Camera equipment

H

Hamfisted

In the next couple of weeks I will have the funds to purchase a sub industry standerd HD camera. I'm looking to spend 2.500-3.000 pounds. But I'm looking for advice or recommendations. I don't want to spend all that money only relise that the previos model is just a good and cheaper. I would be very grateful full any and all advice.

Thanks
Tom
 
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Welcome, Tom.

Check out the Sony HVR-Z5P and the Sony HXR-NX5P NXCAM at the higher end.
The Panasonic AG-HVX200AE and Sony HVR-V1P at the lower end.

I don't know the PAL model number but in your price range you should look at
the JVC GY-HM100U which would be my recommendation. It's the one I own.
 
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Great cameras mentioned there. The Sony Z5 would get my vote, its an absolute joy to use, an ace bit of kit, although its outside your price range by about a grand- if you can afford it go for it I'd say though.

JVC GY-HM100U is also a great bit of kit and comes in just over 2 grand I believe. Fab compact camera, I'll vouch for it too, the features it boasts on such a small body is brilliant.

Tell you what though, cant go wrong with a Sony PD150/170, not HD but its a warhorse of a camera and you can find them cheap enough now for under a 1K.
 
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When you say that your location is 'Crawley' I hope you are referring to my home town of Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom???

If not:

To answer your question I would poke around and see if you can pick up a JVC GY-HM700 second hand. It's a very nice camera but it'll stretch your budget.
 
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The obvious choice is DSLRs. The 5D Mark II image quality is virtually indistinguishable from much more expensive cinema video cameras. I remember seeing a comparison video at some point...

The most impressive camera these days, in my opinion, is the Panasonic AG-AF100. It's still out of your budget range however. And mine.

But man, after using a DSLR, I don't think I could ever give up my depth of field again.

EDIT: here is that comparison: http://www.zacuto.com/shootout
 
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superamazing said:
The obvious choice is DSLRs. The 5D Mark II image quality is virtually indistinguishable from much more expensive cinema video cameras. I remember seeing a comparison video at some point...

The most impressive camera these days, in my opinion, is the Panasonic AG-AF100. It's still out of your budget range however. And mine.

But man, after using a DSLR, I don't think I could ever give up my depth of field again.

EDIT: here is that comparison: http://www.zacuto.com/shootout
Click to expand...

And this is what sweeping independent film, worldwide. Especially after Danny Boyle did 127 Hours with the 5D and 7D mostly, people shit their pants. An Oscar caliber film shot on a DSLR? That's allowed?

Of course broke independents have been shooting with it for well over a year now, the 7D that is. 5D looks great too. For the price ($2,500 American) you can get a nice lens and a camera body, and have that depth of field that people rent the Letus adapter for when they're using the Panasonic and JVC cameras. They're quite durable as well, we splattered a 7D with blood, 10 miles an hour, straight out of a hose, and still got the rest of the shot and finished, all while our DP is cursing and screaming. After using the DSLR's, I couldn't comfortably say yeah, let's go back to HDV if I have the choice. Recently, I didn't have the choice. It worked out fine, but just sayin', I was wishin for that 7D back.
 
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Infested Films said:
And this is what sweeping independent film, worldwide. Especially after Danny Boyle did 127 Hours with the 5D and 7D mostly, people shit their pants. An Oscar caliber film shot on a DSLR? That's allowed?
Click to expand...

Don't know where you're getting your information from. To the best of my knowledge not a second of 127Hours was filmed on DSLR. I read the AC interview with Anthony Dodd Mantle and the other cinematographer and they were using the same sort of lightweight digital cameras that they used to shoot Slumdog Millionaire, but not DSLRs.

Black Swan on the other hand...
 
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542344/technical

They used a bunch, but most of the scenes in the opening were 7D and 5D, I could tell that from watching it.

Everything else was Moviecam and then the Redlake Y5 and Silicon Imaging SI-2K mini. On a movie like that, especially the opening and closing, I'm sure they just had them all running, grabbing footage everywhere.

And the one they used for video on Slumdog was the SI 2K. Everything else was an Arri 35 and 16 cameras. But Boyle is a master at hiding formats.

Black Swan was 5D, 7D, and Arri 16.

Just goes to show that the format doesn't matter, it's all what you do with it.
 
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I think that those cameras were only ever us in burst mode to capture stills, never actually to shoot viddeo.

Not intentionally trying to be pedantic but I do worry that DSLRs are being over hyped.
 
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NickClapper said:
I think that those cameras were only ever us in burst mode to capture stills, never actually to shoot viddeo.

Not intentionally trying to be pedantic but I do worry that DSLRs are being over hyped.
Click to expand...

The worst are the hd flip cams. There's no way to hold them steady except with a tripod, at which point, it becomes ameliorable to have a larger-lens'd video camera.
 
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I should clarify that I would never compare DSLRs to Flip cams...

I own the Canon 550D and I really like it. But the reason that DSLRs are so good is the fact that the next step up from them costs 10 times as much. They're an extremely good value option but they cannot replicate the cinematic look. I think much of the reason why they have been used in certain big budget productions is because Canon's marketing department has been throwing money about in order to get the camera used in big productions in order to entice the huge consumer and prosumer markets. I can speak for Black Swan but that's certainly the reason behind the finale of House Season Six...
 
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I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions, they have been a big help. I'm on the internet at the moment looking at reviews etc.

Btw NickClapper I am indeed from the Town Crawley in the West of the County Sussex
 
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Hamfisted said:
I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions, they have been a big help. I'm on the internet at the moment looking at reviews etc.

Btw NickClapper I am indeed from the Town Crawley in the West of the County Sussex
Click to expand...

Oh my god! What are the chances? (Not that slim I guess)

Well as probably the only other filmmaker active in Crawley, I salute you and offer my help if ever you need it!
 
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