Pore Ol' Newbie

[Stanley Griffin]

Hello Everyone,

I immediately confess to being a know-nothing newbie to the world of video production...BUT...I have a lot of desire, a reasonable budget, and a long time dream of doing my own video shoots and production. I am currently learning Vegas Pro 9.

The issue I request assistance with is the purchase of a camera. I have done some work with a Canon XL1S but I wish to get a HD camera. I have narrowed my search to the Canon series and I think I would like to have either the G1S or the A1S.

The question is, of course, which one is the way to go at this early juncture? Differences? Ease of use/learning curve? Other things I need to know?

All responses are greatly appreciated.

SG

[Chris Soucy]

Originally Posted by Stanley Griffin

which one is the way to go at this early juncture?

At this very moment, I'd personally say neither.

I say that because NAB is imminent and there is considerable speculation about what, exactly, Canon is going to pull out of the hat as a replacement for the A/G 1s.

Now, given that the two mentioned camera's are both "current" and thus reasonably pricey, plus the fact that neither was really a quantum leap over their predecessors AND that bods are dumping the first A1 series camera in fairly staggering quantities onto the secondhand market, thus making them very reasonable as a first camera, I'd go for a used A1 to "cut your teeth on" with a view to stepping up to whatever bunny Canon pulls out the hat in the near future, say in about a year or 18 months time.

The A1 is a fairly big quantum leap from a XL1s, takes beautifull HD but has a steep learning curve which shouldn't be underestimated.

Going this route should leave a fairly large cash stash which can go towards all those other little things most newbies never seem to think about - camera support, audio, lights etc etc. That lot adds up to a serious amount of dosh and simply cannot be done without (and don't buy junk, you'll regret it ever afterwards!).

There you go, my 2 cents worth.


CS

[Chris Hurd]

Chris is right, of course -- if you can hold off until the week of NAB (starting April 12th), there might be some interesting news on this front. Maybe even earlier than that... stay tuned right here,

[Stanley Griffin]

Thanks a lot guys. I really appreciate the info.

I have no problem waiting until after mid April if indeed there may be something on the horizon I should look at.

And you are right Chris, I have found that with ANY new venture, it is the "peripherals" that are the killler. I suffer from the disease of "entrepeneurism" to a great degree and I learned very early on, no matter what I was doing, that the "support" systems were not only a necessary mandate but were often more expensive than the initial equipment.

In any event I think I will get on with selling my XL1S and planning on getting into a used/refurbished A model unless something else pops up between now and then.

Anyway, I am going to spend loads of time learning/practicing with the Vegas program until I can run it effectively. I did the same thing with Quark when I entered the publishing business some years ago - learned it by the seat of my britches in 8 days at 20+ hours a day but the compressed learning curve has served me very well over the years.

Thanks again for taking the time to help.

SG

[Chris Soucy]

Good luck and keep us posted with how you go, and of course, there will be many questions, don't be afraid to ask.


CS

[Stanley Griffin]

I suppose I should have asked in the beginning but is (are) there other camcorders I should consider in the same realm as the XH series (cost, features, etc) that I may have overlooked. I am not asking for specific recommendations as that may not be appropriate here but suggestions as to cams I should research would be very helpful.

And, hopefully, I have done my homework already I just want to be sure.

Most of the shooting I plan to do will be in the outdoor setting and will likely involve hunting/fishing/etc.

P.S. I do plan to wait until after the April show but everything I have read on the subject including Chris' nice article tells me that whatever is coming down the pike from Canon will most likely be way ahead of what I am looking for at this point. JVC? Sony? Sorry to be such a pest but I want to do the right thing the first time if I can.

[Chris Soucy]

This is my PO only, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Bang for buck, the XH A1(s) is probably as good as it gets.

The G1(s) is really not appropriate as you'll be highly unlikely to need that extra connectivity any time soon.

If you had a decent investment in Canon glass for SLR's you might want to look at the XL H1 and EF adapter, tho' at this point in your learning cycle and the fact that you've not mentioned any particular specialist subject to shoot, I don't think so.

If you wanted to step up the food chain a bit the Sony EX1 might be a challenger, but it's really horses for courses, what does it give you that a newbie would really need, considering the big leap in budget required?

Even I can't justify an EX1 (or anything similar) at this point.

We all know about the down side of HDV and I will definately be trading up sometime soon, but to what, I simply don't know.

And no, I am not in the slightest tempted by the new HD DSLR's, as they simply are not designed to produce nice video (yet), IMHO.

Bottom line, given where you're starting, the A1 still comes out head and shoulders ahead of any other contender I can think of.

I think you chose extremely wisely.


CS

[Chris Soucy]

Seen this?

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/private-...ml#post1508601

You may not have depending on your post count.

If you can't get at it, click on the "Contact Us" button at the bottom right of each page and ask CH if he can slip you through.


CS