Thanks! That's an appealing camera. Does anyone know the comparable model from Canon? Also, any 
suggestions at about 50% of that price or is that just the junk basement? I would like to spend less 
on the one hand, but on the other hand this looks like a great piece of electronics.

Finally, this might be a dumb question but do these things come with a wrist band or something to 
secure them to your body so you can't drop/smash them? One of the biggest pluses of the D70 is the 
neck strap. When I pull that out of my backpack, it gets looped around my neck before the lens cap 
comes off and before it gets turned on. We do a lot of hiking and climbing in relatively rugged 
places (Adirondacks high peaks region, similar territory in Vermont and New Hampshire) so whatever I 
get needs to survive this sort of use.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Miriam Meislik" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 3:27 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Suggestions for small and tough and hopefully not too costly DV camera


> Well, we finally dove in and bought a Panasonic SDR H200.  So far we are more than pleased with 
> it.  It is unbelievably light.  It also truly fits in the palm of your hand.  I am a very small 
> person and I find it comfortable to hold.  My husband who is definitely larger, also finds it very 
> comfortable.  The screen has a nice resolution and the control are all logically placed.  I can 
> stop, pause, play, and pretty much control the camera with my thumb without disturbing the camera. 
> It takes reasonable stills.  I think the audio is fine.  I haven't really had the chance to push 
> this camera's limits yet, but I hope to do that really soon.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SDR-H200-3-1MP-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B000M4KJV4
>
> This site is the only one I have found to show the rear of the camera
>
> http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/498058675
>
> Miriam
>
>
> Roger and Allison Kulp wrote:
>
>> I would be interested in this,too.I would eventually be interested in doing DIY news,and 
>> political activism shorts,and uploading them to YouTube,LiveLeak,etc.  .
>>
>>
>>                                    Roger Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Hi All:
>>
>> Sorry for the cross-posts here.
>>
>> I am looking to buy a DV camera to take hiking and other travels.
>>
>> The requirements are:
>>
>> 1. small and light, hopefully smaller and lighter than a digital SLR camera.
>> 2. rugged and needs to have reliablly long battery life.
>> 3. simple to use. I am no advanced videographer here. I just need something to take good video 
>> and not be hassle to use. As close to the equiv. of a point and shoot camera or fully-auto SLR 
>> camera would be great.
>> 4. cost is a factor. I do not need the latest greatest HD camera. Good, crisp NTSC is just fine 
>> unless HD stuff is cost-effective and as small and easy to use.
>> 5. either decent built-in sound quality or a jack for an external mic.
>> 6. digital output so I can load the video onto my hard drive and burn DVD's. Firewire and/or USB 
>> is fine.
>> 7. I'm assuming anything I'd want uses tape. The format would best be cheap and readily 
>> available.
>>
>> In my experience, I tend to have a bias against Sony products, but I'd consider one if it were 
>> head shoulders better for the same cost. The problems I've had with Sony have always revolved 
>> around stupid design or, more often, crappy build quality and zero customer support. I very much 
>> like our little Canon point and shoot -- in fact it's what's gotten me keen on video. I love my 
>> Nikon D70 SLR but it is big and heavy and there are some situations where I'd rather shoot video 
>> to tell the whole story.
>>
>> I don't see me making long "creative" "movies," more like short hits that are more about "this is 
>> what I see right now" visuals where the scenery is too big and too spectacular for my 
>> photographic skills to tell the story in a still image.
>>
>> Hopefully, I'm describing what I need correctly. I don't know enough about digital video to say 
>> "I need these specific specs." That's what I'm hoping to gleen from your wise advice.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for all help/suggestions.
>>
>> -- Tom Fine
>>
>>
>>        ---------------------------------
>> Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.
>
> -- 
> Miriam Meislik
> Media Curator
> Archives of Industrial Society
> University of Pittsburgh
> 7500 Thomas Blvd.
> Pittsburgh, PA 15260
> (412)244-7075 voice
> (412)244-7077 fax
> [log in to unmask]
>
> http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries/archives/archives.html
> http://digital.library.pitt.edu/pittsburgh/index.html
>
>
> When your mouth drops open, click the shutter.
> --Harold Feinstein, November 11, 2001
>