What's a good HD camcorder for small time movie filming?

xk2

Now I know the question in a sense sums up what I want to know but I might as well add to it... right? Anyway, I need to get around four HD camcorders that will be used to film a total 98 hours of footage and then edited together for the final video> I would prefer the footage not to be compressed by the camcorder as to preserve quality and such. I have built a computer for mass amounts of editing(I won't list the full specs but I'll say it's powered by a Intel Core i7 920) with 4tb of storage(2x 2tb HDDs) so the uncompressed size of the source footage of the camcorders shouldn't be a worry.

If you need any more information or anything like that please just say, and I will be more then happy to add more.

Answer
1. you should have mentioned your budget

2. i have used all these HD camcorders in my lifetime and they shoot very professional footage

a. Sony Professional HVR-A1U CMOS High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ENON1A?tag=dcmb-20

Review: This camcorder is from the Sony Professional division with pro level warranty support. Sound is 70% of the experience and this camcorder delivers pro level XLR connectors with 48V power. For best sound results manually set the volume as high as possble keeping the peaks below 0db. The CMOS sensor produces amazing HD quality. A head shot of a person wearing a ball cap facing into strong direct sun with a deep shadow across their face does not blow out the highlights and shows full details in the shadow. I'm using Sony Vegas 7 to edit the results and I'm very happy with both the camcorder and Vegas.

This is bigger than the small consumer camcords but is about the same size as my old Sony Digital 8 camcorder and it's smaller than any other pro camcorder. Pro shooters are always amazed and comment on how small it is. Nothing produces this level of pro results without spending a lot more money.

While as good or better than the current crop of small HD consumer camcorders for shooing in low light there are better pro models such as the Sony Z1 and V1 for low light. The manual settings are via the touch screen and a not included PDA stylus is a must have to keep finger prints of the screen. 24fps can be done but you need Cineform Connect HD to do the pulldown from the Sony CF24 as the native CF24 is choppy until you use Cineform. If 24fps is a must the Sony V1 is a better choice.



b. Canon VIXIA HF S100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OI2YZQ?tag=dcmb-20

review:
The Vixia hf s100 is an excellent camera. I just got it and I spent the weekend testing it. I didn't find any precise review for the postproduction workflow on Mac so I wrote my own for shooting in 24p mode. You will need fcpro 6.0.5 or fcexpress4. Connect the camera, select log and transfer with apple prores codec. The files will go into the scratch disk under the project name (mine is vixia test). All the files will be 29.97 fps interlaced (as a result of the way the camera deals with 24p in 60i).
Download a software called Jes DEINTERLACER, it's a freeware. drag and drop the files from the scratch disk and then select inverse telecine at 23.98 with direct export to apple intermediate codec. it' really fast. You'find the telecined files inside the same folder with the same name followed by the word PROJ (added by Jes). now put all the PROJ files in a folder you want, create a new project with timeline settings 23.98 fps, apple intermediate codec, import the folder with the footage (the one with the files ending in PROJ) and that's it. Start editing. You can easily go to pal or ntsc (my Vixia is NTSC) if you shoot 24p. I suggest to keep the color mode on when shooting in 24p. I haven't tested 30p or 60i as I don't need it. Hope this helps. The camera is an excellent one, nice in low light, nice audio quality from additional mic (depends on your mic quality, keep the levels automatic, much better than manual). I am super happy with the camera overall (as always when there is too much light it won't look good, I suggest an ND filter). Remember that if you want to go full quality HD you will need at least a class4 sdhc card (no need for the expensive class6). Also from my tests VOLTAICHD doesn't work very well to do the telecine. It is very slow (like 10 times slower than the process I just described) and the footage looks not good at all. So save the 40 bucks they want for it and use the free JES (what a nice piece of software....). The only annoing thing is that following my process you will phisically need the camera to be connected to your mac and you won't be able just to drag and drop the footage from the memory card (to do so you will need VOLTAIC to batch process the mts files created by the camera). Well, I'd rater get another memory card for the same price of the software and import the footage after the shooting. Good job Canon! ciao



c. Canon VIXIA HF200 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OI2Z2I?tag=dcmb-20



d. Sony HDR-CX100 AVCHD HD Camcorder with Smile Shutter & 10x Optical Zoom (Black)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PY41YQ?tag=dcmb-20

camcorder?

Q. wats the least amount of money i should pay to buy a good camcorder?.....it doesnt have to be like super hi-tech or anything, but i want the video and image quality to be good. also, wats a good brand of video camera to buy?

Answer
Personally I like Canon, Sony camcorder. You can try Canon DC210, it is 35X Zoom. I find a review for it,
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/11928/canon_dc210_camcorder/
A pretty price I can find for it is only $279.
http://dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=69291

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

camcorder?

becca

i want a camcorder for everyday use... not for anything really important, just for fun. it needs to be under $130, but i don't want it to break or not work very well. does anyone have any suggestions of good ones? i tried just shopping online but i don't really know what any of it means. i also like the smaller ones for portability but i am not sure which ones are quality... thanks!

Answer
Your best bet is to try and pick up a used one. There are a great many varieties of camcorders out there these days; however, to buy one new at that price I'm afraid you would not be getting a good quality picture from. Beware of ones with only digital zoom which is useless and will just make your picture fuzzy as you zoom in. If you are going to be zooming at all you would want Optical Zoom. If you are looking for a small size one, your best bet for quality within that price range would be a used Digital camcorder or perhaps, a bit bigger but not too huge and perhaps cheaper yet would be an older Hi-8 or Super VHC-C cam. I would suggest researching on the internet whatever make/model you are considering before you purchase to make sure there are no known issues with that particular model. There are definitely some models that have dew sensor problems and such that I would not recommend. I would suggest checking at least 4 reviews before you buy.

review DCRDVD653 handycam?

starzau

i dont want a 'features listing' of the product
i want a honest review from a real person about twhat they think of the camera

Answer
Category Camcorder Brand Sony
Optical Zoom 20x Digital Zoom 800x
Media Type 3" DVD-R , 3" DVD-RW Camcorder Type Digital Video Camera
Sensor Resolution 0.31 Megapixel Weight 440g
Viewfinder Colour Viewfinder Screen Size 2.5''
Screen Form Factor Rotating Optical Sensor CCD
Optical Sensor Size 1/6" Connectivity S-Video , USB 2.0

Preserve your memories and share them instantly on DVD with the versatile and worry-free Sony DCRDVD653 Handycam Camcorder.

This state-of-the-art Handycam from Sony helps you capture, watch and preserve your memories in cinematic style.

Letâs start with the hardware. The VD653 is equipped with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lenses, a guarantee of superb images every time. Combined with the powerful 20 x optical zoom and amazing 800 x digital zoom functions this camera is designed to deliver footage of stunning detail and clarity.

This is enhanced by another key feature of the VD653: DVD Format Video Recording. Play back your digital video instantly with no need for conversion or finalization or hook it up to your computer via the ultra fast USB 2.0 interface to make high quality DVDs. It records in all the major formats: DVD+RW/ -RW and -R, so compatibility will not be an issue. You can even separate all your footage into individual scenes for instant access with the great Visual Index Scene selection feature. Very slick.

When it comes to actually capturing your footage, the VD653 has a huge assortment of great features to help you get the best results every time. The 2.5 inch LCD, for example, is a touch panel screen that enables you to "spot focus" on a single aspect of the picture simply by touch. We love touch screen technology here at Digital Home and itâs great to see how effectively the feature works on this particular Handycam.

The VD653 is also equipped with Sonyâs innovative Super SteadyShot Image Stabilisation System, which ensures smooth video capture even when the conditions are shaky. For night footage, there is also Super Nightshot Plus, which can allow you to record things that even your own eyes couldnât see.

The list of great options continues with such features as:



⢠Progressive Shutter System

⢠16:9 "widescreen" mode

⢠Digital Picture Effects: Luminance, old movie

⢠Dolby Digital 5.1 Channel Recording Plus a host of other modes and functions (check out the table to the left, the list is enormous!).

As well as being a video camera the VD653 Handycam can also capture still images, taking advantage of all the features mentioned above. There is some great Picture Package software included when you buy this camera that will enable you to do even more with it. The only limit is your own creativity. If you want to turn those three hours of holiday footage into a Hollywood epic then the power is in your hands.


After all, every Oscar-winning director has to start somewhere.

Image Stabiliser With stabiliser (not specified) Low Light Sensitivity 5 lux
Min Focal Length 2.3mm Max Focal Length 46mm
Still Image Format JPEG Maximum Stills Resolution 640 x 480
Shooting Modes Night Remote Control With Remote Control
Battery Type Lithium Ion Battery Run Time 90 mins
Width 5.7 cm Depth 13.1 cm
Height 8.7 cm

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Does anyone have one of the new Panasonic 70x Opctical zoom camcorders?

best zoom camcorder reviews image

Kris

I've wondered what the 70x optical zoom is like, the most i've tried is 32x and its pretty good. Whats 70x like?

Answer
I haven't seen one or read any reviews but you'll need a very steady mount and a lot of light to use anything approaching 70x. My guess is it's just a sales gimmick.

What is a nice inexpensive camcorder for a 13 yr old girl, who wants to record herself and post it on u tube?

SimpleyD B

My 13 wants a camcorder for Christmas so she can post things on youtube. I have looked at the flip camcorder and the RCA Small Wonder but unsure which one is the better quality for the price or are there any other ones that are similar to these tow. Pls help time is running out.

Answer
You can buy a Canon ZR800 Mini DV Digital Camcorder for her. It is 35X Optical Zoom 1000X Digital Zoom 1/6" CCD 2.7" 112K wide-screen...
"The good: Inexpensive; easy-to-use joystick control; 35x optical zoom; above-average color reproduction; microphone jack. " ( i got it from a review site.)
And it is not expensive, I find that a decent deal for it is only $190.
http://dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=56984

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Needing help in picking a new camcorder and what type to buy?

best zoom camcorder reviews image

tech_fanat

I am looking to purchase a new camcorder. I currently own a panasonic VHS-C camcorder. Right now I am recording on these tapes and then dubbing them with my DVD recorder.
I run my own website and I want to put videos on my website. Here is what I would need:
- Good night recording, for fireworks and such
- Good day quality recording
- Image stabilization
- Good sound recording
- Fairly easy to use
- Prefer small over large body
- Ability to put video onto website pretty easily, not a must
- Good battery life
- Good zoom

Still photos are not important to me.

I heard that with Mini DV you can plug into DVD recorder with a cable and record the video onto the DVD. I was originally looking into a DVD-cam, but the DVD-cam reviews don't seem to be good. I don't know which I should get. I'm also not sure which models are the best.

I prefer to stay under $400, so I would like to know the best models under $400, I'm willing to go higher, so better models would be welcome.
Editing is not something I will need to do with my video, so I don't think that a hard drive cam is right for me.

The most important things for me is the overall video quality, something that record good/great in most situations.

Second, I want to be able to get my video on media that is universal. This is why the DVD cam interested me at first, but have since changed my mind based on reviews. But I heard on TV that there is a cable that can be plugged into my DVD player and I can record directly from the camera to DVD. Is this true and if so, is this cable included?

Any more advice on what camera to get would really be appreciated. I'm trying to get an idea of my options before I make my purchase.

Answer
I believe that this Camcorder is calling your name out!!!
Check it Out!

What is a good camera for taking skateboarding stills?

Dirty Dan

I have been filming with a camcorder for a while but i would like to start taking stills. I was thinking of mabe getting the Canon EOS Rebel T1i
What do you guys think?

Answer
I think Jim is very correct about the goodness of a Canon Rebel. However, I have been using a much more inexpensive camera that takes beautiful still shots. It is in fact not a digital SLR, so you don't need to worry about buying a very expensive lens with adequate zoom. The Camera I have is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 and it has a 18 power zoom with very crisp image stabilization. It shoots the same 10.1 megapixles as the Canon Rebel and provides many shooting modes. Another good feature about this camera is that it can even shoot HD video in a widescreen format. This Panasonic Lumix I have costs almost half as much as the Rebel and is more portable, lightweight, and has a excellent zoom range built in. A very nice site helped me make a decision on this camera which is www.cameralabs.com
for a review on it: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_FZ28/

Also when you're on this review page be sure to check out the video tour tab.
I have used this camera for filming video and pictures of my friends skating. It works very well for skating and keeps my shots stable while I'm riding my longboard and while I focus the lens on my friends skating while they are moving. As you can see, this camera is very capable because I can move, my friends can move and the camera remains with a clear and sharp image. When you first get the camera, be sure you turn on auto focus, and have image stabilization on. Another nice thing about this groovy camera is when you take pictures in certain modes, it will track the faces of people so you'll get a good shot. I love this camera! You can find it on amazon for about $275. Hope this helps!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers