Doc camera - Sony NX70? Canon XF100? Struggling...

David Dixon · February 11th, 2013, 12:02 PM

If it's any help, I find the sound on the XF100 very good using the XLR inputs with external microphones. The noise floor is very quiet. I got a used Sound Devices MixPre (not D) last year to see if adding that between my hypercardioid (AT4053b) and the XF100 would help the sound, and was surprised to find not much difference. I never use the built-in mics for anything except quick family stuff, but they aren't just terrible. If you're recording music I assume you won't be using the built-ins anyhow.

How truly dark are these concerts? Are you having to shoot at f1.4 and 1/30 sec @ 3200 iso on your dslr? If it's a dark basement but with lighting on the performers, you may be OK, especially with manually exposing for the highlights. If you're shooting in near darkness pointing at the crowd, you'll need to add a light.

It sounds like you need to find a place with a good return policy and just try a couple. Good luck!

John Yingling · February 11th, 2013, 01:46 PM

Dark.

Here's a good example :

There's a ton of other examples on my page.

Everything thus far, like in this 30 minute video, is filmed on a Vixia HFS21 full manual, and a 60D with a kit lens.

A longer example :

So, honestly, I think I'll be fine. Either camera would slay the two I have now, comparatively.

The 60D with a 1.4 will help in any serious pinch.

However, if I'm going to this large of an upgrade, I wanted to make it really count and get a good 2-3 years out of it.

The NX70 seems like it'd be a little better in low-light, but the detachable mic / controls, AVCHD, and a few other things I'm reading seem like a dealbreaker to me. As a whole, just seems like it's not grabbing anyone for the long haul.

Joel Guy · July 25th, 2013, 01:06 PM

Hi John -

Just found this thread in a search. Curious to hear what camera you went with and how you're liking it, especially in low light situations...

Thanks!

February 11th, 2013, 12:02 PM	#16
David Dixon Major Player Join Date: May 2011 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 495	Re: Doc camera - Sony NX70? Canon XF100? Struggling... If it's any help, I find the sound on the XF100 very good using the XLR inputs with external microphones. The noise floor is very quiet. I got a used Sound Devices MixPre (not D) last year to see if adding that between my hypercardioid (AT4053b) and the XF100 would help the sound, and was surprised to find not much difference. I never use the built-in mics for anything except quick family stuff, but they aren't just terrible. If you're recording music I assume you won't be using the built-ins anyhow. How truly dark are these concerts? Are you having to shoot at f1.4 and 1/30 sec @ 3200 iso on your dslr? If it's a dark basement but with lighting on the performers, you may be OK, especially with manually exposing for the highlights. If you're shooting in near darkness pointing at the crowd, you'll need to add a light. It sounds like you need to find a place with a good return policy and just try a couple. Good luck!

February 11th, 2013, 01:46 PM	#17
John Yingling Regular Crew Join Date: May 2011 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 42	Re: Doc camera - Sony NX70? Canon XF100? Struggling... Dark. Here's a good example : Magic Milk - "Girls" on Vimeo There's a ton of other examples on my page. Everything thus far, like in this 30 minute video, is filmed on a Vixia HFS21 full manual, and a 60D with a kit lens. A longer example : Chicago in 2011 : A recap of why we love our live music scene. on Vimeo So, honestly, I think I'll be fine. Either camera would slay the two I have now, comparatively. The 60D with a 1.4 will help in any serious pinch. However, if I'm going to this large of an upgrade, I wanted to make it really count and get a good 2-3 years out of it. The NX70 seems like it'd be a little better in low-light, but the detachable mic / controls, AVCHD, and a few other things I'm reading seem like a dealbreaker to me. As a whole, just seems like it's not grabbing anyone for the long haul. Last edited by John Yingling; February 11th, 2013 at 07:47 PM. Reason: buh

July 25th, 2013, 01:06 PM	#18
Joel Guy Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NYC, NY Posts: 151	Re: Doc camera - Sony NX70? Canon XF100? Struggling... Hi John - Just found this thread in a search. Curious to hear what camera you went with and how you're liking it, especially in low light situations... Thanks!