Semi-Pro Camera 1.5k-2k budget

DanGoloborodko

DanGoloborodko

Looking to get my second camera had an old camcorder before. Not looking to get a camcorder at all really. Maybe a DSLR? Let me know what a good buy would be. I have 2k to spend on the camera and sound so if you can give me a good setup that would be great. Shooting mostly short films/skits and maybe a documentary or two
 
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I've always had a lot of luck with B&H Photo. Some things are a little bit more expensive than if you did lots of searching on the web, but it's worth it for a reputable dealer and their customer support. It's also worth it to begin a relationship with an honest, reputable vendor. If you spend time on the phone with a sales rep you can put together a package deal and save a few dollars.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
I've always had a lot of luck with B&H Photo. Some things are a little bit more expensive than if you did lots of searching on the web, but it's worth it for a reputable dealer and their customer support. It's also worth it to begin a relationship with an honest, reputable vendor. If you spend time on the phone with a sales rep you can put together a package deal and save a few dollars.
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alright man i'll def check em out thanks
 
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For sound, you're going to need both a digital recorder and at least a decent shotgun mic. The Zoom H1 is an okay budget recorder, but you'll need to spend around $300 on either the Zoom H4n or a Tascam DR100 to get basic professional features and sound. For a shotgun mic, the Rode NTG2 is probably your best, cheapest mic.

For lights, you can drop around $100 on a budget kit. Clamp lights, work lights, and a paper ball light will give you enough to learn basic three point lighting which will give you a fundamental understanding of how light affects your scene.

If you're operating on a micro budget and have some DIY skill, the Frugal Filmmaker is an excellent resource.

EDIT: Don't forget about accessories. Cables, SD cards, tripod, batteries...
 
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DanGoloborodko said:
excuse my extreme noob questions but can you explain why i need a digital recorder? Like is it necessary
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DSLRs have subpar audio recording. You also can't plug in headphones, so you don't know what you're recording. Being able to hear what you're recording is an absolute necessity, so you need to get a separate recorder. This also allows the sound recordist to be untethered to the camera, which is handy.
 
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SinEater said:
DSLRs have subpar audio recording. You also can't plug in headphones, so you don't know what you're recording. Being able to hear what you're recording is an absolute necessity, so you need to get a separate recorder. This also allows the sound recordist to be untethered to the camera, which is handy.
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Aaaahhhhh Grasshopper - you have learned you lessons well...
 
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hahaha ok thank you for the input everyone. Unfortunately i doubt i'll be abe to get this all in a bundle so with the camera alone i understand the audio won't be Inception style high def but will it be usable? I mean on a scale of 1-10 1 being static and crap and 10 being a recording of Morgan Freeman's voice on the most high tech audio equiptment, how would let's say the GH2 place?
 
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DanGoloborodko said:
hahaha ok thank you for the input everyone. Unfortunately i doubt i'll be abe to get this all in a bundle so with the camera alone i understand the audio won't be Inception style high def but will it be usable? I mean on a scale of 1-10 1 being static and crap and 10 being a recording of Morgan Freeman's voice on the most high tech audio equiptment, how would let's say the GH2 place?
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Without a microphone it will sound like any home movie. You'll here what's happening, but it will be in no way releasable to any sort of audience. With a microphone attached it might sound almost passable, or it might be full of static, interference and hiss. You'll have no idea though, because you can't monitor via headphones. You'll just find out once you get home and review the footage. Maybe it sounded okay, or maybe it's completely unusable and you wasted a day of shooting.

Please also understand buying a DR-100 and a decent microphone isn't going to give you "Inception style high def" sound. It will just get you sound that is usable at the indie level, providing the equipment is operated correctly. Hollywood level production sound kits can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds.
 
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SinEater said:
Without a microphone it will sound like any home movie. You'll here what's happening, but it will be in no way releasable to any sort of audience. With a microphone attached it might sound almost passable, or it might be full of static, interference and hiss. You'll have no idea though, because you can't monitor via headphones. You'll just find out once you get home and review the footage. Maybe it sounded okay, or maybe it's completely unusable and you wasted a day of shooting.

Please also understand buying a DR-100 and a decent microphone isn't going to give you "Inception style high def" sound. It will just get you sound that is usable at the indie level, providing the equipment is operated correctly. Hollywood level production sound kits can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds.
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Hey SinEater, with the GH2, what kind of equipment do you need to be able to monitor the audio via headphones?
 
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DanGoloborodko said:
Any users (state for how long/experience/what you use it for) that could comment and help reinforce/weaken my choice would be equally helpful.
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I know you won’t really listen to this but I’m going to say it
anyway; I’ve used the GH2 - it’s a fine camera, frankly no better
or worse than any other camera in that price range. At your
experience level with good audio and good lighting the camera
isn’t going to make a noticeable difference. It’s when you get to
the pro level that the tech specs and lenses really matter. By
then you will be using a pro DP.

For now I recommend you stop wavering on the camera, get what you
can afford and begin the learning process of making a watchable
movie.
 
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