Best amateur setup for $1000

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I joined here in interest of getting into film making, obviously ;) That being said I'm a photographer and my D90 will not cut it when it comes to video. So with a little bit of research I have compiled a solid setup for me to learn on.

550D/T2i $600 used (Green Lantern firmware)
Nikon-Canon mount adapter So I can use my Nikon glass like my 50mm f/1.8D
Rode VideoMic
Shape WLB Paparazzi

Would this be a solid setup? Any comments or criticisms?

Thank you :)

~B~
 
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Personally I wouldn't pay 130 dollars for that Shape video handle thing you posted. My girlfriend purchased me a much cheaper version for x-mas made out of SOLID plastic. It's called a Opteka X Grip.

I'd purchase a handheld steady cam for 130 dollars way before a video handle device.
 
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Decent enough.

The one thing I would say is that with DSLR you're going to want to record audio external probably with a cheap(ish) external audio recorder and a shotgun mic on a boom pole (rather than the VideoMic). Zoom H4N and Rode NTG2 is what I have and this seems to be a popular combo.
 
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TheOpusFuller said:
Personally I wouldn't pay 130 dollars for that Shape video handle thing you posted. My girlfriend purchased me a much cheaper version for x-mas made out of SOLID plastic. It's called a Opteka X Grip.

I'd purchase a handheld steady cam for 130 dollars way before a video handle device.
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I'll keep that in mind. Thank you :)



NickClapper said:
Decent enough.

The one thing I would say is that with DSLR you're going to want to record audio external probably with a cheap(ish) external audio recorder and a shotgun mic on a boom pole (rather than the VideoMic). Zoom H4N and Rode NTG2 is what I have and this seems to be a popular combo.
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Why is it that I would want to externally record my audio? Is the quality that low?
 
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Hey Alcove,

I'm curious of the reason why you mention the Tascam over the H4N? Is it because of a personal preference or quality?

I recently purchased the H4N but was debating between that and the Tascam. After listening to samples the H4N sounded, I dunno, better? Had a more fuller sounding to me.

So I was just curious on your opinion. Or are these two devices so close to one another it's just a matter of preference?

Thanks!
 
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TheOpusFuller said:
Or are these two devices so close to one another it's just a matter of preference?
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That1Guy covered my other post.

If it's a question of the internal mics the Zoom sounds "better" because it artificially hypes certain frequencies, so it may sound "fuller" but does not reflect sonic "reality", if such a thing exists. In other words, it colors the sound, which is fine for music applications and amateur usage but not for production sound. When recording production sound you don't want any coloration of the sound.

When recording via the XLR inputs the mic(s) used will have as much influence on the sound as the mic preamps. And, also the combo of mic and preamp can have good or bad resonances. The NTG-2/H4n combo yields low volume levels and brittle sounding dialog.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Yes, the audio is that bad on DSLRs.

My personal choice would be the Tascam DR-100 recorder, Audio Technica AT897 shotgun and Sony MDR7506 headphones. You can DIY a boompole for about $35. You should always have one person on the set whose job is to take care of the audio.

Check out my blog for additional info:

http://www.myspace.com/alcoveaudio/blog
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Thank you for your obvious experience in the matter :) I'll take this into consideration.

My issue is that I plan on doing this as a solo operation, mainly for live events and a possible documentary. While I'm sure your solution offers much higher audio quality, I feel like it would inhibit my mobility.
 
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BlankThis said:
Thank you for your obvious experience in the matter :) I'll take this into consideration.

My issue is that I plan on doing this as a solo operation, mainly for live events and a possible documentary. While I'm sure your solution offers much higher audio quality, I feel like it would inhibit my mobility.
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Well,

Let me ask you this:

Would you rather have inhibited mobility while shooting or inhibited audience reaction due to horrendous audio that can't be understood?

Audio is half the experience, my friend! Even top documentaries like Fahrenheit 911 and Sicko had now-oscar-winning sound engineers from Skywalker Sound working on them.
 
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mobility is a moot issue. You can easily mount any recorder and mic right on that handle jobbie..

Youll want each nikon lens to have its own adapter. Just easier that way, trust me. Your right not not skimp on quality here, I bougt a cheap $12 nikon to eos adapter, two days later its in the trash can.
 
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wheatgrinder said:
mobility is a moot issue. You can easily mount any recorder and mic right on that handle jobbie..

Youll want each nikon lens to have its own adapter. Just easier that way, trust me. Your right not not skimp on quality here, I bougt a cheap $12 nikon to eos adapter, two days later its in the trash can.
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Good point. For now I want to see how I do with the 50mm before I see what other lenses I will use, and in turn how many adapters I will need to purchase.
I'll look into what you guys suggested but for the time being I don't think I can stretch my budget just yet.
 
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Forget being a writer, film maker or whatever - quite simply most would rather hear what the hey is going on than beautifully captured images - bottomline (unless it's all about beautifully captured images m.o.s. ;-0)!

If you don't agree, fine... although you'll find out too late - absolutely no disrespect but that's just the way it is - period.

All the best regardless - respectfully, Jim.
 
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He said:

"Unless you're going for a silent movie, you're going to need sound, period. Sound is half the experience. Sound is god. Sound is more important than anything else, period. Without sound you have no movie. Sound. Sound. Sound. Avatar."

Enough said.
 
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ROC said:
He said:

"Unless you're going for a silent movie, you're going to need sound, period. Sound is half the experience. Sound is god. Sound is more important than anything else, period. Without sound you have no movie. Sound. Sound. Sound. Avatar."

Enough said.
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:hmm:

Fair enough. :)
I don't mean to come off as disrespectful, and I hope I don't. I just think being absolutely green to this audio quality, for the time being at least, is the least of my worries.

Thank you again everyone for your insight and ideas.
 
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