The gigantic "which camera should I buy" thread!

Gabriel Yeager · July 18th, 2006, 05:03 PM

I will. And I have been looking. I have seen a 3ccd camera on craigslist for only $275! But it did not have ANY manual control.

Danny Frucht · July 19th, 2006, 07:53 AM

Hey guys,
What's the best CONSUMER camcorder available that's perfect for interviews? I'm kind of new to the digital camcorder world, but I know I want 3ccd and a jack so that I can hook up a mic onto my subject for the best audio quality.
Any help? Thanks!

K. Forman · July 19th, 2006, 08:15 AM

Whatever camera is paid off and working is my answer. Seriously. Unless you plan on doing spots for broadcast, it really won't matter as much as skill and experience. And accesories. You need the filters, mics, bounce cards, a back up audio recorder, backgrounds are a nice touch... The camera model is really kind of insignificant really.

Zack Vohaska · July 20th, 2006, 08:33 AM

If you can raise anywhere from $600-800, you could possibly get a Canon GL1 off of eBay. It's worth checking out. ;)

Brian Andrews · July 20th, 2006, 09:41 AM

Welcome to the world of video and filmmaking!

With your budget of $400 it is going to be tough to find a camera that offers manual controls, mic and/or headphone jacks and good picture quality. $400 is the heart of the consumer price range and most manufacturers remove manual controls and mic inputs on the consumer cams.

If you purchase new, stick with one of the Panasonic, Canon and Sony consumer cams. These are good first cams for beginners. Look at the CCD size, bigger is better. Check what manual controls it offers and how easy they are to access. Sony puts a lot of the control onto touch screen LCDs which many users do not like.

Make sure you get a MiniDV camcorder. Not DVD or solid state. MiniDV is the way to go.

If you want to get a better camera you are going to have to go to the used market. Try to find one from a seller you can trust. Craigslist would be great because you can go check out the cam in person. If you do use eBay, check the seller's feedback. And ask every question you can think of.

Some of the older entry-level prosumer cams to look for used are: Sony TRV900, Sony TRV950, Panny DV953, Canon GL1. These are all 3CCD cams with manual controls and would be excellent choices.

You can also consider the Panny GS120, GS200, and some of the Canon Opturas. The Pannys are 3CCD, the Opturas are one CCD with RGB filter. They get very good reviews.

Gabriel Yeager · July 20th, 2006, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Andrews

Welcome to the world of video and filmmaking!

With your budget of $400 it is going to be tough to find a camera that offers manual controls, mic and/or headphone jacks and good picture quality. $400 is the heart of the consumer price range and most manufacturers remove manual controls and mic inputs on the consumer cams.

If you purchase new, stick with one of the Panasonic, Canon and Sony consumer cams. These are good first cams for beginners. Look at the CCD size, bigger is better. Check what manual controls it offers and how easy they are to access. Sony puts a lot of the control onto touch screen LCDs which many users do not like.

Make sure you get a MiniDV camcorder. Not DVD or solid state. MiniDV is the way to go.

If you want to get a better camera you are going to have to go to the used market. Try to find one from a seller you can trust. Craigslist would be great because you can go check out the cam in person. If you do use eBay, check the seller's feedback. And ask every question you can think of.

Some of the older entry-level prosumer cams to look for used are: Sony TRV900, Sony TRV950, Panny DV953, Canon GL1. These are all 3CCD cams with manual controls and would be excellent choices.

You can also consider the Panny GS120, GS200, and some of the Canon Opturas. The Pannys are 3CCD, the Opturas are one CCD with RGB filter. They get very good reviews.

Ok. Thank you for your help! I'll check these out and see if I can find a way to raise more money...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zack

If you can raise anywhere from $600-800, you could possibly get a Canon GL1 off of eBay. It's worth checking out. ;)

Wow! Thats really cheep! I did not think that was passable to get a GL1 for that price! Thanks for the help! I'll keep an eye out. oh! And something I forgot to ad to the first post was that I plan on doing almost always outdoor shoots. I like to get most of my shoots in forest like areas. I will be doing indoors too, just not as much.

Justin Tomchuk · July 20th, 2006, 11:36 AM

Whatever you do, do not shoot against a blank wall, or with the subject in front of the sun. Pick a nice spot with a interesting but non-distracting background. I see mistakes too often with interviews on TV and it really looks bad. You might want to zoom in a bit for depth of field and make sure the subject is focused. Use a tripod if possible.

I don't really think it matters on which camera is better, but it is more of how you use it.

Zack Vohaska · July 20th, 2006, 02:04 PM

Since you're going to be doing a lot of outdoor shooting, *make sure* you get a circular polarizer for your camera. A polarizer filter will cut down nearly 100% of the glare you recieve from the sun when shooting outdoors. The filter has the same effect as if you were to wear polarized sunglasses. It is always best to have at least a UV filter on your camera to protect the lens glass (a filter is always easier and cheaper to replace than a lens); but if you're going to be doing most of your shooting outdoors, aside from the camera, a polarizer is the single most valuable tool you could have with you.

There are many companies out there that make polarizers, and their quality varies. For starting out, Tiffen makes a decent polarizer for a very affordable price. What makes the price vary? For one, it's the quality of the glass (as with any lens), and secondly, it's the multi-layer coated layers that are installed in the filters which prevent lens flares, distortion, etc. I was lucky and got a KSM MRC B&W Circular Polarizer on eBay at a very affordable price -- typically, the B&W polarizers range from anywhere from $200-400+.

If you're unsure as to why you'd need a polarizer, go to Google Images and type in 'polarizer' and see how they affect images.

Gabriel Yeager · July 20th, 2006, 03:29 PM

Wow! Thats a big difference! Now that I've seen what it does, I think I'll be buying me one of those! Thanks for the info. I'll start looking for good deals on them.

Chris Pasko · July 23rd, 2006, 03:59 PM

Hey guys, I know its a newb question so I apologize. I have only done a little research but I am leaving for vacation in about two weeks so I don't have the time to commit to the extensive research I usually do.

I need a camcorder for under or around 2k, maybe even 2500 if I had to stretch it. I really like the size of the HDR-HC3 and the fact that its high def like I have always wanted.

I was just checking some stores out and it seems the cannon gl2 can be had for about 2k and I am pretty sure thats a great camera and I love canon.

I currently have the black panasonic (i forget the model I know some site called it like the black mamba or something). Which I love. I used it maybe three times though and its recording fuzz like intermittently, I have tried head cleaners etc to no avail. So I need to upgrade.

I use this only for family vacations and just usual around the house stuff.

Any information is very much appreciated!

Thanks for everything guys!

Chris Barcellos · July 23rd, 2006, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Pasko

I was just checking some stores out and it seems the cannon gl2 can be had for about 2k and I am pretty sure thats a great camera and I love canon.

GL2 is great, but is only standard definition. You will be disappointed if you see HD in your future. For the most professional and I think best buy a that $2,000 range, you might want to consider the Sony A1U. It gives you a lot of Camera, both HDV and Standard Definition for the money, and still is in a small form factor. It sells for around $2,500 but has a $500 rebate. Check with BH Photo.

In addition, Sony is coming out with some new consumer HDV cameras, one recording to an on camera hard disk, the other DVD media. IF I understand it corrently, they may be using the latest codecs too.

HC3 will be more consumer oriented, which is fine if that is what you are looking for.

Chris Pasko · July 23rd, 2006, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Barcellos

GL2 is great, but is only standard definition. You will be disappointed if you see HD in your future. For the most professional and I think best buy a that $2,000 range, you might want to consider the Sony A1U. It gives you a lot of Camera, both HDV and Standard Definition for the money, and still is in a small form factor. It sells for around $2,500 but has a $500 rebate. Check with BH Photo.

In addition, Sony is coming out with some new consumer HDV cameras, one recording to an on camera hard disk, the other DVD media. IF I understand it corrently, they may be using the latest codecs too.

HC3 will be more consumer oriented, which is fine if that is what you are looking for.

Thanks Chris,

Very insightful post and exactly what I was looking for. I assume that the A1U is still a consumer friendly camera in auto mode so others in the fam can use it?

I would love to get one that records to hdd, but I will not be seeing that before I go away =(.

Thanks!

Chris Barcellos · July 23rd, 2006, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Pasko

Thanks Chris,

Very insightful post and exactly what I was looking for. I assume that the A1U is still a consumer friendly camera in auto mode so others in the fam can use it?

I would love to get one that records to hdd, but I will not be seeing that before I go away =(.

Thanks!

Check out Douglas Spotted Eagle Article here:

http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/ar...1U/HVR-A1U.htm

Chris Pasko · July 23rd, 2006, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Barcellos

Check out Douglas Spotted Eagle Article here:

http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/ar...1U/HVR-A1U.htm

Nice read, thanks for pointing that out! It seems that this may be my best choice!

Chris Pasko · July 23rd, 2006, 05:13 PM

BTW, do you happen to know how they compare to eachother in size? The HC3 seems a bit smaller?

July 19th, 2006, 07:53 AM	#1157
Danny Frucht Tourist Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Stamford CT Posts: 3	BEST Interview Camcorder Hey guys, What's the best CONSUMER camcorder available that's perfect for interviews? I'm kind of new to the digital camcorder world, but I know I want 3ccd and a jack so that I can hook up a mic onto my subject for the best audio quality. Any help? Thanks!

July 19th, 2006, 08:15 AM	#1158
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	Whatever camera is paid off and working is my answer. Seriously. Unless you plan on doing spots for broadcast, it really won't matter as much as skill and experience. And accesories. You need the filters, mics, bounce cards, a back up audio recorder, backgrounds are a nice touch... The camera model is really kind of insignificant really. __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

July 20th, 2006, 08:33 AM	#1159
Zack Vohaska Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 74	If you can raise anywhere from $600-800, you could possibly get a Canon GL1 off of eBay. It's worth checking out. ;) __________________ -Z-

July 20th, 2006, 02:04 PM	#1163
Zack Vohaska Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 74	Since you're going to be doing a lot of outdoor shooting, make sure you get a circular polarizer for your camera. A polarizer filter will cut down nearly 100% of the glare you recieve from the sun when shooting outdoors. The filter has the same effect as if you were to wear polarized sunglasses. It is always best to have at least a UV filter on your camera to protect the lens glass (a filter is always easier and cheaper to replace than a lens); but if you're going to be doing most of your shooting outdoors, aside from the camera, a polarizer is the single most valuable tool you could have with you. There are many companies out there that make polarizers, and their quality varies. For starting out, Tiffen makes a decent polarizer for a very affordable price. What makes the price vary? For one, it's the quality of the glass (as with any lens), and secondly, it's the multi-layer coated layers that are installed in the filters which prevent lens flares, distortion, etc. I was lucky and got a KSM MRC B&W Circular Polarizer on eBay at a very affordable price -- typically, the B&W polarizers range from anywhere from $200-400+. If you're unsure as to why you'd need a polarizer, go to Google Images and type in 'polarizer' and see how they affect images. __________________ -Z- Last edited by Zack Vohaska; July 20th, 2006 at 03:54 PM.

July 23rd, 2006, 03:59 PM	#1165
Chris Pasko New Boot Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 10	Need some help choosing a camcorder, Sony hdr-hc3, cannon g2, or what? Hey guys, I know its a newb question so I apologize. I have only done a little research but I am leaving for vacation in about two weeks so I don't have the time to commit to the extensive research I usually do. I need a camcorder for under or around 2k, maybe even 2500 if I had to stretch it. I really like the size of the HDR-HC3 and the fact that its high def like I have always wanted. I was just checking some stores out and it seems the cannon gl2 can be had for about 2k and I am pretty sure thats a great camera and I love canon. I currently have the black panasonic (i forget the model I know some site called it like the black mamba or something). Which I love. I used it maybe three times though and its recording fuzz like intermittently, I have tried head cleaners etc to no avail. So I need to upgrade. I use this only for family vacations and just usual around the house stuff. Any information is very much appreciated! Thanks for everything guys!

July 18th, 2006, 05:03 PM	#1156
Gabriel Yeager Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington, NorthWest USA Posts: 788	I will. And I have been looking. I have seen a 3ccd camera on craigslist for only $275! But it did not have ANY manual control.

July 20th, 2006, 09:41 AM	#1160
Brian Andrews Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 69	Welcome to the world of video and filmmaking! With your budget of $400 it is going to be tough to find a camera that offers manual controls, mic and/or headphone jacks and good picture quality. $400 is the heart of the consumer price range and most manufacturers remove manual controls and mic inputs on the consumer cams. If you purchase new, stick with one of the Panasonic, Canon and Sony consumer cams. These are good first cams for beginners. Look at the CCD size, bigger is better. Check what manual controls it offers and how easy they are to access. Sony puts a lot of the control onto touch screen LCDs which many users do not like. Make sure you get a MiniDV camcorder. Not DVD or solid state. MiniDV is the way to go. If you want to get a better camera you are going to have to go to the used market. Try to find one from a seller you can trust. Craigslist would be great because you can go check out the cam in person. If you do use eBay, check the seller's feedback. And ask every question you can think of. Some of the older entry-level prosumer cams to look for used are: Sony TRV900, Sony TRV950, Panny DV953, Canon GL1. These are all 3CCD cams with manual controls and would be excellent choices. You can also consider the Panny GS120, GS200, and some of the Canon Opturas. The Pannys are 3CCD, the Opturas are one CCD with RGB filter. They get very good reviews.

July 20th, 2006, 11:36 AM	#1162
Justin Tomchuk Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Montreal Posts: 164	Whatever you do, do not shoot against a blank wall, or with the subject in front of the sun. Pick a nice spot with a interesting but non-distracting background. I see mistakes too often with interviews on TV and it really looks bad. You might want to zoom in a bit for depth of field and make sure the subject is focused. Use a tripod if possible. I don't really think it matters on which camera is better, but it is more of how you use it.

July 20th, 2006, 03:29 PM	#1164
Gabriel Yeager Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington, NorthWest USA Posts: 788	Wow! Thats a big difference! Now that I've seen what it does, I think I'll be buying me one of those! Thanks for the info. I'll start looking for good deals on them.

July 23rd, 2006, 05:13 PM	#1170
Chris Pasko New Boot Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 10	BTW, do you happen to know how they compare to eachother in size? The HC3 seems a bit smaller?