What camcorder can you recomend for stop motion animation. ￡700 worth please?

Though I'm not an animator I have spent over 27 years as a professional cameraman and now teach video production to HND level part time; So I can at least tell you where to start looking!

Traditionally Stop-Motion is created using film and the old-fashioned weapon of choice would be a 16mm camera; Bolex H16 reflex being pretty common at one time. !6mm is an expensive format to work on but is truly a professional way of doing it and actually relatively affordable.. I think I paid ￡100 for my H16; it's the film and processing that costs!

Nowadays varous computer software can achive the same thing; stop motion pro being one example Adobe Premiere being another.

Almost all camcorders WILL achieve some crude form of stop-frame, and a few 'feature' it. But frankly that facility on a camcorder is a complete joke designed to reel in the gullible and NOT to be taken seriously!

Computer based S.F.A. is probably the way to go.

IF you have a GOOD analogue to digital converter or a DV bridge you should simply get the best overall camcorder you can afford. YOu might even want to consider buying an old professional camera such as the Sony M7 (it's not a camcorder; just a camera!) or the like. But more realistically Second-Hand something along the lines of the Sony TRV900 or the Cannon XL series are good.

BUT, for ￡700 I'd consider maybe using a digital SLR (stills) bringing the results into Adobe Premiere. Nikon D50? I know several professional animators who use just that technique to shoot Hi-Def animation... the D50's closer to ￡500!