Rachel
I am hoping to make a low budget ski movie this year. Last year I made one using a family camcorder, and was unsatisfied with the camera and the quality of the clips it produced. I would like to use a professional camera this year, while keeping it as cheap as possible. I need the camera to be durable, (works in low temperatures) and fairly easy to operate. It would be nice if it had a handle on top, to make action shots less shaky. I don't care, tape or memory card, as long as it has the capability to record an hour or more of footage at a time. HD is nice, but if the camera is nice enough, it is not absolutely essential. Manual focus in mandatory (obviously) and other special effects like fish eye are great. Any recommendations, or advice about how to go about buying such a camera?
Answer
Sony HDR-FX7 is a good professional camera with good price.
3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom
- Record and play back HDV 1080i video; switchable recording in standard definition
- ClearVid CMOS sensor; 20x optical zoom
- Wide 3.5-inch Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo LCD Plus display
- Capture 1.2-megapixel stills to Memory Stick Duo
- Professional 62mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IBDWNS?ie=UTF8&tag=computer0bd-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000IBDWNS
or if you want cheaper one Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom is a good one that take good video quality.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26rs%3D110770011%26high-price%3D%26x%3D0%26ref%255F%3Dsr%255Fnr%255Fp%255F36%255Fpr%26low-price%3D500%26bbn%3D172421%26y%3D0%26qid%3D1248396722%26rh%3Dn%253A502394%252Cn%253A172421%252Cn%253A110770011&tag=computer0bd-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957
Sony HDR-FX7 is a good professional camera with good price.
3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom
- Record and play back HDV 1080i video; switchable recording in standard definition
- ClearVid CMOS sensor; 20x optical zoom
- Wide 3.5-inch Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo LCD Plus display
- Capture 1.2-megapixel stills to Memory Stick Duo
- Professional 62mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IBDWNS?ie=UTF8&tag=computer0bd-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000IBDWNS
or if you want cheaper one Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom is a good one that take good video quality.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26rs%3D110770011%26high-price%3D%26x%3D0%26ref%255F%3Dsr%255Fnr%255Fp%255F36%255Fpr%26low-price%3D500%26bbn%3D172421%26y%3D0%26qid%3D1248396722%26rh%3Dn%253A502394%252Cn%253A172421%252Cn%253A110770011&tag=computer0bd-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957
BEST PROFESSIONAL HD VIDEO CAMERA FOR RECORDING INDOOR CONCERTS/PERFORMANCES (UNDER $1300)?
Maranata
Hello everyone!
I am completely inexperienced about video cameras. Could someone recommend the best professional HD video camera for recording INDOOR (guitar/string quartet/piano/some percussion) concerts and dance/drama performances, which usually have low light. I would prefer a shoulder-mount model. My budget is only $1300.
Thanks in advance!
Answer
My definition of a "professional" HD video camera:
Lens diameter of 70mm or larger;
3CCD or 3CMOS imaging chip array.
Low compression video capture and storage.
When you find this, you get:
Separate zoom and focus rings on the lens barrel;
Manual audio gain control on the outside of the camcorder;
Neutral density filter setting on the outside of the camcorder...
At the low end are "prosumer" units like the Sony HDR-FX1000.
Low end camcorders have small lens and small imaging chip - this makes it impossible to capture good video under poor lighting conditions. Manual controls are buried in the menu and difficult to use/reach (your iPad has no manual controls). As the lens diameter gets larger and the imaging chip size increases, the low-light and poor light video capture behavior gets better and so does the price. As the manual controls migrate to the outside of the camcorder, more price increases - and add a mic jack an manual audio control...
dSLRs and other still image capture devices that happen to capture video as a secondary "convenience feature" should not be used as camcorders. This does not mean they cannot capture good video - they can, but they can't be treated as a camcorder. dSLRs have known issues related to overheating when capturing video over a prolonged time; poor audio options, file size and video length limitations. Generally, dSLRs do not have "stabilization" for video (even when the lens has stabilization).
Best video is captured under perfect lighting and best audio levels using low compression. That is not reality. That means we need to use equipment that works under as many adverse circumstances as possible.
Use of some sort of stabilizer (other than the camcorder's optical stabilizer) is strongly recommended. Humans are not built to be steady. Use of the ground, a rock, chair, shelf, monopod, shoulder-mount - anything but handheld... If you are capturing video handheld - with a camcorder, dSLR or other video capture device, expect poor quality.
Audio: The built-in mic works well with any camcorder when the audio is at an appropriate level and located in the right place. When this happens, the video framing may not be good. When the video framing is good, then the audio may not be set up correctly. The resolution to this is to use an external mic or audio recorder. This way the audio and the video are not physically depending on each other. Even if you don't choose to use an external mic or audio recorder, it is much better to have the mic jack and manual audio control (in a camcorder) when you want it - rather than want it and not have it.
I would suggest you look into the Canon Legria HF S series. Decent lens diameter and imaging chip size for the price, external mic jack and manual audio gain control. Please do not compare their video quality to a $4,000 camcorder - especially under poor/indoor lighting conditions. The lesn diameter is only 58mm and single imaging chip is 1/3".
Tips:
Use a tripod or other steadying device.
On a camcorder, use the white balance.
Use an external stereo mic (Audio Technica has a decent, affordable ones) or audio recorder (like a Zoom H2) when recording music - the stereo separation is much better than mono audio.
Use the manual audio gain control.
Capture video under good lighting.
Use the White balance settings.
Capture video at highest quality.
The shoulder mount cams in your price range have small 37mm lens diameter. The Canon HF S series on a shoulder mount system will be much better. And when you go with the HF S series cam, that leaves you budget for the other stuff.
And we don't know if your computer needs to be upgraded to deal with the AVCHD compressed video.
My definition of a "professional" HD video camera:
Lens diameter of 70mm or larger;
3CCD or 3CMOS imaging chip array.
Low compression video capture and storage.
When you find this, you get:
Separate zoom and focus rings on the lens barrel;
Manual audio gain control on the outside of the camcorder;
Neutral density filter setting on the outside of the camcorder...
At the low end are "prosumer" units like the Sony HDR-FX1000.
Low end camcorders have small lens and small imaging chip - this makes it impossible to capture good video under poor lighting conditions. Manual controls are buried in the menu and difficult to use/reach (your iPad has no manual controls). As the lens diameter gets larger and the imaging chip size increases, the low-light and poor light video capture behavior gets better and so does the price. As the manual controls migrate to the outside of the camcorder, more price increases - and add a mic jack an manual audio control...
dSLRs and other still image capture devices that happen to capture video as a secondary "convenience feature" should not be used as camcorders. This does not mean they cannot capture good video - they can, but they can't be treated as a camcorder. dSLRs have known issues related to overheating when capturing video over a prolonged time; poor audio options, file size and video length limitations. Generally, dSLRs do not have "stabilization" for video (even when the lens has stabilization).
Best video is captured under perfect lighting and best audio levels using low compression. That is not reality. That means we need to use equipment that works under as many adverse circumstances as possible.
Use of some sort of stabilizer (other than the camcorder's optical stabilizer) is strongly recommended. Humans are not built to be steady. Use of the ground, a rock, chair, shelf, monopod, shoulder-mount - anything but handheld... If you are capturing video handheld - with a camcorder, dSLR or other video capture device, expect poor quality.
Audio: The built-in mic works well with any camcorder when the audio is at an appropriate level and located in the right place. When this happens, the video framing may not be good. When the video framing is good, then the audio may not be set up correctly. The resolution to this is to use an external mic or audio recorder. This way the audio and the video are not physically depending on each other. Even if you don't choose to use an external mic or audio recorder, it is much better to have the mic jack and manual audio control (in a camcorder) when you want it - rather than want it and not have it.
I would suggest you look into the Canon Legria HF S series. Decent lens diameter and imaging chip size for the price, external mic jack and manual audio gain control. Please do not compare their video quality to a $4,000 camcorder - especially under poor/indoor lighting conditions. The lesn diameter is only 58mm and single imaging chip is 1/3".
Tips:
Use a tripod or other steadying device.
On a camcorder, use the white balance.
Use an external stereo mic (Audio Technica has a decent, affordable ones) or audio recorder (like a Zoom H2) when recording music - the stereo separation is much better than mono audio.
Use the manual audio gain control.
Capture video under good lighting.
Use the White balance settings.
Capture video at highest quality.
The shoulder mount cams in your price range have small 37mm lens diameter. The Canon HF S series on a shoulder mount system will be much better. And when you go with the HF S series cam, that leaves you budget for the other stuff.
And we don't know if your computer needs to be upgraded to deal with the AVCHD compressed video.
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