Newbie questions
- Thread starter maarcs
- Start date
Video camera covers just about anything that can shoot video. very broad & general.
Camcorder essentially means the same thing (camera recorder), but typically is used when talking about cheap, consumer hand/palm-held mini-dv cameras.
16:9 aspect ratio is fairly standard now, especially now that most modern televisions can use it.
I've no idea what camera you should buy.
Camcorder essentially means the same thing (camera recorder), but typically is used when talking about cheap, consumer hand/palm-held mini-dv cameras.
16:9 aspect ratio is fairly standard now, especially now that most modern televisions can use it.
I've no idea what camera you should buy.
What should you look for in a camera? How long is a piece of string?
First, even a cheap camera can produce reasonable footage if you learn what you are doing. Local theater groups are a good place to volunteer as a lighting stagehand. Bad and insufficient lighting can make a great camera give poor results, so it is important to learn how to light your scene.
As for a camera, it is good to stress test the camera in store if you can, and preview the footage in store on a computer if you are allowed to. Record in very dark areas and look for grain (random speckles) in the darkest areas of the recording. Check the focus quality at different distances (try for the distances you intend shooting at). Can you switch off automatic features? You do not want auto focus or auto white balance giving you trouble mid scene. If you can, try to shoot in HD 16:9 and without pulldown. HD may not be standard yet in many European countries, but it is standard in Japan, USA, almost standard in Australia, New Zealand, UK, and many other countries. I have had trouble with interlacing and pulldown for decades. It can slow down many edits and effects. Though at your price point you will probably have to live with pulldown (thankfully it is not as bad as interlacing). You may want to check daylight performance. Look for white blowout (pale colours all flooding with white unnaturally). When you hit 100% white with most cheap cameras, you can not recover any detail or colour from the area in software.
There is not a lot of difference between Mini DV, SD, and HDD recording. From my own experience and from friends and colleagues who did not listen to my advice, Sony are cheaper to purchase feature for feature, but they charge a lot more for media and replacement batteries. I personally will never touch another Sony product. I was burned a long time ago when Sony were restricting the availability of Memory Sticks. Had to cancel the whole shoot after a fruitless week of trying to source memory sticks on set. Funny because we were only minutes drive from one of the largest tourist traps in the world where one would expect camera media to be available.
At your price point you will probably have to do without 3 CCDs, so look for a larger single CCD if you can. Again, see if you can record some footage and check it on a computer (the 2.5 inch screens on the cameras are useless for checking your footage) to be sure.
There are many things to check. You may need a robust camera, you may be able to get away with a cheap flimsy camera. It all depends on what you will be using it for, and who will be using it. You may need a camera that can be run non stop on one battery for five hours? Without knowing more about what you want to use it for, the best anyone can do is give you general advice and hope it is good enough.
Oh, and audio. It is important to have headphone socket to monitor your audio. That can ruin a days worth of shooting if you are unaware of audio problems. A microphone in jack would be good as well, and an XLR (Balanced Audio) socket is far better than an audio jack (though not necessary if you are shooting a horror flick in a forest if you are not close to lighting). Balanced audio removes magnetic field hums that studio equipment gives off.
Good luck.
First, even a cheap camera can produce reasonable footage if you learn what you are doing. Local theater groups are a good place to volunteer as a lighting stagehand. Bad and insufficient lighting can make a great camera give poor results, so it is important to learn how to light your scene.
As for a camera, it is good to stress test the camera in store if you can, and preview the footage in store on a computer if you are allowed to. Record in very dark areas and look for grain (random speckles) in the darkest areas of the recording. Check the focus quality at different distances (try for the distances you intend shooting at). Can you switch off automatic features? You do not want auto focus or auto white balance giving you trouble mid scene. If you can, try to shoot in HD 16:9 and without pulldown. HD may not be standard yet in many European countries, but it is standard in Japan, USA, almost standard in Australia, New Zealand, UK, and many other countries. I have had trouble with interlacing and pulldown for decades. It can slow down many edits and effects. Though at your price point you will probably have to live with pulldown (thankfully it is not as bad as interlacing). You may want to check daylight performance. Look for white blowout (pale colours all flooding with white unnaturally). When you hit 100% white with most cheap cameras, you can not recover any detail or colour from the area in software.
There is not a lot of difference between Mini DV, SD, and HDD recording. From my own experience and from friends and colleagues who did not listen to my advice, Sony are cheaper to purchase feature for feature, but they charge a lot more for media and replacement batteries. I personally will never touch another Sony product. I was burned a long time ago when Sony were restricting the availability of Memory Sticks. Had to cancel the whole shoot after a fruitless week of trying to source memory sticks on set. Funny because we were only minutes drive from one of the largest tourist traps in the world where one would expect camera media to be available.
At your price point you will probably have to do without 3 CCDs, so look for a larger single CCD if you can. Again, see if you can record some footage and check it on a computer (the 2.5 inch screens on the cameras are useless for checking your footage) to be sure.
There are many things to check. You may need a robust camera, you may be able to get away with a cheap flimsy camera. It all depends on what you will be using it for, and who will be using it. You may need a camera that can be run non stop on one battery for five hours? Without knowing more about what you want to use it for, the best anyone can do is give you general advice and hope it is good enough.
Oh, and audio. It is important to have headphone socket to monitor your audio. That can ruin a days worth of shooting if you are unaware of audio problems. A microphone in jack would be good as well, and an XLR (Balanced Audio) socket is far better than an audio jack (though not necessary if you are shooting a horror flick in a forest if you are not close to lighting). Balanced audio removes magnetic field hums that studio equipment gives off.
Good luck.
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I totally disagree. This is not a "how long is string" question.
There are three things that are VERY important when getting
a camera:
Three CCD’s or CMOS
Manual controls for the iris, shutter, focus and white balance.
A microphone input.
Unfortunatly, in the $400 range all cameras are pretty much
the same. A Sony is like a Sharp is like a Canon is like a
Panasonic is like Samsung. And you won't get any of the three
minimum requirements. You can go to any Best Buy and pick
up a camera in that price range and you won’t be able to tell
the difference.
That's a nice entry-level camera. But it lacks a mic jack
so you will have to spend more money on an audio recorder.
I think it's better to save more money and get a camara
that has a mic input.
so you will have to spend more money on an audio recorder.
I think it's better to save more money and get a camara
that has a mic input.
and i disagree with you.
it IS a "how long is a piece of string" question because it matters what you want it for if you want a different effect with the camera then you would use a different camera like i like my footage to look like its from the 80s so i bought an old 1983 VHS camcorder so now its genuine 80s so it just matters what you want it for. Therefor i see it as a "How long is a piece of string" Question.
I can only speak from my own(limited) experience.
I have a MiniDV camera, as that what I was trained on. I've had great results using it, though the constant rewinding/fastforwarding can get a bit much. It IS moving parts, and I've used some of the older Camera(V500's come to mind)that would CHEW up tapes like no one's business(also used a V300 which I fell in love with and am trying to maybe find one used for a decent price). I use a small Canon Zr and it's worked wonders for MiniDV tapes. Another consideration is to MARK the tapes-already had one experience where I wiped out half a day shoot because I didn't have it labelled.
I haven't had much usage of the Hard Drive cameras-though I heard (by so called "experts") that these are the way to go, that MiniDV's are on their way out(anyone confirm/deny this?). There's no moving parts, though they can get a little pricier, depending on budget.
You can also use SD memory card cameras- not much experience on those either.
Ones I HAVE been told to stay away from by more than a couple of people are the mini DVD disc cameras. Has anyone else had experience with the DVD cams, and again confirm/deny?
I have a MiniDV camera, as that what I was trained on. I've had great results using it, though the constant rewinding/fastforwarding can get a bit much. It IS moving parts, and I've used some of the older Camera(V500's come to mind)that would CHEW up tapes like no one's business(also used a V300 which I fell in love with and am trying to maybe find one used for a decent price). I use a small Canon Zr and it's worked wonders for MiniDV tapes. Another consideration is to MARK the tapes-already had one experience where I wiped out half a day shoot because I didn't have it labelled.
I haven't had much usage of the Hard Drive cameras-though I heard (by so called "experts") that these are the way to go, that MiniDV's are on their way out(anyone confirm/deny this?). There's no moving parts, though they can get a little pricier, depending on budget.
You can also use SD memory card cameras- not much experience on those either.
Ones I HAVE been told to stay away from by more than a couple of people are the mini DVD disc cameras. Has anyone else had experience with the DVD cams, and again confirm/deny?
I would like to take a stab at your question.
Last year, did some research into "starter cameras". I am a junior high science teacher and was looking for a camera to teach myself video techniques/cinematography. I was interested in making my own series of Science videos and to film documentaries.
After about a month of comparing specs and speaking with others, I purchased a Canon FS100. In my opinion, it has FAR given me my money's worth! I paid $ 350.00 new from Amazon.
It has a 1/6 in. CMOS w/1.07 MP resolution. The recording medium is SDHC cards. It is a standard definition camera. It has manual exposure, focus, shutter speed and white balance. It also has a couple of useful functions like external mike jack and headphone jack. Additionally, it has a grid function that helps you get better at framing and composing shots!
It also does both 16:9 and 4:3.
I used my students last year as "captive actors" experimenting with the camera, as well as shot a lot of footage ( footage...SD card...oh well). The best part is you can take the SDHC card, put it directly in your computer and drag the files directly onto your hard drive! An 8MB card can record 2 hours on the XP - highest resolution. Almost 5 hours on its standard resolution setting.
The video quality on the highest resolution setting is "almost" HD quality. You can see many examples of the FS100's output on YouTube and Vimeo.
The updated version of this camera is the FS200, and currently sells for $ 290. on Amazon. I highly recommend looking into this!
Over the last year during my "learning process", I have also slowly accumulated additional equipment, such as a lav mike, shotgun mike, a tripod, camera stabilizer and Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum and Sony Acid. All this cost me appx. $1000.00 w/camera and several reference books.
I am in the process of shooting my first documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane Ike one year later. It is the story of how people fared with starting over despite insurance companies denying claims and FEMA telling people they can't help despite of total loss in some cases. So far the camera is working great for this purpose, but I am already itching to buy my first prosumer HD camera in October!
Get a camera, take the time to teach yourself the basics...the GO MAKE A MOVIE!
Hope this helps!
PS: This is my first post on IndieTalk, but have enjoyed the phenomenal amount of knowledge on this site!
Last year, did some research into "starter cameras". I am a junior high science teacher and was looking for a camera to teach myself video techniques/cinematography. I was interested in making my own series of Science videos and to film documentaries.
After about a month of comparing specs and speaking with others, I purchased a Canon FS100. In my opinion, it has FAR given me my money's worth! I paid $ 350.00 new from Amazon.
It has a 1/6 in. CMOS w/1.07 MP resolution. The recording medium is SDHC cards. It is a standard definition camera. It has manual exposure, focus, shutter speed and white balance. It also has a couple of useful functions like external mike jack and headphone jack. Additionally, it has a grid function that helps you get better at framing and composing shots!
It also does both 16:9 and 4:3.
I used my students last year as "captive actors" experimenting with the camera, as well as shot a lot of footage ( footage...SD card...oh well). The best part is you can take the SDHC card, put it directly in your computer and drag the files directly onto your hard drive! An 8MB card can record 2 hours on the XP - highest resolution. Almost 5 hours on its standard resolution setting.
The video quality on the highest resolution setting is "almost" HD quality. You can see many examples of the FS100's output on YouTube and Vimeo.
The updated version of this camera is the FS200, and currently sells for $ 290. on Amazon. I highly recommend looking into this!
Over the last year during my "learning process", I have also slowly accumulated additional equipment, such as a lav mike, shotgun mike, a tripod, camera stabilizer and Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum and Sony Acid. All this cost me appx. $1000.00 w/camera and several reference books.
I am in the process of shooting my first documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane Ike one year later. It is the story of how people fared with starting over despite insurance companies denying claims and FEMA telling people they can't help despite of total loss in some cases. So far the camera is working great for this purpose, but I am already itching to buy my first prosumer HD camera in October!
Get a camera, take the time to teach yourself the basics...the GO MAKE A MOVIE!
Hope this helps!
PS: This is my first post on IndieTalk, but have enjoyed the phenomenal amount of knowledge on this site!