Forums » General Questions

1. Athomas
   Member

   

   I was apporved to spend about 1,000 to 1,200 on a pro level camcorder. What should I be looking for. I did see some good looking 1080 camcorders at Best Buy that looked good. Will they work? Or should I stick to the pro models

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2. Athomas
   Member

   

   I went on line and found this:

   AG-DVC20
   1/6" 3-CCD DV PROLINETM Shoulder-Mount Camcorder with IEEE 1394 Interface
   
   Any thoughts on this camera?

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3. ralck
   Member

   

   Before you buy a camera, you need to decide what you want and what you need in a camera.  Do you need to shoot HD?  Do you need good low light capabilities?  Do you need manual controls for things like focus, audio levels, etc?  What format do you want to record onto (tape, flash, HDD, etc)?

   After you decide that look for cameras with features you need.  Also, don't spend your entire budget on a camera.  You'll also want lights, an external mic (lavs would probably work if these are training videos), a tripod, possibly a dolly, video editing software, etc.

   You may want to consider getting quotes from local videographers.  They may even be able to do it cheaper than you can film it.  Another option is to consider renting equipment instead.

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4. robgrauert
   Member

   

    I don't think any camcorder that cost 1000 - 1200 is pro level. You're just breakin into prosumer I think. 

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5. Athomas
   Member

   

   Thanks for the quick reply ralck and robgrauert great points as wellBefore you buy a camera, you need to decide what you want and what you need in a camera.  Do you need to shoot HD?  Do you need good low light capabilities?  Do you need manual controls for things like focus, audio levels, etc?  What format do you want to record onto (tape, flash, HDD, etc)?I need for the picture quality to be extremely good. I would also like to have control over audio so I can add an external wireless mike. I have heard miniDV is better to edit because it does not compress. I will be shooting inside in a normal office environment without windows. After you decide that look for cameras with features you need.  Also, don't spend your entire budget on a camera.  You'll also want lights, an external mic (lavs would probably work if these are training videos), a tripod, possibly a dolly, video editing software, etc. The cost above is just for the camera. I have also budgeted for a mike, tripod, and editing software (my company only allows flash format). I can edit on my Mac at home. What are Lavs?

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6. ralck
   Member

   

   As far as a good picture quality, 3 CCD cams will give you a good image, but I fell that image quality is more about setting up the shot than the camera you use.  If you use a good tripod, a good light setup, frame the subject well, etc, then the video can look good from even a 1 chip camera.

   I don't have any experience with the DVC20, but I think it should be able to do what you need.

   As far as your budget, I noticed you didn't mention lights.  You said you'll be filming in an office, so this might not be very crucial, but you'll probably want at the very least some bounce boards (big, white, sometimes shiny boards that help to bounce light around from places you can't put a light, or if you don't have enough lights to put one in that spot, etc).  I helped out on a shoot at my school which was filmed in an office and they ended up using 3 bounce boards for filming a guy sitting at his desk!  These can be really cheap- take a look at a local craft store and you can pick up some foam or poster board that should work.

   I'm not a guru on formats, but the way I understand it is, MiniDV still does compress, just not as much and not the same way that other cams do.  Formats like HDD and DVD use an MPEG-2 compression which is kind of awkward for editing.  I'm not sure about flash formats.

   And a lav is a type of microphone that normally clips onto the subjet's shirt (great for picking up someone speaking).

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7. Athomas
   Member

   

   Thanks very good info. I will make sure I get some bounce boards.

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