Saturday, June 1, 2013

video camera high quality for low price?

Q. I need to find a fairly inexpensive digital video camera.

I will use it to compile sports tape, so it must take good quality video.
I will also use it for 2 school video projects which, mean i need to be able to upload video to the school computers for editing.

What is the best digital video camera i can get for a fairly low price?

A. Ok.. given school, you need to be sure you're getting a camcorder that can work with the school computers. Most will, but for example, if the class isn't video-oriented, they may not have Firewire, which is the standard for all tape-based camcoder transfers to computer.

Without offering a price limit, this is a hard question to in return offer specifics. You can pay serious green for a very good quality camcorder... you can pay under $100 for a "Flip" style web-camcoder. There are dozens of cheap camcorders like this: cheap non-zoom lens, horrible low-light capability, weird recording formats. I can recommend the Flip only because the software is good.. the video is still poor, but they're easy to use. Aipitek, DXP, and many other Chinese flash-card camcorders have similar quality, but no decent software support.

The best deal I've seen lately for a high-def camcoder was a Hitachi Blu-Ray based model (far from the best HD camcorder, but not too bad in bright sunlight) for $299.. but that's over. Usually, you're going to pay $500+ for a high-def camcorder.

Regular consumer camcorders, more likely to be in the $200-$400 range... there are dozens of options, and I don't know what you're looking for well enough to suggest anything. Look at http://www.camcorderinfo.com for reviews and suggestions.

You can get really good standard-def video these days in most modern still photo cameras. Any 640x480 mode is likely to rival the 720x480 mode you get in all standard-def camcorders. My daughter is in a "Communications Academy" in High School, they do video projects all the time. While I've offered a few video camera to her for these things, most of the video she shoots in on her Pentax pocket digital camera (last Christmas' present). I paid about $100 for that camera.

And if this is just for two projects.. borrow something. Even if you think you're going on in video work, rushing to buy something for just one project is usually a formula for disappointment.


I'm looking for a good video camera under $600 to record an instructional DVD, any advice?
Q. I'm looking for a good video camera under $600 to record an instructional DVD. It will be on a tripod, so it's not going to really need the ability to film sports or anything. Just good quality video and color. Any suggestions?
Thank you!

A. Pretty much any camcorder in this price range will provide similar video quality - though personally, I would suggest you stay with miniDV tape based camcorders because miniDV tape - specifically the DV format stored to the tape - does not compress the digital video data as much a a hard disc drive (HDD) or flash memory based camcorder in the same range.

Your biggest issue will be to have good lighting on your side. I think the Panasonic PV-GS320, Sony DCR-HC52 and Canon ZR900 and ZR930 are good candidates. With the GS320 and HC52, you should also include a field recorder for the audio - M-Audio, Zoom, Edirol and others make decent units. This is because the GS-320 and HC52 do not have a mic-jack. You want to get the mic as close as possible to the person speaking - so in this case, that means getting the camcorder close for the built-in mics. When you edit the video, replace the camcorder audio with the audio from the field recorder.

The ZR900 and ZR930 have a mic jack (in addition to their built-in mics), so mic placement does not need to coincide with camcorder placement.

Since you should be editing, a DVD based camcorder immediately drops from the list and should not be considered.


What video camera should I buy to record YouTube videos?
Q. I'm trying to get a video camera that would be good to upload vids to YouTube. Not that expensive, just good quality.

A. HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras interpolate the video, which means of every 25 frames of video, 4 or 5 frames are taken by the lens assembly; the other frames in between these are filled in by the camcorder inner circuitry, thus giving you not true video. It looks like this -one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, from front to back of the video. Near impossible to edit, even when you have the Multi port processor computer with the big 1GB Graphics card and a Sound card that is required to edit, view, watch and work with the files these camcorders produce.

DSLR Cameras, all Makes, all Models, all have the same problem when video taping some long videos, all overheat at the 13 to 18 minute mark, depending on the Make and Model. This is unavoidable, it all has to with the fact, video is an afterthought in DSLR camera production.

Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording Consumer Level HD Camcorder and DSLR Cameras, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes – four different times advertised as maximum record time for some Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders and DSLR Cameras or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.

MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition. And add the fact that to get a HD camcorder that could produce better video quality footage, one would have to spend in excess of $3500 for that camcorder that could produce higher quality video

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part1_camcorder_choices.htm

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part2_connect_camcorder.htm

http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders/vixia_hv40#Overview





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