Video clips performance on a budget camera

[galg112]

I have been searching for hours and i simply cannot find reliable info on this matter -
I am looking for a budget priced camera, up to 250 (preferably 200) dollars, and the main thing im looking for is highest available performance shooting video clips - 640X480, 30 fps, decent sound. Im willing to cmpramise or settle for every other flaw cameras at that price range may have, but i want that to be the best available.

What do you recommend?

[coldrain]

Canon powershot A610.

[galg112]

Thank you very much.

Do you have other recomendations?
What about the panasonic mz3 or fx8 or Nikon Coolpix 5900?

[David Metsky]

All Canon's with the Digic-II chip will do video at that speed/quality. There are many others that also take video at those levels. If video is most important to you, over still photo quality, then perhaps a video cam is more appropriate.

What else are you looking for in a camera?

-dave-

[bascom]

Canon A430/A530/A540 use digic II but their video is only 10 fps. The A610 does video at 30 fps but the list price at stores is $300, not the $200-$250 he is seeking. The A700 will be $350.

Kodak has the C663 ($300) and C643 ($230) coming in March that do video at 30 fps.

[David Metsky]

Darn, I thought that applied to all the Digic-II cameras. The SD200 may be the cheapest model that supports 640x480 30 fps, going for less than $200 if you can find them.

-dave-

[bascom]

I was wrong about the A540. From looking at the News on this site, I thought it's video was 10fps just like the A530. But I checked DP review and here is what they say for Canon A series:

10 fps:
A430, $170
A530, $230

30 fps:
A540, $300
A610, $275-$300 mostly
A700, $450

Here are other brands of 2006 models that I think do video at 30fps. Correct me if I'm wrong. Or verify it:

Fuji F470 $280
Kodak C643 $230, C663 $300
Nikon L3 $200, L2 $250
Olympus SP-320 $300
Panasonic LZ3 $230, LZ5 $280
Samsung A503 $140, S500 $180, S600 $230, S800 $300, Digimax i6 $300
Sony DSC 600 $200, W30 $230, W50 $250, W70 $300