Topic: Really Portable HD video and good sound

[markr041]

As most experts agree, good audio is a large part of a good video experience. Up to now, all small HD-capable  cameras (say, the Panasonic ZT7 or FT1) and even including the great Lumix GH1 use autogain for the audio, which you cannot switch off.  None but the GH1 (which is hardly portable) have mic inputs. One could record on a separate device, but that is hardly real portability.

There is one and only one exception now: the Kodak Zi8. Amazingly, this cellphone-size HD video camera not only has a stereo mic-in (1/8") with plug-in power - it has audio level control, with meters! You cannot change the level or see the meters while shooting and the compression is 128k, 48khz, AAC but the audio is very good. This tiny camera shoots at 1080p 30fps or 720p at 60fps.

[rastasean]

a good video experience for me involves something interesting to watch. If its a sports game on a 40 foot screen tv, I don't care how many cameras and how many microphones are there--its not interesting to me. If its a movie filled with explosions and no plot, I still don't care because that's not interesting to me.

Who cares about video unless it is interesting to the person watching it.

[markr041]

I agree, and if you cannot see anything because the resolution of the video is so poor, and you can't hear anything (or its annoyingly distorted) then it's not likely to hold your interest. Equipment is necessary, but not sufficient.

Still, this is an equipment site...