Video camera recommendations?

philter1

philter1

New member
Can anyone suggest a decent one. Great resolution and picture quality. Digital. Mainly indoor use. Up to £500 ($750).

I have Sony Vegas so will edit with that more than likely.

Cheers
Phil
 
I can't recommend a specific camera, but there are some things to look for. If you want good quality, then start by looking at cameras with 3MOS image capture chips. Also, the larger the chip, the better (generally). The cheapest cameras use a single CCD. For a while, 3CCD cameras were superior (with a chip each for red green and blue). Then Sony (I think) came out with cameras with the CMOS chip, which as better than the CCD and some 3CCD cameras, and now the 3MOS cameras seem to trump them all.

Look also for cameras that do 16:9 natively.

Some cameras just use a flip out screen for viewing, while others have an eye-piece viewfinder. The eye-piece is good if you are videoing in strong light.

Some cameras have accessory shoes (for attaching, say, an external mike). You need to think about what you will use your camera for and whether this is necessary for you.

Current cameras store video on internal hard-drives or SD cards. Older cameras use DV tape. There are a number of cameras that record onto mini-DVDs. The general rule (in my view) is to minimise moving parts, so were I to get a new camera, I would go to one that uses SD cards only (I have two Panasonic 3CCD cameras that record onto mini DVD . . . a danged nuisance).

Another consideration is ease of use . . . and that is often in the eye of the beholder . . . so you need to be able to try them out somehow.
 
Other things to consider....

HD or not. I'd say spend the money and get HD, you might not use it at first, but eventually everything will be in HD.

Ease of Use vs. Access to camera functions. Most cameras these days have all their functions buried in menus. If you want to do something creative or expressive like manually focus on a subject, you have to dig through all the menus to turn on manual focus. Or if you want to set your camera to Aperture Priority, it's kind of a pain in the a$$. 80% of the time, you can get by with the camera in full automatic mode, but there are times when you want to do something different and the manual functions aren't easy to get to. Some cameras have common functions assigned to buttons or knobs which make the "artistic adjustments" easier to do, but they tend to be more expensive. Somethign to consider anyways.

Size and weight. Cameras are getting much smaller. This is pretty good for most things, but it does make action shooting difficult if you can't feel the camera in your hand. Smaller cameras will bounce more often and you can't keep as steady as with a heavier (but not too heavy) camera. Find one that is comfortable to hold and has some substance to it. Unless, all your shots will be done on a tripod.

(Speaking of which) Tripod. I'm learning that a still camera tripod does not work so well with a video camera. The difference is in the head. My old still camera tripod isn't very fluid when I move it. The little jerks and starts are noticeable on the video if I'm panning. A good video head will move smoothly. I know you didn't ask about tripods, but they're almost as important as the camera.

I've got the Canon HG-10 Hi-Def with a hard drive. Most of the functions are buried in menus, but I can get to the ones I want easily enough now that I know how.

hth
 
 
Agree with Chilli, buy a HD-camera.
I don't see any Canon on your list. You should check them out as well.
There are independent tests oh YouTube for each camera.
Take your time and check those you can afford.
I’ve got sony hdr-sr10e, not good one but I use a strong lights and it works.
Great thing with this camera is that it has 40gb hard dics in it plus sd card. (the call it hybrid)
 
Mine's a few years old but I have an Canon HV20 that shoots 720p and it allows for manual focus for greater depth of field. It shoots excellent footage as long as you have decent lighting.

Also, there's a good forum regarding that series of cameras. Canon HV20, HV30 & HV40 User Forum. There is a ton of Sony Vegas users there too that can help you in your workflow.
 
I'm very pleased with our Panasonic HDC-SD600, so much so that I'm considering getting a second one for different camera angles. The quality is stunning, the auto-focus and face recognition works brilliantly, and the anti-shake system smooths out the roughest handling. Can't recommend it enough. The only drawback is that it lacks the narrow depth of field/focus effect of DSLR's.
 
I use this Sony one... not that you should take my advice on anything in this area, seeing I haven't actually produced a video I'm happy to get up on the web yet...
 
You may want to also consider DSLRs for HD video work. I'm into photography so a nice DSLR is the perfect match for me.

I have the newest Canon Rebel that is out right now (Canon T3i). The Canon T1i, T2i, and T3i all shoot HD (1080p or 720p). I know that the T2i and T3i can do 60 fps but only at 720p or less resolution. They can also shoot at 24 fps (film/cinema frame rate) which is very cool.

[*note on price range for FWIW: I bought a T1i a few months ago used for $480 with several extras included. I sold it and bought a T3i a month ago for $740 with some extras]

The T3i has an articulating LCD screen (opens out and rotates) but the older models do not. It's a nice feature.

Also note that if you go for a DSLR for video, you'll probably need a tripod or some other form of image stabilization if you don't want shaky video. I'm getting more into video and would like to invest in a nice image stabilizer (there are some really nice ones out there for these types of cameras), but those nice ones can be very pricey ($250-$1250).

I've heard some say that if you're going to end up spending $2000-4000 on a DSLR kit with a bunch of extra equipment, you might as well just buy a nice, real camcorder. :)
 
Your gonna hate me for suggesting this.....Seeing as music Video's aren't my main forte, I have been using a simple webcam. The Microsoft Lifecam. It just gives my customers an extra thing to take away other then just the audio of the song...

HD webcam at £25 :D

Quality is ok seeing as most people just put them on youtube.

Here's one I made earlier :D

Headlines (Original Song by Just Harriet) - YouTube
 
I've been also looking at the Panasonic HDC-SD600, youtube video test footage looks better than from the Canon XL2 (which is like a thousand more!@)
 
Pronto Mama Videos - Michael - PROOF OF CONCEPT DEMO - YouTube
That was recorded with a Canon EOS 40d DSLR tethered to my laptop running between 19 and 23 fps (That's why it falls out of sync)

It's recorded at 640p

I've just ordered an EOS 600d, it does 1080p at 30fps.

This is a sample video by Canon:
EOS 600D Sample Video - YouTube

The only problem you get with DSLRs is rolling shutter, other than that they're good because you can easily upgrade the lenses etc without having to get a new camera.
 
Canon 5D or 7D. + a good lens or two. I'd say a great combo would be the following: Canon 7D + 50mm 1.4 and 24-105mm lenses.

Pretty much all set with those. Obviously need to keep in mind that both DSLRs don't have auto-focus. This can be really annoying, but it really depends on the type of shooting you're doing. If you're doing standard music video work, with non-dancing performers, you're probably fine without it. Might want to consider a shoulder mounted rig from RedRockMicro and an external monitor if it's an issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top