best inexpensive camera/camcorder forski video's ...do i need hd

[bigtex2011]

looking for a bit of a stocking stuffer for family. recording skiing, kids tubing and chaos. needs to be easy to upload and fairly inexpensive. $200 to 300 would be awesome. we have an expensive camera but are afraid to get in boat with our crew

[Horton]

Kodak EasyShare works great and is simple. I love mine. All the video of me is from an old Easy Share.

 

I am going to pick up a Nikon COOLPIX AW100 for something higher end. Still only $300

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-COOLPIX-Waterproof-Digital-Camera/dp/B005IGVY6K

[Horton]

FYI I had a Go Pro - hated it. Gave it to MattP

[Horton]

I guess if you use it all the time it is ok. The user interface is (or was with the one I had) unbelievably terrible. Is like using a digital watch from 1983. Good luck knowing if you are taking images or video or setting an alarm for gym class.

[MattP]

@rico the GoPro works just fine! The newer system is much better. You can get them at pretty much any outdoor/ extreme sports store or h2oproshop.com

[RichardDoane]

Sanyo Xacti, I've got an older one, and the 1010HD model, easy to handle and use in the boat

[Wish]

Sanyo Xacti. I have 2. One of the first made and a newer one. Now they make a fully water proof one for under $300 now I believe. Whats nice for waterski videoing is the fact that it has a pistal type grip. Following the skier is so easy that most of the time you don't have to look at the screen just point it like a gun at the skier and follow the skier.

 

Shot with the Sanyo Xacti waterproof.

 

 

I'm guessing this guy wasn't looking at a tiny screen but basically pointed it like a gun. Not bad.

[Wish]

[travnews]

I have a Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1 High Definition Waterproof Flash Memory Camcorder and use it on a trakker p4 pylon mount. Works great except if I have a crash with a load on the rope the video gets all blurry and won't focus until the camera is shut off for a bit. The worst part is whenever I crash I never get to see the video. Anyone have problems with this when using a pylon mount? Other than that the camera is great.

[Taelan28]

Just use the expensive camera and be careful. When you're taking video of your kids you'll be thankful that you used a good camera when you watch it again years down the line.

[ral]

The Sony DSC-HX9V is a really good camera, 16x zoom, takes a burst of 10 pics/s, 3d pics and panoramas and video in full HD. It fits in your pocket as well...

[rwskier]

I agree with @horton that the user interface is really bad with the gopro, but I really like what you can do with camera as far as recording vids. The downside is fish eye field of vision which does not work real good for general recording. I have discovered that I can take the card out and plug it into my Kodak Playsport to replay the vids and is pretty user friendly. I also think that the Playsport is a pretty good option for inexpensive camera (like somewhere around $129.00). The Playsport works really well for video from the boat and comes with the software to edit and make movies.

I have not seen the Sanyo but it looks pretty interesting as well.

 

here is some with the Playsport:

 

Here is some with the GoPro:

 

[bigtex2011]

wow. guys thank you so much..have a great holiday

[baja]

Kodak Playsport is easy to use in the boat environment since it's waterproof, takes good quality HD video, has cheap extra batteries, uses memory cards, has 4x zoom. How can you go wrong when it only costs $129. You most likely will only study each days skiing only one time to see what you are doing and that's it.

[Kelvin]

If you go the Playsport route, be sure to get the older discontinued Zx3. You can find them online. The battery can be swapped out. The newer Zx5 has a non-replaceable battery that doesn't last that long before it needs a recharge and the battery can only be charged by plugging the whole camera into the charger.