I'd like to buy a new camcorder - I have a Canon MV450 but I don't think this will be up to a new job ... I'll a spectator covering a sports competition in a couple of months (taekwondo).

I'm guessing I'll be stuck on tiered seats a fair way away from the competition so I'll need a good optical zoom, and probably a tripod / monopod. Have no idea if I can even use a tripod in this sort of seating but I've never used a monopod.

I have a budget of about £500. I'd prefer miniDv and I need a firewire output as well.

Any and all advice would be welcomed.

I've never used a Canon MV450 but what size of zoom does it have? I take it has a firewire port aswell? Maybe you want to try getting a seat nearer 'ringside' rather than settling for second best up in the stands. One rule I've learned about video and photograhy is never settle for second best when it comes to getting into a good shooting position, you need to be a bit pushy and get up close to the action.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

It has 10 x optical (I turn off the digital zoom), which is not bad, image stabilisation takes away some of the clarity though.

That's good advice on the seating ... but I know from experience that it'll be extremely busy and I'll be stuck behind people, and unfortunately I'm not a pushy person !

Sorry to go on about the seating arrangements, but will you be given a numbered seat and have to sit there right throughout the game or can you sit where-ever you like? I would be looking around constantly for empty seats or places where you might be able to stand even for just a few minutes to get a different view. The only alternative is to make up a fake press pass (not that I would stoop to doing that), but then again how important is this event to you? I was watching a programme on the TV a few weeks ago about the paparazzi photographers and they were in an airport following some minor celebrity and they kept following her and while one was acting as lookout the other took out the camera from a duffle bag and started taking pictures of her. No sooner had he done this than 4 or 5 airport security staff appeared from nowhere and the two photographers ran as fast as they could out to the car park and jumped into a car. What I'm trying to say is the most anyone wearing an 'offical' uniform can do is ask you to stand somewhere else or tell you to stop recording. Just stop for a few minutes and wait for them to leave or move off in a differnet direction. The use of underhand tactics is called for here.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...