[st22]

If you want to buy a video camera and don't have any idea where to start... well this is the place to start!

Don't go to the retail shops and ask the staff about the video cameras. They are (generally) sales people who don’t know anything about video hardware and software!, They will just try and sell the most expensive one to you that they can!

Just post the following 5 things in a post and I will try and find a camera for you:

Price range: (eg. $500US-$1000US, $1000US-$1500US) Please indicate what currency you are talking about.

Needs: (eg. Family birthdays, holidays, weddings, short films, huge zoom, do you want to edit it?, do you want to save it on computer then make a dvd? etc,) The more specific you give me, the better.

Your Level of expertise: (new, average, pro)

Your location: (Australia, USA, Russia, etc).

The cameras you are thinking about but not sure yet: (list their model name and brand, eg Canon mv500i).


(Just to let you know, I have a cert 4 in digital video (and improving to degree), so i know what I’m talking about lol).

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hello,
I'm from australia and i currently have the canon mv 730 and its pretty crap. The quality is poor once i put it on computer, its ok for just filming around, but im looking for a camera to make actual movies with. I was thinking about the sony hdv 1080i hdrhc1 cam . can you tell me if its a good camera to get and if its worth its price.

thank you,
bye

[the-spook]

hello,
I'm from australia and i currently have the canon mv 730 and its pretty crap. The quality is poor once i put it on computer, its ok for just filming around, but im looking for a camera to make actual movies with. I was thinking about the sony hdv 1080i hdrhc1 cam . can you tell me if its a good camera to get and if its worth its price.

thank you,
bye

[Game_Freak]

Price range: AUD$1500

Needs: Almost everything

Your Level of expertise: professional (My Hobby)

Your location: Australia

Thanks!

[st22]

the-spook,

Yes this camera will be much higher quality then what you have, same with the standard definition (SD) 3ccd cameras.

Unfortunately, I have never seen or used the Sony HDR-HC1 1080i HDV Handycam, but I have read reports that it gives amazing quality. As far as $3000AUS goes, im not sure, I wouldn’t buy it for family occasions, but I wouldn’t use it on a professional project either (corporate, music video, wedding, short film). Its really a high end family camera (consumer), and a low end semi-pro (prosumer).

What type of movies do you want to make? (like short films for film contests, school projects, family films? be specific).

I’m tempted to argue about HDV not being useful in Australia, since hardly anyone has a HD TV so how could you watch it?.... but I don’t know enough about HDV and might get the info wrong.

[st22]

Game_Freak,

For $1500 you could get the Panasonic NV-GS150 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder (which is a consumer camera).

But you might be able to get something like a second hand sony vx1000 for that price.

Can you be more specific of your needs?... (like do you do weddings, corporate vids, school projects,).

[the-spook]

the-spook,

Yes this camera will be much higher quality then what you have, same with the standard definition (SD) 3ccd cameras.

Unfortunately, I have never seen or used the Sony HDR-HC1 1080i HDV Handycam, but I have read reports that it gives amazing quality. As far as $3000AUS goes, im not sure, I wouldn’t buy it for family occasions, but I wouldn’t use it on a professional project either (corporate, music video, wedding, short film). Its really a high end family camera (consumer), and a low end semi-pro (prosumer).

What type of movies do you want to make? (like short films for film contests, school projects, family films? be specific).

I’m tempted to argue about HDV not being useful in Australia, since hardly anyone has a HD TV so how could you watch it?.... but I don’t know enough about HDV and might get the info wrong.

thank you for this information, i am just wondering from what you said about "I wouldn’t use it on a professional project either"
how come it wouldnt be good for making films? also I put the camera footage onto the computer and edit it, then save it as avi or some other file so not to worry about the hdtv.
heres a link to the camera, can you tell me if the qualities of it look good for making films?
http://www.abtelectr...duct/18798.html
thank you st22

[st22]

the-spook,

I wouldn’t use it for pro work because its a consumer camera, there are other cameras that produce much better colours, it looks like "video" where as you want to look like film, so you would want to get a progressive scan camera, the delivery format for my clients is DVD SD, therefore its pointless to shoot on HDV, if i was going to shoot HDV i would use a better camera then this one, it doesn’t record good quality audio (because there isn’t XLR mic slot),

bad for making films because you want: progressive scan, film gamma and colours, interchangeable lens, ability to add filters to it,

[the-spook]

thank you,
any reccomondations on a better camera?

[st22]

For the best quality you could always shoot on 16mm or 35mm film.

If your serious about shooting some kind of short film with video your going to need to factor in more then just the camera, what you should have as a minimum: Tripod, XLR Boom microphone, camera. Then you can think about lighting kits, dollys, cranes, stedicams, car mounts, filters, anamorphic lens,

We are talking $4000-$10,000 for these cameras:

SD Cameras with progressive (because your Australian you want 25p PAL versions of there cameras): Canon XL2, Panasonic DVX100a,

HDV cams: Sony HVR-Z1P , JVC GY-HD100E, Panasonic HVX100

Some people have started to use HD cams, they are a new thing, I’m not going to use them yet and if I do I will just rent them for the day/week, as they cost a bit more, and are still not "there" yet.

Which brings up another point, you can always rent these camreas yourself for a day to try them out, have a look at http://www.lemac.com.au .

Then there is a program called Adobe After Effects which you can buy a plug in for that makes video look like film! (but that might cost as much as the camera)!

Edited by st22, 08 December 2005 - 04:02 PM.

[the-spook]

thank you for your help

[Big Tizzle]

Price-$0-$500 U.S. (im only 15 so 500 is alot...and pushing it)

I work on making my own videos. Ex. Skateboarding, night and day shots, stupid things such as jumping off things or into bushes (like the movie [bleep])

I am probably around an average user, i have put a movie together already with a sony handy cam hi8 and the pinnacle software, but am hopefully upgrading to some form of adobe and could use a higher quality camrea (night shot is 100% nessesary because alot of our stuff is shot at night, so something with a good night shot)

Also looking for a good lense (fisheye preffereablly)

looking at:


Sony Digital8 Handycam Model: DCR-TRV480
http://www.bestbuy.c...d=1110263641372
that is basically what i have now, but i have it in the hi8 version

[st22]

Hi,

You might want to jump up to a DV camera, they offer better quality as that digital 8 one has 290K where as these have 340k and 680k, DV tapes (mini DV tapes) are used by professionals, some people say there is no difference, thoes numbers tell me there is a difference though:

Sony DCR-HC21 -
http://www.sonystyle...dycamCamcorders

Sony DCR-HC32 -
http://www.sonystyle...dycamCamcorders

Fisheye lens's at ebay:
http://search.ebay.c...prclo=&saprchi=

[Big Tizzle]

thank you, im going to be looking into the Sony DCR-HC21 a little more and might be getting that if possible. But one question. What size is the area, like when if i get a fiheye, would i get 25 mm, 37 mm? what fits that camera?

[st22]

The Filter Diameter on that camera is 25mm.

so you would want a 25 mm one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/...1QQcmdZViewItem

[Big Tizzle]

Sony Digital8 Handycam Model: DCR-TRV480...wut size filter is that??