Cam suggestions for a Newbie!

P

PapaB

Hello Everyone i'm just entering into the world of film making. I've been looking at a few different camcorders that i may or may not pick up and i'm wondering if i could get some insight from a pro as to what would be the best thing to look into, but i also have a budget that i'm trying to keep in line with. I would preferably like to spend under 1000$ for a camera, and keep in mind it's only my first so i dont need the most amazing prosumer cam. :lol:

one thing i am the most worried about is picture quality. i want the best looking quality i can possibly get. also a mic input would be ideal so i can use an external microphone rather than a camera's mic.

a few camera's i were looking at was the Canon VIXIA HF S20, also from Canon is the VIXIA HV40. From Sony i was looking into the HDRCX350V.

Another question i have is, would i be better off with using MiniDSV or using Flash Memory or HDD?

Thanks a bunch!
~PapaB
 
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You should be able to use the Vixia cameras just fine. They produce great results for consumer camcorders, provided you know how to use the controls.

Things you want to look for in a camera are all manual controls. Manual control over the iris, the exposure, the aperture, the focus, gain, the audio...all of it. Also, a mic jack for any external microphones to get better audio. If you can, get an XLR-to-stereo jack adapter, and then use an XLR shotgun mic connected to the camera. That will give you the best audio you can get. :D

The Vixia HF S100 is $1099, so it's like right on your budget line. It uses SD cards (get at least a 16GB card, anything below that won't give you enough space for long projects), which I personally think is the best for fast transfers of files. Archiving, though, can be tricky. With MiniDV cameras, you don't have to worry about it. After transferring the footage off of the tape, just store it in a dry place where it's protected from the elements. With flash memory, though, you'll have to archive all of the footage to DVDs or hard drives. I'd recommend DVDs since hard drives tend to fail at the worst possible moments.

Here's an example video (it was shot with the HF S10, but the only difference between that and the HF S100 is the fact that the S10 comes with internal memory). http://vimeo.com/9548392

Pretty impressive, eh? :D

Hope my info was useful!
 
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The hallmark of an amateurish project is bad sound, so as a "sound guy" it should come as no surprise that I am going to recommend that you cut your camera budget in half and apply the rest to audio.

No matter how beautiful the shot, no matter how intense the performances, if the audience cannot understand the dialog they will "tune out." After all, the film began as a SCRIPT, which are the words SPOKEN by the characters. The dialog between the characters is the main impetus telling the story. Everything else is to provide context for the dialog. How impressive would "Avatar" or (fill in the blank) have been if it had sounded like 95% of the stuff posted on YouTube?

Great filmmaking is about the complete package - the script, the talent on both sides of the camera, cinematography, costumes, make-up/hair/costumes, locations, set dressing, sound, etc. Then there are the "mundane" items that should be covered in preproduction and have to be monitored and adhered to during production - budgets & accounting, cast & crew maintenance (food, lodging, transportation), scheduling, equipment acquisition & maintenance, communications and a host of other items. Then there are similar things that apply to post and the promotion of the project after it has been completed.

Now, I know that you are very excited and just want to get out there and shoot. If this is a hobby, then you can disregard most of my advice. But if you want to make a career out of filmmaking make sure that you consider ALL aspects of filmmaking before you commit your limited funds.

I will admit that I know nothing about cameras, but there are probably lots nice used cameras out there. I just looked at B&H and they have a Panasonic AG-DVC7 for about $800. Yeah, I know if you add another $500 for sound gear you're way over budget, but I'm sure that you could find something that would fit your budget. But something to keep in mind is that cameras come in the "flavor of the month", but as an investment your audio purchases will retain more of their value (with perhaps the exception of digital audio recorders) and still be useful ten years down the line.

So think it through.

Good Luck!!!
 
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Canon Vixia HV40

I would go with the HV40, personally. It is pretty state of the art, handheld and doesn't have the compatibility issues from 60i to 24p in Premiere Pro that the HV30 had. The miniHDV tapes are only like 5 bucks a piece, so it's pretty affordable.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
The hallmark of an amateurish project is bad sound, so as a "sound guy" it should come as no surprise that I am going to recommend that you cut your camera budget in half and apply the rest to audio.

No matter how beautiful the shot, no matter how intense the performances, if the audience cannot understand the dialog they will "tune out." After all, the film began as a SCRIPT, which are the words SPOKEN by the characters. The dialog between the characters is the main impetus telling the story. Everything else is to provide context for the dialog. How impressive would "Avatar" or (fill in the blank) have been if it had sounded like 95% of the stuff posted on YouTube?

Great filmmaking is about the complete package - the script, the talent on both sides of the camera, cinematography, costumes, make-up/hair/costumes, locations, set dressing, sound, etc. Then there are the "mundane" items that should be covered in preproduction and have to be monitored and adhered to during production - budgets & accounting, cast & crew maintenance (food, lodging, transportation), scheduling, equipment acquisition & maintenance, communications and a host of other items. Then there are similar things that apply to post and the promotion of the project after it has been completed.

Now, I know that you are very excited and just want to get out there and shoot. If this is a hobby, then you can disregard most of my advice. But if you want to make a career out of filmmaking make sure that you consider ALL aspects of filmmaking before you commit your limited funds.

I will admit that I know nothing about cameras, but there are probably lots nice used cameras out there. I just looked at B&H and they have a Panasonic AG-DVC7 for about $800. Yeah, I know if you add another $500 for sound gear you're way over budget, but I'm sure that you could find something that would fit your budget. But something to keep in mind is that cameras come in the "flavor of the month", but as an investment your audio purchases will retain more of their value (with perhaps the exception of digital audio recorders) and still be useful ten years down the line.

So think it through.

Good Luck!!!
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Thanks for the info Alcove! the budget i laid out in my first post is only for the camera...i'm looking at spending another 200-500 dollars on audio and/or lighting as well. so i guess in total my budget for the entire package including camera, sound, and lighting would be around 1500$
 
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my budget for the entire package including camera, sound, and lighting would be around 1500$
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In that case, spend less money on the camera so that you can afford better audio equipment. WalMart has the HF S100 camcorder for $760 USD (link). They might have it for a similar price in Canada (there are WalMarts in Canada, right? Forgive me if I'm wrong and that link is useless). It's pretty unbeatable in terms of price. If I had the money, I'd order it right now!

The HF S100 has great manual control (from what I've heard, read and seen). Although I've heard focusing can be tricky with it, but if you practice you can get good results from it. :D
 
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I agree with Yodaman; increase your budget of the audio. A good microphone will last many years; I have several that I've had for more than 20 years - and one over 30 - that I still use. Most everything else - preamps, computers, recording media etc. - has been in flux as I keep up with technology.

The absolute basics, if you choose and invest wisely, will save you large amounts of money in the future. Something as simple as a mic stand for my studio was about $250 back in '02. It works with all mics, whether they cost $100 or $3k, and will always work with all mics in the future; that same stand now goes for $325. I still use other 20 year old mic stands as well. So as a shooter you should invest in a great tripod; you'll always need it, you'll always have it, and it won't cost you to upgrade three years from now. Something else that many ignore are cases for the equipment; keeping your gear safe from weather, bumps and drops will save you from repairs - which can take a looooong time and leaves you without your toy for all that time - or outright replacement.

I guess I can't help looking at things from the investment point of view; my dad was an CPA and personal financial rep, his dad was a banker. But you are making as investment in your future.

Check out my blog here on IndieTalk about production sound, hopefully it will help you out.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
I agree with Yodaman; increase your budget of the audio. A good microphone will last many years; I have several that I've had for more than 20 years - and one over 30 - that I still use. Most everything else - preamps, computers, recording media etc. - has been in flux as I keep up with technology.

The absolute basics, if you choose and invest wisely, will save you large amounts of money in the future. Something as simple as a mic stand for my studio was about $250 back in '02. It works with all mics, whether they cost $100 or $3k, and will always work with all mics in the future; that same stand now goes for $325. I still use other 20 year old mic stands as well. So as a shooter you should invest in a great tripod; you'll always need it, you'll always have it, and it won't cost you to upgrade three years from now. Something else that many ignore are cases for the equipment; keeping your gear safe from weather, bumps and drops will save you from repairs - which can take a looooong time and leaves you without your toy for all that time - or outright replacement.

I guess I can't help looking at things from the investment point of view; my dad was an CPA and personal financial rep, his dad was a banker. But you are making as investment in your future.

Check out my blog here on IndieTalk about production sound, hopefully it will help you out.
Click to expand...

Thanks again, friend. are there any suggestions you can give me as to a good mic for me to purchase that wont break the bank??
 
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