Expert: John Oliverio - 3/28/2008

Question
Hello! I'm looking to purchase my first camcorder and I will be using it primarily to film outdoors, my three main areas of use will be aviation, astronomy, and wildlife (in that order). I know I won't be able to find a camcorder that will act like a telescope, but with a nice zoom I can get some good shots of the moon, eclipses, etc. I've also been playing around with my digital camera and putting it up to the eyepiece of my binoculars with limited results. I did get one or two amazing shots, but it was really hard to set it up. Duct tape would work great in this situation. To sum, the most important features are zoom, stability and of course reliability!! I don't mind using mini DV tapes if the newer DVD and hard drive models have not caught up in quality yet (as I was told by a camera salesperson) Thanks so much!

Answer
Christine,

Well, the things you ask for are kind of general and just about any camcorder should meet your needs.  You will find some differences in zoom power, but not a whole lot.  My advice is just stick with one of the major makers.  I like Canon and Sony.  Oh, and there is nothing wrong with DVD.  I can't imagine what that guy was talking about.  

John