and style of camcorder you select will depend on exactly where and how you desire to use it.

The device has an infrared emitter to record images that would not be visible to the human eye. However, not all camcorders with night vision have the infra-red emitter. If yours doesn’t have the emitter, it can be bought separately. A night vision camcorder is a specialized adaptation of the digital camera. Images are recorded digitally rather than on a running film. The device is developed to collect and amplify the slightest amount of illumination available at night while recording. The recording can later be viewed on the camcorder, via a television set, or uploaded to a computer.

This device can also be used throughout the day in addition to night time or whenever there is inadequate light. If you are going to utilize it at all times you might want to have a constant supply of power going to the device. In this case, you should look for a camcorder that uses both batteries and an adapter! Some camcorders may even have to use a different lens during the day. So, it is important to know what your specific camcorder will require.

These camcorders are rated using a camcorder lux rating to determine performance. A lower lux rating will perform far better than a higher lux rating through the nights. So if your nightvision camcorder is going to be mostly utilized at night consider purchasing one with a lower camcorder lux rating.

Also, don’t just buy a night vision camcorder based on the price. Costly ones do not necessarily mean that they will fit your needs. They may have some of the greatest features that are just not useful to you.

For a selection of the very best camcorders with nighttime vision visit http://www.digitalanswer.org/nightvisioncamcorder.