After an extensive and exhausting search of the ENTIRE Internet (yes, the whole thing) I have determined that this is the camera best suited for your needs. 35x Optical Zoom for long-range viewing of the nearest all-male nude beaches (you don't have to lie to us Fran) and 115x2864 still images stored on an SD card for your at-home viewing pleasure without having to rip film to hard disk.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/478921-REG/Canon_1878B001_ZR850_Mini_DV_Camcorder.html

Pick up this handle little case and cheapo tri-pod for steady filming action and for under $200 you're all set.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/366414-REG/Sunpak_620SUNKIT_Digital_Camera_Camcorder_Case_.ht ml

Justin - thanks a million man. I actually looked at the same camera and thought it was a pretty good fit for what I needed... A couple questions:This might seem REALLY dumb. What is a "mini DV" recorder. I'm guessing D.V. means "digital video." Do these things take some kind of actual videotape, or those mini-dvd's?


I think the Mini-DV camcorders use these things. But I'm not sure. Can you keep using the same tape over and over again?

Would it be hard to get the video from the camera and put it in MPEG format on my computer?

I know that the still shots will be stored on the memory card. Can you put video on the memory card too?

So you have an Heir to the throne? Or to get money?

You're correct, Mini DV takes the tapes that you posted. You can use the same tape over a few times, but if you're going to do that they make special "master" tapes that cost about $20 each but hold up a lot better than recording over the same standard tape a bunch of times. FYI standard tapes cost about $4-$5/each. I personally only use mine once, but I'm also retarded and have a stack of tapes sitting on my desk that I will most likely just throw away some day now that I have all the footage on my computer.

As for gettingthe footageonto your PC, it's actually very easy. You can use something as simple as Windows Movie Maker (included free with XP) or spend a few bucks (generally under $100) on a piece of software that allows you some basic editing. Some people choose to download illegal copies of softare from the Intarweb, but I do cannot recommend such things. All you need is a Firewire connection on your PC, a Firewire cable, and you'll be watching videos on your computer in no time.

Sweet.

So, I guess the camera you posted is a good deal, b/c it has:
[ul][*]night mode[*]1024x768 still shot[*]a memory card receiver[*]35x optical zoom[*]cheap tapes[*]motion jpeg recording feature - allows me to put a short video clip on the memory card[/ul]
In the item description is says that I can record "breathtaking vistas," which is awesome. I definitely need to film some breathtaking vistas.

Thanks for your help guys. I'll probably get it ordered on payday.

As repayment for your troubles, the King promises to post a video online of himself shooting a groundhog this summer, and its head exploding. It will be awesome.