Need help choosing equipment at $2000 budget

Hello!
I did surf posts in this forum and got a lot of information and knowledge.

I love cinematography and would like to shoot short films as a hobby.

What camera, lenses, camera add-ons and lights would you recommend to purchase on the subjected budget that would make it possible to have that FILM LOOK in my future shorts?

I have already constructed a nice track dolly. Have some lights, though not happy with them. Purchased Matthews M25 Tripod.

Please, help me to get the right equipment.
 
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Yeah, the info-ocean is getting deeper...
At least I have made my mind on what camera I what:

1) Fits my budget $1000-$1500
2) Has as many MANUAL controls as possible. (Traditional focus ring is a great thing to have)
3) Has a Native HD 1080 24p

Ok, I need to make a decision in two or three days as my budget is ready. I need to purchase these tools otherwise money WILL flow somewhere else :)

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE help me choosing a camcorder.

1) I like the manual focus ring of Pana TM700, but I dislike colors
2) I like Native 24P and colors of Canon HF S21, but I dislike limited manual controls
3) My shorts will mostly be burned onto DVD to watch on a standard or HD TV, uploaded into web, projected onto a presentation screen and maybe aired on TV. The will NOT be printed on film.
4) How important is it to have Native 24P (in view of item 3)?
5) Does it worth buying a cheap camcorder and getting 35mm adapter like Jag?
6) Does Jag give me a full manual control?
 
That makes sense. That makes a perfect sense! However, HFS100 does not have a Native 24p

Then the list adapted for me would be:
Camera stuff:
Canon HFS100 with accessories (longer life battery, SD cards, battery charger, etc) - ~$900 ???
Do It For Me steadycam - ~$40
Jag35Pro 35mm adapter with FD mount and an FD 50mm f/1.4 lens - ~$400
Do It For Me rail system - ~$40
External monitor - $250 (any particular type, so it does not lie on contrast, brightness, saturation...? LCD? Size?)


I have hFS100 and 24p is in there.. All the MTS files come out wrapped in 60i, but a quick pass through cineform gets em right inline.. as most folks are going through cineform with this camera its a moot point.
 
I've been shopping for a camera myself the last few weeks and have been waffling between the Canon HFS100 and the T2i. Yes, I know all about the limitations of DSLRs, but there are benefits also. For me it all came down to image. After spending hours on Vimeo and elsewhere watching clips from both cameras I truly think the T2i has the superior image, and for me, image is everything, so I think that is the camera I'll be buying. Someone else described HD footage shot with a video camera as being "flat" while the T2i produces rich, dimensional images and I would have to agree.

It sounds like you're going to stick with a video camera but you know, I think you might ultimately regret not getting a DSLR. Here's hoping you make enough money with your camcorder to buy a DSLR later.
 
"roomy" sound even with a SHOTGUN mic?
It's the way shotgun mics interact with room acoustics that causes the "roomy" sound; it picks up all of the thousands of echo bounces from the front only.

What if I keep good direction and a distance close to a speaking person? On the other hand I can ask talent to overdub himself during post production.
Everyone says that they will do just that, but end up sacrificing the sound for the shot. And believe me, the ADR will have none of the passion of the original performance, plus the fact that most talent - even experienced professionals - has difficulty with ADR. And, if you don't have serious audio chops and the proper tools you will have difficulty achieving seamless sync. I do have the chops and the tools, and it's one of the few things I sweat.
 
I have hFS100 and 24p is in there.. All the MTS files come out wrapped in 60i, but a quick pass through cineform gets em right inline.. as most folks are going through cineform with this camera its a moot point.
I see cineform is A MUST these days. So I am glad HFS100 has 24p. Can you tell if this 24p really looks "filmy"?
What about 35mm Lens Adapter? Is it better to get a video cam and DOF adapter or get a DSLR camera?
 
It sounds like you're going to stick with a video camera but you know, I think you might ultimately regret not getting a DSLR. Here's hoping you make enough money with your camcorder to buy a DSLR later.
I have a close friend who owns Canon 500D. I shall play with it for a day or two to make sure I have no regrets in future :)
Thanks for keeping me "opened eye" :)
 
Then with MK-012 i will NOT have that "roomy" because it is NOT a shotgun mic. I mean it will NOT be as hard during recording indoors as with NTG, right?

A cardioid (like the MK-012) will be less roomy than a shotgun. How much less roomy will depend upon how much you pay attention to technique and room prep.

Production sound is not as simple as "get this and it's easy/perfect." This actually applies to all other aspects of audio and, I assume, cameras/lighting as well. There is having the knowledge of why sounds act as they do (acoustics), which mic to use in each specific situation, the technique of how to use the specific mic, boom pole handling technique, and other things such as gain-staging, bit/sample rates, etc.
 
I really liked the manual control rings, but 500D's Full HD is at 20p maximum. And I did not like the jello effect.
The jello effect is very obvious during fast panning or hand moving of the camera. It is also noticeable in case of a rapid move of the shot object. Although it was 500D NOT 550D, but I can see the same issues in the videos shot with 550D uploaded on youtube.

Another thing that annoys me a lot is some sort of a sharp horizontal shear during object moving or panning. The shear affects only the area that is particularly in a move. I am not sure if it is RECORDED that way or is it my PLAYBACK.
 
Another thing that annoys me a lot is some sort of a sharp horizontal shear during object moving or panning. The shear affects only the area that is particularly in a move. I am not sure if it is RECORDED that way or is it my PLAYBACK.
it IS my playback. Something is wrong with my ATI Mobility Radeon. Intel Graphics generates no such horizontal shear effect.
 
A few things that you should notice...

It's a relatively quiet location.

It's very close in.

It's properly aimed.

It has good wind protection.

There is still some low end rumble - which can be easily taken care of with a high pass filter.

(FYI, I was listening on some cheap computer speakers, not my $2k studio speakers.)

Yup, it does a nice job for the price, but it was well handled and well recorded - and they don't tell you what the audio recording device was, which also makes a difference.

As I've said many times in the past, it's not just the gear but the technique with which the gear is used.
 
DSL camera's ergonomics is just not for filming AT ALL. I will definitely need to always use tripod not only for stable shots, but as a steadycam as well. There is simply no way to shoot a video holding a camera in hand.
 
Another issue with the DSLR Camera is not being able to hook up an external monitor or am I wrong?
And, BTW, what monitor would you recommend on set and for post?
 
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So, the audio gear is purchased.
I got Zoom, NTG-2 and Oktava MK-012.
Now, its time to finalize with camera. Here is what I found on the net googling "the best camera for indie film" :)

My recommendations are, minimum you should go with the Panasonic PVGS400 MiniDV 3CCD 4MP Video Camera. Its a great camera for the price. It will allow you to create that Hollywood look and it has all the features of a pro camera. Picture quality is very close to broadcast and there are add on lenses you can get if you need to go to tele photo or wide angle. Not as good as being able to change the lenses like the canon digital cameras but you can get the job done. Very important also is an external mike connection.

My recommendation if you have the bucks is the Canon XL2 Digital Camera Kit . It has BroadCast quality and you can change the lenses on the camera. Canon is the only video camera that allows you to do that. Again When your looking for that perfect shot, being able to change to a wide angle lens when you need to, will make that shot a reality.
source

I have a feeling that neither HD nor 24p on miniDV tapes is ever really possible. Am I wrong?
 
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