The gigantic "which camera should I buy" thread!

[Gustavs Repse]

Hello community.

I learn't about this forum from a friend. He did say wherry nice things about you guys. :)

I want to ask you help in choosing a video camera.This purchase for me is wherry important .



Il list some of my preferences and needs to help you understand the kind of camera i am looking for.



My budget is around 300$ . It's not much, how ever it took me great deal of effort to gather this sum.


What i want to do with the camera is to use it for artistic purposes. LEts say, recreating some music video in my own fashion. Meaning that i put my own shots to the beat/music and try to make it dynamic and synchronized with the music. Filming many events in my country and putting them together will teach me and give me the taste of composition , how to make it flawless and interesting to watch .

I do believe that i will need wide angle lens right? W/o them the video looks narrow and doesn't look right if u want to make some kinda home made movie/sketch.

So would be nice if the camera would have this part covered and i wouldn't have to settle for a integrated lens.
A wile ago i was looking into KODAK ZI8 pocket camcorder YouTube - Kodak ZI8 HD Pocket Video Camcorder but i figured out that it would not suit my purpose of camera( its more of a blogging device as i see it , shooting rather still images). On it you can apply wide angle lens but its complicated in most cases and u have to glue them on some times. Some do fit on a magnet as i remember tho.

Another feature im looking for in the camera is that it films good in night. Aka, i might be doing some fast paced shoots in the streets of my town at night so i dont want it to show all the dark spots as 1 dark stain. I hope you know what i mean.

So basically im looking for a camera that is not for blogging or showing me talking to the camera for 5 mins . But i want it to have the artistic side , so i can venture with the clips and even tho the quality wont be near as good as for the cameras of price tag for 1000+$ i want to be able to use some of the effects from the high end Cams.



Sketches/Fast paced movement clips( me driving a bike and holding the camera capturing the events around me in a city or nature events.)


And i think its a must that the camera shoots in High Definition . Dont you think?But if i chose such Camcorder i sacrifice a lot of other good features by paying the general sum ust for the HD?





If i left out some vital info to this matter please point that out ill fill in the info .



I would wherry much appreciate your help and try not to look down upon.
I will read into the forum and try to figure some things out on my own , but i need the cam in somewhat near future so i cant absorb all the info in this forum and make a good decision. It will devastate me if il make a purchase and after 2 week's discover that there was a much better bargain of better camera which i didn't discover.

[Dave Blackhurst]

Gustavs -

Well, pretty tall order for $300.

But I understand the budget, you'll just have to accept that any video camera in that range is going to be VERY consumer oriented, not likely that great in low light (even "good" cameras aren't always that great at night!), and prone to give you some pretty jittery images when moving around.

Just a possible suggestion given your budget, you may want to consider some of the small "point & shoot" cameras that also shoot video.

You didn't say if shooting HD is important to you, but I'll presume it is. Some of these small still cameras can shoot some decent video at 720, and a few even at 1080, and they are at least in your general price range. Hope that is helpful in your quest!

For "casual" personal video, I'm now using a Sony DSC TX7, and the DSC-HX5 is also in the collection (although the audio leaves a lot to be desired in loud situations). Not bad for the $ involved, fairly clean in low light (not stellar, but somewhat workable) and pretty good image stabilization.

[Ervin Farkas]

You came to the right place! There is a wealth of information here, but most of all, lots and lots of good people, all willing to help you.

The video camera market has evolved into something incredibly diverse over the last couple of years. The market is huge, and most manufacturers are bending backwards to bring consumers good and inexpensive camcorders and photo cameras with video capability. I am still amazed to see 720P camcorders for under $80 and 1080P camcorders for under $100...

Start your search on the one and only B&H website and narrow down your search based on your criteria. A good page to start on is: Camcorders, Video Cameras, Digital Video | B&H Photo Video. Keep in mind, these are US models for the most part, but some are for PAL countries, or after searching the US model, you might be able to find the European model with the same characteristics at some European store.

Good luck, and do come back, tell us what you found!

[Gustavs Repse]

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

Gustavs -

Well, pretty tall order for $300.

But I understand the budget, you'll just have to accept that any video camera in that range is going to be VERY consumer oriented, not likely that great in low light (even "good" cameras aren't always that great at night!), and prone to give you some pretty jittery images when moving around.

Just a possible suggestion given your budget, you may want to consider some of the small "point & shoot" cameras that also shoot video.

You didn't say if shooting HD is important to you, but I'll presume it is. Some of these small still cameras can shoot some decent video at 720, and a few even at 1080, and they are at least in your general price range. Hope that is helpful in your quest!

For "casual" personal video, I'm now using a Sony DSC TX7, and the DSC-HX5 is also in the collection (although the audio leaves a lot to be desired in loud situations). Not bad for the $ involved, fairly clean in low light (not stellar, but somewhat workable) and pretty good image stabilization.

Hello

Well , i owned Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7 cam :)

It was fine tbh , but i didnt like the video quality at all , and the way i had to hold the camera. Felt wrong for me.

How ever ur models are a lot better than my model. But i do think that Kodak Zi8 is a much more better bargain . Looks like its half the price of DSC TX7 and by comparing some video samples on youtube it seams that Kodak Zi8 has better video quality as well.


And yes . HD i think is a need these days . :) Tho i can be wrong.

[Gustavs Repse]

Originally Posted by Ervin Farkas

You came to the right place! There is a wealth of information here, but most of all, lots and lots of good people, all willing to help you.

The video camera market has evolved into something incredibly diverse over the last couple of years. The market is huge, and most manufacturers are bending backwards to bring consumers good and inexpensive camcorders and photo cameras with video capability. I am still amazed to see 720P camcorders for under $80 and 1080P camcorders for under $100...

Start your search on the one and only B&H website and narrow down your search based on your criteria. A good page to start on is: Camcorders, Video Cameras, Digital Video | B&H Photo Video. Keep in mind, these are US models for the most part, but some are for PAL countries, or after searching the US model, you might be able to find the European model with the same characteristics at some European store.

Good luck, and do come back, tell us what you found!

Il look into it :):)


But what are your thoughts on Kodak Zi8 ?:)

And you are saying that the same model bought in USA will differ from the one i get from my local retailer in Europe?

[Ervin Farkas]

Gustavs, there is no reason for repeating posts, it just eats up space.

Yes, US models will shoot mostly 30 fps (NTSC) while European models will do 25 fps (PAL). Some will also shoot 24 fps progressive.

[Gustavs Repse]

Ohh, sorry.

I have to order my Camcorder on ebay then, from USA.

[Ervin Farkas]

That's not a good idea. You live in a country with PAL television standard, while the US is on NTSC standard. While most of the more recent television sets will play both standards, you will eventually run into issues with compatibility, so it is advisable to stay within your country's tv standard. I suggested you do some research on the B&H website to get an idea of what is available and so can figure out what you would like to buy. Then do some more research, maybe on the manufacturer's website and find the correponding PAL model of that camcorder.

[Peik Henrichson]

Originally Posted by Gustavs Repse

Ohh, sorry.

I have to order my Camcorder on ebay then, from USA.

Gustavs, there´s also a german or british ebay, and most of their cameras are PAL-models. Try ebay.de or ebay.co.uk

[Mike Butler]

This is my first post, so please obliterate me if I am speaking garbage.

Not garbage, Ryan, you brought up an interesting point. Since I recently acquired a DSLR for shooting video (after 10 years on the XL1), I think I can chime in with some personal observations.

There may be some legitimate reasons why some people might be reluctant to go the DSLR route, and not sheer stubbornness or narrow-mindedness. Due to the dramatically different form factor, it completely changes the shooting experience, at least when not using a tripod. Some form of external support is necessary, such as a Zacuto or Redrock, or some of the other more traditional shoulder pods that have been around since lightweight DV camcorders. Everything about the ergonomics of DSLR video shooting requires compromise or at least re-learning and adapting. Things that traditional camcorder users take for granted like zooming, rack focusing, even on-board audio, require either external accessories or a different technique. Not everybody will be willing to put up with it.

The big carrot is the ability to shoot 1080P for pennies on the dollar, with the sweetener of the relatively tiny footprint of a still camera (especially if I was going to bring along a still camera anyway). I can see myself keeping a shoulder-mounted "normal" vidcam for many years to come.

Yes, I did see that episode of House, and the image quality was absolutely first-rate. SNL is also using DSLRs for its Digital Shorts and pre-recorded intros. The DSLR is here to stay.

[Kris Zimbelman]

There's something really traditional, it seems, about the Canon 5D Mark II. Check this out:


and for $900 you can get the 2ti

Canon EOS Digital Rebel T2i

Similar performance for 1/2 the price ( I am told do not get the stock lens, so $799 and get a better lens)

[Andrew Carter]

What camera would you buy for 2,000 (uk pounds) ?

I dont know if CCD is better than CMOS, but i was thinking of the CANON A1E?

[Tom Hardwick]

There's no such camera Andrew. The Canon XHA1 is above your price point and the HV40 may be too cheap (though very good at £876).

The Sony A1 is about to be discontinued but it's done exceedingly well in the marketplace. Do you need XLR inputs? What is it you want the camera to do? Must it be hi-def? Tape or card? Big or small? Maybe the Sony HD1000 £1150 is worth a look-see.

CMOS isn't better than CCD, but it uses less power and makes for cheaper processing, so it's 'better' for the manufacturers. It's no sharper though, and does have some drawbacks that we've all had to accept.

tom.

[Andrew Carter]

Hi Tom,

I've priced the canon xha1 up, the cheapest i could find it for was 2,300. I could stretch to the extra bit of cash, but
thats about my limit.

Yes, I need xlr inputs. Mainly for documentaries, short films, special interest videos, and low cost corporate trainings
videos.
I'd prefer tape. Hi-def. Size isnt important, what the camera can do/offer and the quality of it.

I'll have a browe at those two cameras you've mentioned.

Andy

[Mike Beckett]

Andrew,

If I had £2000 to spend and wanted a video camera instead of a DSLR:

£2000 will currently get you a JVC HM100 - check ProAV and other suppliers. There is a special offer this month. (£2026 at ProAV, including VAT). It was £2500 previously.

I presume you mean Sony A1E? I would forget about it, it's very old hat. The HM100 is compact, gives the option of XLR sound input, has 3 CCDs, and dual SDHC card slots. I would suggest it is much better than the HD1000 from Sony and miles ahead of the HV40 from Canon.

Well worth a look. Check out the footage in the HM100 forum. Check out Philip Bloom's review (Google for it).

(Oops, you just posted that you want tape. Really? Are you sure about that?)