Camcorder with quality of a Canon 7D?

Why don't you save up another 200 bucks and invest on the 7D itself? If you really want a specific product, you'll be most satisfied when you get the product itself, instead of looking for a replacement.

And the Canon T2i would be a good choice too if you really want to save some money.
 
You aren’t going to like this at all.

If you have a good script, good actors, good sound, good lighting,
good direction, good camera placement and you use a $150 Flip
camera or an old VHS camera you can make a good short film.

The camera you use is last on the list of what is needed to make a
good short film. I go to a lot of film festivals, I see a lot of
short films. I have seen way more bad short films that look great
and were shot with top of the line cameras than good short films.

Check out these:
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20705
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20708
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20677
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20745
 
The new Canon T2i is great...it has the exact same sensor as the 7D, and is half the price ($800). The only dif is the T2i isn't as 'setup' for still photography...it has the filmmaker in mind.

You'll have to get a lens on top of that also.

You won't find a camcorder (sans lens) that will produce the quality of the 7D in that price range.
 
You aren’t going to like this at all.

If you have a good script, good actors, good sound, good lighting,
good direction, good camera placement and you use a $150 Flip
camera or an old VHS camera you can make a good short film.

The camera you use is last on the list of what is needed to make a
good short film. I go to a lot of film festivals, I see a lot of
short films. I have seen way more bad short films that look great
and were shot with top of the line cameras than good short films.

Check out these:
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20705
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20708
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20677
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=20745

I stand behind what Directorik says 100%...

That's the problem with the independent community these days. This doesn't pertain to anyone in this thread, BUT, that's why there are so many bad films out there. People are worrying about the film look, worrying about cameras, worrying about this and that...

The secret is, plop an amazing script on the laps of a couple well respected people on this board. have them read it if they don't mind and get some feedback. That's your secret weapon. The thing that will set you or anybody apart from the other 6, 10, 20, 40 thousand people in the world is a good story.

If people would sit down and concentrate on writing a good story while working a day job and saving money then they would be able to throw down for a 3 thousand dollar camera...

Like I said, this isn't directed towards anyone on this forum...
 
If you have a good script, good actors, good sound, good lighting,
good direction, good camera placement and you use a $150 Flip
camera or an old VHS camera you can make a good short film.

The camera you use is last on the list of what is needed to make a
good short film.

Full agreement. That being said, I'm with M1chae1 -- planning on getting a t2i, myself.
 
The thing that will set you or anybody apart from the other 6, 10, 20, 40 thousand people in the world is a good story.

One of the major things that will set you apart also...is finishing your movie. I know. Big surprise right...well the truth is, the *majority* of true-indie filmmakers don't finish their work. And I'm not talking about a twelve minute short...I'm talking about a feature. Finish your work, and you already are ahead of the game.

Then, after you're done...promote and market the heck out of it. Another laps by indie filmmakers. But anyway...that's for another thread.

I totally agree that what you shoot on isn't the kiss of death. But I do think particular mediums are 'prettier' than others. Just like art...I like water color...but I think a beautiful oil painting on canvas will curve my turn much more than water color on paper.

Do I need DOF to admire...of course not. Two of the directors I work with *choose* not to use lenses. They actually want the infinite focus look, as a style choice...while every other Joey Bag'O Donuts DP is clammering for a Redrock setup so they can master the shallow DOF and rack-focus whoring...lol. OK OK, I'm just having fun, but you get my point.

I think if you really know how to light a scene, how to work a camera and how to compose a shot...you can shoot on anything. But I think your art can suffer if you use less professional equipment, and you don't know how to make it work. Your work will suffer no matter what equipment you use if you don't know what you're doing (I've seen lots of crap shot on RED), but my point being...if a filmmaker made a film on sVHS and then reshot it in RED...I can promise you the version shot on RED will be a much better movie-going experience and better flick overall. This is my opinion. My two cents.

Thank you.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top