I haven't had a video camera for 30 years, back when I had a VCR. I'm going on a ghost town metal detecting excursion in the Black Hills next week. I'd like to take some video. Anybody know about the state of the art for video cameras? Are they digital? Can you take out the video and send it in the mail? Whats a decent video cam run anyway? I barely work a laptop, and I've had a cell phone for 5 years, but rarely do anything but call and answer, and text some. My metal detector is my version of rocket science. I"m a techno retard.
you might be better off with a camera that has a really good video function. it depends on what you're comfortable with and what you'll be using it for besides this one outing. do you have memory cards for other devices? i like to restrict myself to one format. makes hunting those down easier when i need one.
before I buy any piece of technology I check the reviews on cnet.com They have guides and reveiws that explain the nuances of lots of different technology.
I wouldn't use the video function of digital photo camera as this can damage the optical sensors if it is used for an extended period of time. It does so by overheating the sensors which aren't build for this. You can get a good digital video camera that uses memory cards. JVC, Sony etc...