I am looking for something cheep, but with certain qualities.

[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 question is simple and yet annoying for some.This purchase for me is wherry important so despite the fact that in this forum might already be the answer I'm looking for il be firm and ask directly.
Help me to buy the right camera.






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.

[Marcus Marchesseault]

It seems like you may have come across with a good buy with the Kodak Zi8. It has a larger sensor than many of the other pocket camcorders as well as an external microphone input. I watched a few revies that had footage from decently-lit night scenes and it looked good. Most cameras with small sensors look terrible at night and the Kodak seemed very acceptable in quality. If you look into other cameras, you might want to look at the size of the sensor. For instance, the Kodak has a 1/2.5" sensor while many others have a 1/4.5" or even 1/6" sensor. The smaller the number on the bottom of the fraction, the larger the sensor. I think the larger sensor of the Kodak and the mic input put it ahead of many other inexpensive cameras. Also, you don't need a wide-angle lens. If you want more artistic shots, a wide lens can add distortion which is often unattractive.

[Gustavs Repse]

:) Ohoooo

Thx for reply.

Im actually beginning to think that its really not a bad deal for me.

Tho i dont like the fact that i cant place that camera on the ground if there's a need and shoot my vid from there. It will fall:(


But i am worried about 1 thing. I see all those footage's of people holding the cam and the footage really looks shaky. I will definitely want to ride my bike and record some fast paced clips of some objects/people what not. And i really want to make it look steady.




If i obey some rules/tips can i create good and steady footage by holding the cam with my hand.
If some1 knows some techniques i can use then plz let me know.

And do you know if i can use a tripod for Kodak ZI8 HD ?

[Gustavs Repse]

Ahaaa, did some research and found out that to avoid shakiness ppl use Steady cams .

Well , to buy one is wherry expensive it seams. But i came across many home made ones using Tripod/Plastic bags etc. Its all about counter weight it seams.

But Kodak Zi8 seams wherry small and light. And the shape is not exactly common in cameras.

So , i know there are Tripods for Kodak Zi8 around . But because of its different size , will the tripod assortment be limited for me?



p.s

If some1 still have some recommendation about which camera to buy , please let me know .

[Marcus Marchesseault]

You might want to look into one of the helmet cams available. A couple on the B&H site were around $300 and had good reviews. You don't have a lot of quality options in your budget range, but good movie-making isn't just about the camera. Also, setting the camera on the ground is not generally done. Some sort of support is needed to position the camera so a short tripod or hi-hat is used. Concerning shaking of the camera, there are no cameras smaller than a shoulder cam that won't shake if you are walking around or riding a bike and holding them in your hand. You need some sort of mount to make them stable. I suggested the Kodak since it has a larger chip and is under your budget. You need things beyond the camera to make decent video so don't forget to budget for at least a monopod or small tripod. There are mounts for bicycles and motorcycles also available.

[Gustavs Repse]

I see.

Well i looked into one mount called the "Adventure Mount" but when put on a Bike it was wherry shaky. All the vibrations went drought it .

Yes, Video equipment costs a lot .

I'll will do fine with ust tripod at first, for the non moving shots. But my concern is that whether or not i'll be able to mount Kodak zi8 to tripod. I know there are tripods for this model, but the assortment seams small.

For example , if i decide on buying this Steadicam U-Flycam Stabilizer Steadicam for mini dv cameras dslr on eBay (end time 26-May-10 05:19:55 BST)
will i be able to mount my Kodak zi8 facing straight as it should on it ? Not rly sure how the attaching works.

Does the tripod has a squeezer that holds the cam in place by pushing 2 steal/what ever material together?

Il try to google into it . :/

[Marcus Marchesseault]

Those pocket cameras have a standard threaded screw mount on the bottom. It does look a little flimsy so maybe it would be wise to get a piece of angle metal and velcro the back of the camera to one side of the bracket and attach the bracket bottom to the tripod or vehicle mount.

Here is another camera that you might consider:

GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camcorder

It is designed to be mounted to a helmet or vehicle and has an underwater case built in. It also has a 1/2.5" sensor so it may not be so terrible in low light.

[Gustavs Repse]

I think i'm in love.

[Gustavs Repse]

Originally Posted by Marcus Marchesseault

Those pocket cameras have a standard threaded screw mount on the bottom. It does look a little flimsy so maybe it would be wise to get a piece of angle metal and velcro the back of the camera to one side of the bracket and attach the bracket bottom to the tripod or vehicle mount.

Here is another camera that you might consider:

GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camcorder

It is designed to be mounted to a helmet or vehicle and has an underwater case built in. It also has a 1/2.5" sensor so it may not be so terrible in low light.

Hello.

I am wherry satisfied with what i find about GoPro HD Helmet Heroe. It has good video quality. The helmet mount or others seam to take care of the shakiness. Specially if i am riding my bicycle . And the waterproof system lets you venture into new grounds.

The let downs are the fact that it does not have a screen on which to see the footage ur filming. And the option navigation seams quite complicated. But if mastered u posses a powerful tool .

And i think that if i am riding a bicycle and it is mounted on my helm i have to take the cam out of its carcass each time i want to stop or begin to film. Makes it a bit hard to shoot spontaneously in daily basis.


Marcus, maybe you own this gadget ?

[Marcus Marchesseault]

No, I don't have either of those cameras. I just looked into cameras that best fit your description. Keep looking and I'm sure you will find something you like. I use a Canon 5Dii which is out of your budget range so I can't recommend a camera like that for you. I think the most important thing to do is get a camera and start shooting so you can develop your skill.

[Gustavs Repse]

Right now i am confident in GoPro HD Helmet hero. :)

It has wherry wide possibilities of usage . And the quality seams amazing. Tho i hope the test videos on youtube arent fake ones. Aka GoPro shoot with Hi-end Camera claiming they did it with GoPro .

Thank you for advice. I appreciate it .