Can anyone recommend a digital camcorder?
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Can anyone recommend a digital camcorder?
Hi,
first of all let me start off by saying this is an excellent website, i've just found it by searching on yahoo and it's exactly what i need.
i am 19 and am currently in my first year of study at the University of Wales, Bangor where i am studying History with Film Studies, which has turned out to be an excellent course. I've always wanted to be involved in film production.
I'm currently involved (in a small way) in the production of a cheesy zombie film called Dead Force (the director of this film has a website at http://www.roughcutpictures.20m.com/ which you may want to check out)
Next year we have to produce our own films from scratch as part of our course (whereas Dead Force is just for fun ) and so i've decided to buy a camcorder to practice making short films over the summer. I write short stories and there's a few i'd like to adapt to screen.
So i'm looking for a digital camcorder (as i'm also somewhat of a computer expert and would like to edit my films on pc and put them onto DVD with my DVD-writer).....
can anyone recommend a good model?
I'm not looking for anything thats completely professional, but i would like one thats going to give me the kind of quality that would make my films look good on the big screens in our lecture theatres where we screen our films (i'm talking cinema size here)
It's got to be quite small, but i would put features over size - it's got to have useful features like a widescreen option.
I'm looking for something around £500, but cost is not really a factor either, just wait til the final student loan installment gets here and i could go higher!
So if anyone has any recommendations for a decent model of camcorder for around £500 for a first-time camcorder buyer, lets here them!
first of all let me start off by saying this is an excellent website, i've just found it by searching on yahoo and it's exactly what i need.
i am 19 and am currently in my first year of study at the University of Wales, Bangor where i am studying History with Film Studies, which has turned out to be an excellent course. I've always wanted to be involved in film production.
I'm currently involved (in a small way) in the production of a cheesy zombie film called Dead Force (the director of this film has a website at http://www.roughcutpictures.20m.com/ which you may want to check out)
Next year we have to produce our own films from scratch as part of our course (whereas Dead Force is just for fun ) and so i've decided to buy a camcorder to practice making short films over the summer. I write short stories and there's a few i'd like to adapt to screen.
So i'm looking for a digital camcorder (as i'm also somewhat of a computer expert and would like to edit my films on pc and put them onto DVD with my DVD-writer).....
can anyone recommend a good model?
I'm not looking for anything thats completely professional, but i would like one thats going to give me the kind of quality that would make my films look good on the big screens in our lecture theatres where we screen our films (i'm talking cinema size here)
It's got to be quite small, but i would put features over size - it's got to have useful features like a widescreen option.
I'm looking for something around £500, but cost is not really a factor either, just wait til the final student loan installment gets here and i could go higher!
So if anyone has any recommendations for a decent model of camcorder for around £500 for a first-time camcorder buyer, lets here them!
Minidv cam
I am comparing different minidv cameras. I am mainly looking at either the Sony DCR-vx2000 or the canon XL1. I am not familuar with either one of them and am a newbie at this film making stuff. My main interest would be in documentary filming. The canon seams a bit more expensive than the sony.
Does anyone have any recomendations?, experience? the features I like about digital, is editing ease, multitrack sound and quality.
Does anyone have any recomendations?, experience? the features I like about digital, is editing ease, multitrack sound and quality.
Well the X1 and what not are extremely expensive as MiniDV cameras go (as fantastic cameras as they are).
Try looking for last years models... My mate got his JVC gr-dvl160 camera 2 years ago for £700, and they now sell it in my local Currys for £350. Pretty standard quality for a DV camera (800,000 pixel ccd) but it's still a fantastic camera.
Try looking for last years models... My mate got his JVC gr-dvl160 camera 2 years ago for £700, and they now sell it in my local Currys for £350. Pretty standard quality for a DV camera (800,000 pixel ccd) but it's still a fantastic camera.
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We've been making our films on Sony Digital 8 cameras for about 3 years now and found it a good alternative to the low/mid-range priced MiniDV cameras around. The major bonus this format had for us, was that it allowed analogue footage we were shooting on our secondary fx/stunt/crash Hi-8 and 8mm cams to be played back on the Sony cameras and captured via the firewire card, as the card did not have analogue inputs. (Not all Digital 8 cameras have this backwards compatibility with Hi-8/8mm tapes now). They also had mic-in sockets so we were able to mic up all the audio with good results.
It may be worth checking this format out, as you can pick up split new cameras pretty cheaply, though some of the models are a bit heavyweight compared to their MiniDV counterparts. (Though give me a chunky full sized VHS shoulder mounted bone buster anyday!)
[Edited on 25-4-2003 by kowalski]
It may be worth checking this format out, as you can pick up split new cameras pretty cheaply, though some of the models are a bit heavyweight compared to their MiniDV counterparts. (Though give me a chunky full sized VHS shoulder mounted bone buster anyday!)
[Edited on 25-4-2003 by kowalski]