Looking to get into Videography, Advanced Amateur Photographer

1. PhilG
   Member

   

    Hey all,

      I'm advanced amateur photographer looking to get into videography. What are some good first steps? (Besides buying a video camera of course!) Is Videography at all similar to photography? The types of movies I'm looking to make are like slowed down videos, sped up videos, basically a fair range of videos. Will my still photography tripod work with video cameras? Please treat me as someone who has never used a video camera (because that basically what I am). I guess my price range would be anything up to $200.00 USD. Now I know from my experience with still photography cameras that that won't really buy anything anywhere nears a pros standards, so I'm looking for something basic. If it helps at all, for my photography I use a Digital Rebel XT.

   Thanks!

   Phil,

   Posted 1 year ago # Login to Send PM

2. D0n
   Member

   

    light is light.

   optics are optics.

   now sound is something else.

   you may find a video head for your tripod useful... unless you have a three way head with seperate controls for panning and zooming.... start saving for good video tripod.

    right now a  flip mino vid cam or a compact camera (canon g9) that does video may help...

   but save up for a grown-up video cam (even used, you'd be hard pressed to find anything pro quality in that price range).... (what advice would you give to someone asking if a $200.00 point and shoot was good enough for pro photography?) look for the same manual controls you'd expect from a pro dslr (many pros would consider a rebel xt a beginners camera, and that cost more than $200.00...see what I mean?).

   Then there is sound....a whole new area of expensive equipment to learn.... 

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3. D0n
   Member

   

    canon zr 900.

   mini dv, (excellent image quality in good light... not so hot in low light)

   external mic input.

   close to your price range.

   should do fine for learning/practicing.

   may want to find out who rents pro equipment, in your area, for when you need it. 

    

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4. PhilG
   Member

   

    Thanks don! It should help me that much of the jargon is the same as photographer's jargon.

   The kind of videos I'm doing will be like ones were sound is added later...does that help any?

   Thanks again,

   Phil

   Posted 1 year ago # Login to Send PM

5. birdcat
   Moderator

   

   Hi Phil -

   I too was a pro photog in a prior life.

   I would suggest an Aiptek just to get started - It's about $90 and will work fine to start (you will replace it as soon as you get serious).

   Spend the other money on a decent Non Linear Editor (you can get Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum for about $100 - I'm sure Adobe and Avid also have "home" versions).

   Digital Juice (http://www.digitaljuice.com) has free video tutorials on their website (called DJTV) - I would suggest watching all of Chuck Peters' ones ("Field of View") as they are great helps for the videographer (the others are great too but deal with tech issues, audio, production and how to use DJ products) - Also Chris "Ace" Gates' "Cutting Class" is a great help for editing pointers.

   The best advice I could give is to get out there and start doing as much video taping and editing as you can (just like you did when you started with photography - I used to shoot 20 rolls a week and did my own darkroom work as well - Same paradigm).

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6. D0n
   Member

   

    Actually that aipek does look to be a better option than the flip series! I haven't seen them here in Manitoba, but gave out some flips at Christmas, and they worked great in low light... But If I'd seen the aipeks.....

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7. chrisColorado
   Member

   

   I have an aiptek and they work great! Mine does video, photo and audio, which BTW, PhilG, works great for adding your audio afterwards. Mine is the MZ-DVR.

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8. PhilG
   Member

   

    Thanks chris!

   Posted 1 year ago # Login to Send PM

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