Suggestions for video camera purchase

Mnemosyne

I'm looking to branch out into video more frequently and I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions.

Right now I'm considering the Canon GL2, but I believe it's not HD. That is kind of a key thing for me, I want quality. I also am wondering if HD is possible with tape, because I've been told tape is better quality than digital still.

Does anyone have any good suggestions of what to look at?

PS. Preferably something compatible with MAC and Final Cut

Thanks

digidrone

I have been abusing my Sony HVR-A1U for 3 years now. Absolutly have loved it.
I am looking to upgrade though,and I believe i will go with the Canon. This is due to their onboard audio.
I love the Mini DV tape format. Easy to store, cost effective. The most important reason is storing them cuz ya never now when a computer system or hard drive is going to try to "do ya"... Its nice to go and reload material if damaged or lost.
I havent seen any footage from the new gen still cameras so I cant say anything It seems to me to be a dangerous problem with saving things to a card, then formatting it, then its gone.

My .02 worth

darkdragon

GL2 i a nice camera, but you are right it is only SD. I actually prefer th DVX100B for SD video.

You can get a number HD miniDV cams. If you like canon there is the XHA1 which is similar to the GL2 but HD and larger (better quality too, just making the comparison).

If you can wait, the Red Scarlet will (probably) be out this year. It shoots better than HD - 3-6x the resolution depending on what you get. What's nice about the Scarlet is that it is modular and upgradable. So if you get the base unit to start with (around $4750) you can add/change peices as you move up and as technology gets better, without having to toss the whole thing and start over. www.red.com

There are a number of HD Sony cams which are supose to better in low-light then the Canons. I'm not sure of the models and prices off the top of my head though.

Mnemosyne

Well, I'm trying to keep the price down. I'm suggesting my graduation "gifts" and I just wanted some ideas.

One question I have is how does the MP rating calculate in video? I come from a photo background, so when I see "1.67 MP HD video" on the XHA1 it sounds oxymoronic to me, cause that makes me think "3 MP Full Frame photos."

I am liking the XHA1S

Does the MP rating affect the video, or is that just for if you shoot stills with the video camera?

Or is it something completely different?

darkdragon

Mnemosyne wrote:

Well, I'm trying to keep the price down. I'm suggesting my graduation "gifts" and I just wanted some ideas.

One question I have is how does the MP rating calculate in video? I come from a photo background, so when I see "1.67 MP HD video" on the XHA1 it sounds oxymoronic to me, cause that makes me think "3 MP Full Frame photos."

I am liking the XHA1S

Does the MP rating affect the video, or is that just for if you shoot stills with the video camera?

Or is it something completely different?

You are right 1.67MP is like an old 2MP camera. Remember HD is only 1920×1080 pixels in size. That is only about 2MP! The difference between HD Video and say your 15MP still camera is that the still camera can't take 60 shots per second. For example, if you are doing animation - any cheap 2MP digital camera can be used to create an HD 1080P video.

The thing with the RED cams is that they are shooting 6MP frames which comes out to 3x the resolution of 1080P HD. It can get pretty confusing.

Just like with still cameras, the size of the sensor makes all the difference. If you get a cheap HD camcorder you are talking about a 1/6" chip and these cameras need a LOT of light to produce decent shots. Great for outdoors in the snow or at the beach, but not so great for weddings/birthdays/all the other inside stuff.

With the GL2 you are only getting 480i on three 1/3" chips but because chips are twice the size of a consumer model, you get better footage in low light and cleaner footage in any kind of light.

If you are wanting to do for-pay things with your camera, I recommend the XHA1 - if you are only doing personal things, the GL2 would be more convienent or possibly even go with a high-end consumer HD cam.

The most important thing when requesting something is to follow these steps

1. figure out your "max" budget so you can restrict your search
2. decide if you "must have" HD or if you can get away with SD
3. think about how - when/where you will be using the camera
4. think about the features you "must have" - mic input (1/8" or XLR), full manual controls, Tape/HDD/Flash media?, ability to add lens attachements, etc.
5. do you want consumer, pro-sumer, or professional camera?
6. what extras do you need, and can you get them right away? tripod, for example
7. do some research at www.camcorderinfo.com to narrow down to a few cameras and look at the specs (especially sensor size) and reviews to get your final choice.

#1 is the great limiter and will instantly narrow down your choices for you. As you get down the list you should come out with 3 or so cameras that would work for you.

Mnemosyne

Is the scarlet supposed to be a different camera? Cause the body of the RedOne alone is 17K. Definitely out of my price range right now

And also, how should I go about picking one? I mean, what's the difference between HAD DV and Super HAD DV, and Super 3CCD, and all that? It makes no sense to me

darkdragon

Mnemosyne wrote:

Is the scarlet supposed to be a different camera? Cause the body of the RedOne alone is 17K. Definitely out of my price range right now

Yeah, the Red Scarlet is supose to be around $4500 to start out with a package ready to shoot. The base model shoots at 3K (3MP video, better than HD), whereas the RedOne shoots at 4K. The Red Scarlet is also configurable as a Still camera, but I don't recall the MP on that configuration.

The biggest hurdle with the Red system is that you will have to upgrade your PC/Mac to handle the footage because it is a LOT of footage file-size wise.

Mnemosyne

Ahh, well, I don't need something still wise, cause I have a camera for that.

And also, how should I go about picking one? I mean, what's the difference between HAD DV and Super HAD DV, and Super 3CCD, and all that? It makes no sense to me

EphTwoEight

HPX170

Mnemosyne

A guy at my school who does a lot of video told me to get the Sony HVR-Z5U

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HVR-Z5U-Camcorder-Definition-widescreen/dp/B001P9HT3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1236422609&sr=1-1

Scrubs

Value for money you can't do much worse than a Canon HG20 it
records directly to HD with quality to boot. check out HD footage
samples on vimeo.com

the HV30 and HV20 are great too, they are tape based.

Another cheap one worth considering is the HV30's little brother
the Vixia HF100 check out the sample video here.

http://www.vimeo.com/1585537

don't dismiss the video after the first 20 secs..Check out that zoom range!



All are pretty highly regarded by videographers.

frb

Scrubs wrote:

Value for money you can't do much worse than a Canon HG20 it
records directly to HD with quality to boot. check out HD footage
samples on vimeo.com

the HV30 and HV20 are great too, they are tape based.

Another cheap one worth considering is the HV30's little brother
the Vixia HF100 check out the sample video here.

http://www.vimeo.com/1585537

don't dismiss the video after the first 20 secs..Check out that zoom range!



All are pretty highly regarded by videographers.

Ive had a HV20 for almost a year now. Very highly reccomended.

Some sample video:

http://half.tone.im/gallery/7551356_jkDQb#487909466_j3Xx9

More samples:
http://half.tone.im/gallery/7477137_yUb69