Starting equipment - camera vs audio

A

afaloth

Hi guys new here, just had a few quick questions, I have read extensively among the forums of camera vs audio type threads, and the pros on cons have, but I am still rather unsure, and would be very appreciative if anyone could help me out :) basically, I already have a sony hdr camcorder, I have enough money to buy a new camera and new audio equipment, however, I can only afford to buy either a better camera with not as good audio, or stick with the camera I've got and purchase much better audio.

Originally I was thinking of buying a Canon 550d, Tascam DR-07mkii and then if I had much left, a semi-decent external mic. But as I am just starting out, is it better to just buy better audio? I was thinking maybe Tascam DR-100 or zoom h2n with a rode ntg 2 or an audiotechnica AT8015? Any thoughts/advice or recommendations on what I should would be very helpful :) thanks!
 
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As my handle implies, I am rather biased.

Sound permeates our lives to such an extent that we do not even notice it. It is the only sense that provides us information about the outside world while we are in the womb (an infant can recognize the voices of immediate family members moments after birth). It is the only sense that can pinpoint direction spherically without moving our head. Sound is not affected by light or darkness (although the kinds of sounds may be). It is our most effective "early warning system", alerting us to unseen dangers. Sound is always present, and we automatically know which sounds are important and which we can ignore.

In the artificial construct of a film sound is the easiest thing to get wrong. Our eyes fool us all the time, our ears rarely do. This is why having sound that does not pull us out of the film is so important. When something is wrong with the sound we are immediately pulled out the film.

Getting the production sound right is the first step. If you capture solid production sound it means that your audience will hear and understand the dialog without making a conscious effort; in other words they will not be pulled out of the film by straining to understand what the characters are saying.

So my obvious vote is for getting the sound right. As always my first recommendation is to hire a professional, my second is to hook up with an up-and-coming PSM/boom-op, third is to rent when you're shooting. If you absolutely must own your own audio gear, at least get decent equipment.
 
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Thanks Alcove, what you have said has definitely persuaded me to focus a lot more on the audio. I have considered hiring and rental, but as I am beginning I am more experimental and so have lots of things to try rather than one large project, I've gone for the Tascam DR-100 and now deciding between the rode ntg 2 and the audio technia AT8015, also looking at a possible sennheiser
 
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The AT8015 is a long shotgun; a short shotgun like the AT875 or AT897 (or NTG-2 or NTG-1) would be a better bet. BTW, the AT875 and NTG-1 are supplied by external phantom power, the AT897 and NTG-2 can be supplied phantom power with an internal battery, but are prone to lower signal levels.
 
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