Please help this newbie with a camcorder question!

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David Hanford

Hello!

I am making instructional videos. The format is a video of me (waist up only) superimposed over a powerpoint show. I am interested in buying a Canon XL2 for shooting me. I found a used one on ebay but it doesn't include the viewfinder. My question: Do I actually need one? The camera is going to be fixed in front of me and connected via firewire to my mac. So, does my mac technically become my viewfinder? Am I able to adjust the settings of the camera without the viewfinder, via the image produced on the screen of my mac?

Please help!

Thanks!

David
 
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If you went that route of buying the camera, you could hook the camera up to a tv to get a monitor to see how it appears and adjust that way.

As noted, something like this could use a web cam or a camcorder. Make sure the lighting is good, and any background is not distracting. What type of mic would you use for sound?
 
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Thanks for replying guys!

I have short musical intros for the clips. The rest of the sound is me talking in a mic. I feel I need a 3CCD camera because I want the videos to look professional. I don't want the videos to look like I made them in my bedroom. However, I don't know anything about video production. Are you guys saying that because my shot is so simple (just me with a black background) that a 3CCD camera is overdoing it? I don't mind spending the money to buy the best equipment (I just bought a 27" imac quad core), I just don't want to buy things I don't think I need. For example, I don't even think I need the lens that comes with the XL2. I don't need to zoom in and out; I don't need to blur the background and then focus on the subject. My shot is the same shot over and over: my big head! Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated!

David
 
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If the camera isn't moving and you can get some good lighting, even a cheaper Flip or Handycam could do that. Bigger and more pro cameras have more features and abilities, but for your set-up you'll never use them.

An XL2 is major over-kill, because all those fancy features your paying the big-bucks for your not going to use. Spend your money on good lighting for your green-screen and on a nice mic which you can plug into the camcorder.

Heck, if your only doing instructional videos with a stationary camera you could go for one of the Canon DSLR with video (I think the T2i/550 is around $800). Its not 3CCD but rather 1 CMOS but DSLR tend to produce excellent image quality but lack more in the "video camera form" aspects, but if your not running and gunning the camera it maybe something you want to check out.
 
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You don't need a viewfinder on the camera. As Tinalera
said, attaching a monitor or directly to your software will
be fine.

I also think Dreadylocks and Graeme are right. You don't
need the XL2 to get a good look. Use a light with a colored
gel on the background, a "hair light" behind you, a key
light and a small bounce and your "big head" shot will look
more professional.

Frankly if you don't light the shot well, you're going to get
that "look like I made them in my bedroom" quality with a
top of the line, $12,000 camera.
 
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