Q. I don't know much about them and the info out there doesn't really break it down from the basics to the advanced. All I know is what they have at the local stores. How do I choose a good family video camera? Of course budget is a factor, but remove that and tell me what to look for/where to look/how to differentiate.
A. DVD camcorders are never a good choice! Since it's a family camcorder I'll make a couple of assumptions - you'll want to keep the video for a long time and it needs to be fairly robust. Look for an entry level MiniDV camcorder - they record to tapes which can be kept for years and, while you can't use them as footballs, they're able to stand some rough treatment. Don't get too hung up on the specs - get something that feels right, with the controls where you expect to find them, and that's within your budget. Don't bother about how much optical zoom a camcorder's got - they're all adequate, and ignore digital zoom completely. I'd avoid camcorders with touch screen controls (sticky fingers!) and look for something with a viewfinder so it's easier to use in bright sunlight.
You'll see a lot of (usually cheap) camcorders that record to memory cards. These are great for recording a few minutes of the kids playing and then watching the results straight away - they're not so good for the long term, though.
90% of the video that's shot is crap! That's not me being snotty, it's a law of nature (you should see MY 90%)! If you want something that people will watch more than once you'll need to edit it. You'll need to capture the video via firewire - if your PC hasn't already got one you'll need to install a firewire card. They're cheap, easy to install and readily available. You'll also need a firewire cable. You can then edit the video using Windows Movie Maker.
You'll see a lot of (usually cheap) camcorders that record to memory cards. These are great for recording a few minutes of the kids playing and then watching the results straight away - they're not so good for the long term, though.
90% of the video that's shot is crap! That's not me being snotty, it's a law of nature (you should see MY 90%)! If you want something that people will watch more than once you'll need to edit it. You'll need to capture the video via firewire - if your PC hasn't already got one you'll need to install a firewire card. They're cheap, easy to install and readily available. You'll also need a firewire cable. You can then edit the video using Windows Movie Maker.
How do I record with a video camera and watch at the same time?
Q. I coach football and I would like to hook a camera up to a laptop to allow me to re-watch plays while someone next to me continues to record the game. Is there any software of hook-up that would allow me to do that?
A. Video servers of the type used in broadcast television stations sometimes have the "playback while still recording" option. Not laptop class equipment. try google to get vendors for video servers.
In movies and music videos what kind of camera?
Q. In movies and music videos what kind of camera do they use to film it. I noticed the picture is so clear, and I wanted to know if they used a speacial kind. And how much would one cost?
A. The other posters are correct - but for a little more detail... typically, the professionals do not use consumer-grade camcorders. Even if it looks like they are using a consumer camera, that video is not used - it is typically captured by a pro-grade camera and the video is made to look like it was captured by a consumer cam.
If they even use a camcorder, at the low-end, check out the Sony HVR-Z1U, HVR-Z5U, HVR-Z7U; Canon XH and XL series or the Panasonic HVX200 series. Remember, this is the low end. The Sony HDCAMs and XDCAMs are more common at the mid and high end as are the Panasonic DVPRO systems.
Please note than NONE of these records to the highly compressed consumer-grade MPEG2 or AVCHD that consumer hard disc drive, consumer flash memory or consumer DVD camcorders capture. But many of them do record to DV (standard definition) and HDV (high definition) which is the same at that used by ALL miniDV tape based camcorders whether consumer or professional grade. DV/HDV can also be store to external hard drives connected to miniDV tape based camcorders (like the FireStore drives from Focus Enhancements) or, certain flash memory (like the P2 cards used by the higher end Panasonic camcorders. Then there are the special high capacity DVDs used by a few of the high-end Sony pro-grade HDCAM and XDCAM systems...
If they are working in a studio, it is likely they are not using a camcorder, but regular broadcast cameras... watch your local news or Jeopardy (the game show) or any professional football game - they usually have a shots of the the huge studio broadcast cameras at some point...
Are they "special"? Yes, they all have much larger lenses and imaging chips that consumer camcorders do not have. They are nearly ALWAYS on some sort of steadyting device (tripod, shoulder-mount Steadycam/Glidecam vest and articulating arm system, camera crane, etc... and NEVER just handheld. The camera itself is usually a few thousand. The lenses can be as much or more than the camera and the steadying system can also be as much or more than the camera...
In the movie environment, most large budget movies still use film cameras. Check out Panasonic's VariCam, Sony's CineAlta, Arri or PanaVision cameras... A few are moving to digital cams like the Red Scarlet... These systems can easily be $100,000 or more per camera.
If they even use a camcorder, at the low-end, check out the Sony HVR-Z1U, HVR-Z5U, HVR-Z7U; Canon XH and XL series or the Panasonic HVX200 series. Remember, this is the low end. The Sony HDCAMs and XDCAMs are more common at the mid and high end as are the Panasonic DVPRO systems.
Please note than NONE of these records to the highly compressed consumer-grade MPEG2 or AVCHD that consumer hard disc drive, consumer flash memory or consumer DVD camcorders capture. But many of them do record to DV (standard definition) and HDV (high definition) which is the same at that used by ALL miniDV tape based camcorders whether consumer or professional grade. DV/HDV can also be store to external hard drives connected to miniDV tape based camcorders (like the FireStore drives from Focus Enhancements) or, certain flash memory (like the P2 cards used by the higher end Panasonic camcorders. Then there are the special high capacity DVDs used by a few of the high-end Sony pro-grade HDCAM and XDCAM systems...
If they are working in a studio, it is likely they are not using a camcorder, but regular broadcast cameras... watch your local news or Jeopardy (the game show) or any professional football game - they usually have a shots of the the huge studio broadcast cameras at some point...
Are they "special"? Yes, they all have much larger lenses and imaging chips that consumer camcorders do not have. They are nearly ALWAYS on some sort of steadyting device (tripod, shoulder-mount Steadycam/Glidecam vest and articulating arm system, camera crane, etc... and NEVER just handheld. The camera itself is usually a few thousand. The lenses can be as much or more than the camera and the steadying system can also be as much or more than the camera...
In the movie environment, most large budget movies still use film cameras. Check out Panasonic's VariCam, Sony's CineAlta, Arri or PanaVision cameras... A few are moving to digital cams like the Red Scarlet... These systems can easily be $100,000 or more per camera.
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