Shaun S
Anyone know of a good camcorder with tripod? I've seen some camcorders on Sony's online store, where reviews state they didn't work as advertised and such. On top of that, there was no mentioned of tripods. I'd like to be able to use a camcorder as a hand held device, but also so I can sit it on a tripod and record. I want to join the 'comedic internet reviewer' fad like the Nostalgia Critic, or Angry Video Game Nerd, but I don't know anything about camcorders, and now that taxes came in, I'd like to find one. Price range may not matter (though under $800ish at best). Any suggestions?
Answer
It would be rare to find any manufacturer or retailer packaging a camera and tripod together. There's such a big variety of tripods that it would be impossible to have an offer that suited everyone.
You should look at camcorders and check they have a tripod mount. This is the screw thread in the base of the camcorder for attaching a tripod. Most will have one. It's a standard size too so any tripod will fit. When you have found a camcorder you like then go look for a tripod that meets your needs and budget.
Tripods vary in quality, height and features. If all you need is something to lock the camera off at a fixed height and angle then a basic photography tripod will do. You can get a basic 47" aluminium tripod at Monoprice for under $15 + TAX + shipping. That's silly cheap but it will still do the basic job with most domestic camcorders. If you were also planning to do shooting that involved panning and tilts then you should spend more and get a heavier tripod (for stability) and one that includes a video head which means nice smooth movement.
Sound is the thing that everyone forgets when first getting in to video.
It's assumed that the camera's own mic will be good enough. They're okay for picking up general ambient sound, and the better cameras will try to record sound from the front. But when all is said and done the built-in camera mic is often too far away from the person speaking. Everything sounds like you're speaking in a bathroom. There's no bass and that makes the sound thin and hard. Watch enough Youtube videos and you'll soon spot the difference between clips with good and bad sound. The difference is often simply the mic.
Make sure you get a camcorder with a socket for an external mic. If you have been looking at Sony then the HDR-CX380 fits the bill.
As for an external mic, for the sort of work you'll be doing then I'd choose a shotgun mic such as the Audio Technica ATR6550 ($70) http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/a49c539ef22b0215/index.html#BVRRWidgetID Shotgun mics are what you often see in TV studios and on boom poles held by soundmen and on those news crew cameras. The pick-up is almost entirely from the front. The benefit with a mic like this is that you don't have to hold it close to your mouth to get good sound. It can be mounted on a mini tripod http://www.bestbuy.com/site/table-top-tripod-blue/1307080863.p?id=mp1307080863&skuId=1307080863&st=table%20top%20tripod&cp=1&lp=2#tab=overview so it's not so intrusive in shot. It will still pick up good bass to your voice and you won't have any handling noise or wind pop issues from "puh" and "buh" sounds. This means you're more likely to get a good recording first time.
The other tip is to set the camera to manual for the sound recording level. All camcorders have an AGC - Automatic Gain Control. This turns up the recording level when there's very little sound. The problem with AGC is that increasing the recording level also increases hiss and electrical noise. For pieces to camera it's better to set a manual recording level and leave it there. The sound will be more consistent and there won't be as much hiss.
It would be rare to find any manufacturer or retailer packaging a camera and tripod together. There's such a big variety of tripods that it would be impossible to have an offer that suited everyone.
You should look at camcorders and check they have a tripod mount. This is the screw thread in the base of the camcorder for attaching a tripod. Most will have one. It's a standard size too so any tripod will fit. When you have found a camcorder you like then go look for a tripod that meets your needs and budget.
Tripods vary in quality, height and features. If all you need is something to lock the camera off at a fixed height and angle then a basic photography tripod will do. You can get a basic 47" aluminium tripod at Monoprice for under $15 + TAX + shipping. That's silly cheap but it will still do the basic job with most domestic camcorders. If you were also planning to do shooting that involved panning and tilts then you should spend more and get a heavier tripod (for stability) and one that includes a video head which means nice smooth movement.
Sound is the thing that everyone forgets when first getting in to video.
It's assumed that the camera's own mic will be good enough. They're okay for picking up general ambient sound, and the better cameras will try to record sound from the front. But when all is said and done the built-in camera mic is often too far away from the person speaking. Everything sounds like you're speaking in a bathroom. There's no bass and that makes the sound thin and hard. Watch enough Youtube videos and you'll soon spot the difference between clips with good and bad sound. The difference is often simply the mic.
Make sure you get a camcorder with a socket for an external mic. If you have been looking at Sony then the HDR-CX380 fits the bill.
As for an external mic, for the sort of work you'll be doing then I'd choose a shotgun mic such as the Audio Technica ATR6550 ($70) http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/a49c539ef22b0215/index.html#BVRRWidgetID Shotgun mics are what you often see in TV studios and on boom poles held by soundmen and on those news crew cameras. The pick-up is almost entirely from the front. The benefit with a mic like this is that you don't have to hold it close to your mouth to get good sound. It can be mounted on a mini tripod http://www.bestbuy.com/site/table-top-tripod-blue/1307080863.p?id=mp1307080863&skuId=1307080863&st=table%20top%20tripod&cp=1&lp=2#tab=overview so it's not so intrusive in shot. It will still pick up good bass to your voice and you won't have any handling noise or wind pop issues from "puh" and "buh" sounds. This means you're more likely to get a good recording first time.
The other tip is to set the camera to manual for the sound recording level. All camcorders have an AGC - Automatic Gain Control. This turns up the recording level when there's very little sound. The problem with AGC is that increasing the recording level also increases hiss and electrical noise. For pieces to camera it's better to set a manual recording level and leave it there. The sound will be more consistent and there won't be as much hiss.
DV Camcorder Tripod?
I need a decent (read good but not expensive) trip for my Sony DV camcorder.
Answer
Herews a full size version. Tripod connector spotson the camcorders are standardized.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103277&cp=&origkw=tripod&kw=tripod&parentPage=search
Herews a full size version. Tripod connector spotson the camcorders are standardized.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103277&cp=&origkw=tripod&kw=tripod&parentPage=search
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
No comments:
Post a Comment