Hello everyone.
I'm pretty new to filmmaking and I have a few questions. Firstly, I'd like to buy a camcorder that's of solid quality but not insanely expensive. I'm looking to spend $2,000.00 MAX (if monthly payment is an option). And obviously I'd prefer to spend considerably less than that if possible. So, what I'm wondering is, does anyone know of a camcorder that falls within the above price range, and that possesses the following specs?:
-3 CCD's with progressive scan
-ability to shoot at 24p
-a microphone-in jack
-manual controls for iris, shutter, focus, and white balance
-ability to shoot at very low (1/60 or less) and very high (1/2000 or more) shutter speed
With regard to the 3 CCD's, does anyone know if there is a camcorder within the above price range that has CCD's near in size to those of a broadcast camcorder (1/2 inch - 2/3 inch)? I notice that the JVC GZ-HD7 has 1/5 inch CCD's. Does such a size allow for good low-light performance? How does the HD7 perform when shooting an outdoor night scene? Also, I notice that the Canon HV20 uses a CMOS censor. Does the CMOS censor perform as well in low-light conditions as 3 CCD's? Does it capture color as well?
By the way, I'm willing to compromise on the quality of the image stabilization, as I'm planning on purchasing a solid tripod anyway. Don't know if that would factor into finding a cheaper camcorder that has all the other specs, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.
My second-to-last question relates to HD. I read once that it is unwise to buy an HD camcorder because of the limitations on software compatibility. Is this true? And will I be able to use such editing programs as Premier (or whatever is the top-notch editing program now) without having to make costly upgrades to my computer (I have a Dell XPS 410)? Does shooting in HD cause headaches for the low-budget filmmaker that would otherwise be avoided through the use of SD?
Here is my last paragraph of questions (for now): is it true that it is better to shoot with a camcorder that records to miniDV than it is to shoot with a camcorder that records to a built-in hard drive? I read once that this is so. Is it less practical these days to record to miniDV tapes? If so, why?
Please excuse this novella. I greatly appreciate all responses given. Thanks a lot and bog bless.
-horseradish
I'm pretty new to filmmaking and I have a few questions. Firstly, I'd like to buy a camcorder that's of solid quality but not insanely expensive. I'm looking to spend $2,000.00 MAX (if monthly payment is an option). And obviously I'd prefer to spend considerably less than that if possible. So, what I'm wondering is, does anyone know of a camcorder that falls within the above price range, and that possesses the following specs?:
-3 CCD's with progressive scan
-ability to shoot at 24p
-a microphone-in jack
-manual controls for iris, shutter, focus, and white balance
-ability to shoot at very low (1/60 or less) and very high (1/2000 or more) shutter speed
With regard to the 3 CCD's, does anyone know if there is a camcorder within the above price range that has CCD's near in size to those of a broadcast camcorder (1/2 inch - 2/3 inch)? I notice that the JVC GZ-HD7 has 1/5 inch CCD's. Does such a size allow for good low-light performance? How does the HD7 perform when shooting an outdoor night scene? Also, I notice that the Canon HV20 uses a CMOS censor. Does the CMOS censor perform as well in low-light conditions as 3 CCD's? Does it capture color as well?
By the way, I'm willing to compromise on the quality of the image stabilization, as I'm planning on purchasing a solid tripod anyway. Don't know if that would factor into finding a cheaper camcorder that has all the other specs, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.
My second-to-last question relates to HD. I read once that it is unwise to buy an HD camcorder because of the limitations on software compatibility. Is this true? And will I be able to use such editing programs as Premier (or whatever is the top-notch editing program now) without having to make costly upgrades to my computer (I have a Dell XPS 410)? Does shooting in HD cause headaches for the low-budget filmmaker that would otherwise be avoided through the use of SD?
Here is my last paragraph of questions (for now): is it true that it is better to shoot with a camcorder that records to miniDV than it is to shoot with a camcorder that records to a built-in hard drive? I read once that this is so. Is it less practical these days to record to miniDV tapes? If so, why?
Please excuse this novella. I greatly appreciate all responses given. Thanks a lot and bog bless.
-horseradish