Amateur Film Kit suggestions

A

Announce

Hello everyone,
I know this is likely a much asked question but I am looking to get into film making and obviously need to set up a basic kit to do so with. I have experience working in television, and am near finishing my degree in communications, so i'm hoping to get the necessary gear to teach myself the art.

my budget is about $1500, and although I love the look of the Sony NEX VG-10, im worried that even if I find one used I still will not be able to afford a good tri-pod and a second lens (35mm and 100mm ideally). I liked the idea that it provided some decent audio, and the ability to change lenses which many lower end camcorders dont seem to be capable of.

What camcorder would you advise if I was looking to afford a couple lenses and a tripod on $1500. This will primarily be for personal use, and am not yet looking at shooting a short film.

Thanks for any help,
Matt
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Announce said:
Thanks,
I don't know why on earth no canadian outlet has them, its so bizaare because they have accessories just not the camera. That is $200 more then the T4i so I am going to do some comparing on video quality but I think im sold.
Click to expand...

$650 CDN is a very good price for the T4i. It is $692 CDN at amazon.ca

I have shot with this camera, and it is a great second choice. One caveat with the T4i - DSLR optical viewfinders stop working (go black) in video mode due to mirror lockup. This was a huge surprise to me and part of the reason I switched to DSLMs. You'll have to buy an LCD loupe to see what you're shooting, especially in bright sunlight. You don't have this problem with the electronic viewfinders in Panasonic DSLMs or Sony DSLTs such as the A57.

Cheers,

Bill
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
After a lot of research, and classified haggling I have decided to purchase a panasonic GH2 with the 14-140mm lens and managed to get it used for $1050 which in my area seems to be a fair price.

My question now is I have decided I'd like to get a shoulder rig and audio recorder, and potentially another lens or tripod, but only have $500 to work with, any suggestions?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Announce said:
After a lot of research, and classified haggling I have decided to purchase a panasonic GH2 with the 14-140mm lens and managed to get it used for $1050 which in my area seems to be a fair price.

My question now is I have decided I'd like to get a shoulder rig and audio recorder, and potentially another lens or tripod, but only have $500 to work with, any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Primes are good - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwxioePCRcQ

ebay is awesome - I bought a Manfrotto video tripod for $75 USD (fantastic, built like a tank), an ECM 674 (fantastic mic) for $75 USD used, you can get a used Tascam DR100 used (from the US) and a fluid head for $100 USD. I wouldn't go for anything less than a DR100 and even to my ear, this is pretty hissy. This is really the absolute bare minimum for me and when I discovered mixers, I never wanted to go back.

I bought these all myself and although the mic new is $500+ USD in the UK, I just hunted around ebay until I found a bargain. My mixer is borrowed and is the best thing ever.

A Sigma prime for the VG10 is $150 USD and the kit will make a great paperweight...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
What you should have in a basic production sound kit:

Headphones
Audio recorder
Mixer
Shotgun mic
Hypercardioid mic
Boom-pole
Shock-mount
Wind protection
Cables

Suggested Reading:

Production Sound Bible - Ric Viers
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top