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05/20/2008 01:31:46 PM · #1 |
Is it possible to get a quality video camera at or around $1000?
My boss has asked me to order one and I know nothing about video. It will be used in classroom and visiting speaker situations. Video will be posted on web for other mathematicians. Any suggestion where to start?
Message edited by author 2008-05-20 13:32:07. |
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05/20/2008 02:16:47 PM · #2 |
//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/479003-REG/JVC_GZHD7US_GZ_HD7_Everio_60GB_Hard.html
youre in luck this should do wonderfully, its an HD camera, 60GB internal Hard drive, 10X zoom and its almost prosumer grade, this camera would please your boss |
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05/20/2008 03:20:29 PM · #3 |
Even better news... I was just approved (barring one more look at the budget) to get this.
//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/537981-REG/Sony_HDR_SR12_HDR_SR12_120GB_Hybrid_HDD_Memory.html
I am soooooooo excited!!
I can take video and still (10.2) at the same time, too!!!
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05/20/2008 03:28:10 PM · #4 |
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05/20/2008 03:32:08 PM · #5 |
| DON'T buy any JVC HDD if you plan on doing any editing work. In fact almost all the HDD models do not import directly into the major editing programs. Be sure you research the camera and make sure its compatable with the software your using.. Just an Heads up. |
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05/20/2008 03:49:20 PM · #6 |
oops
Message edited by author 2008-05-21 09:26:45. |
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05/20/2008 03:53:17 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by coronamv:
DON'T buy any JVC HDD if you plan on doing any editing work. In fact almost all the HDD models do not import directly into the major editing programs. Be sure you research the camera and make sure its compatable with the software your using.. Just an Heads up. |
I've read some of the reviews on the Sony HDD and people seem happy with the compatibility. I hadn't thought about software, yet. I assumed CS3 had something, but apparently not. Shows how much I know. |
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05/20/2008 04:20:25 PM · #8 |
| Just be proactive whne purchasing what ever camera you ecide on and make sure it will work with the software your planning to use. |
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05/20/2008 04:46:52 PM · #9 |
If you plan on doing anything with the video beside just watching it back you may need to see if your $1000 budget needs to include: software, transfer ability, and HDs. I am a big Premiere fan - not Premiere LE. So if I were just starting out I would look into:
Video camera
Premiere
Firewire card
Backup HD.
My camera has Firewire and plugs right into my computer, which in turn Premiere recognizes and I can capture straight through Premiere.
I wouldn't waste my time or money on HD. You are not going to be creating killer movies on your desktop. You should figure out what you are going to play the movies back on - DVD or your computer. If you are going DVD, then be sure you are ready to settle on not your "BlockBuster" rental quality. (Just make sure that you have realistic expectations.) You need to add DVD creation software to the list above. If you are going to make movies for your computer and/or the web then you can get lots of stuff for free.
Insofar as a camera, I love the Canon Optura models. |
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05/20/2008 05:14:22 PM · #10 |
| I was in a similar situation just a couple of weeks ago, buying an HD camcorder for work with about a USD1000 budget. After doing all my homework, I went with the Canon HV30. Tape may not be as sexy as hard-drives or memory cards for storage, but the plain fact is that the HDV (tape-based) codec is significantly more mature than the AVCHD (mem-based) codec. This means better image quality on HDV, far fewer software incompatibility issues, and video editing doesn't bring the CPU to its knees. |
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05/21/2008 09:26:23 AM · #11 |
OK, so I've got him talked into the Sony HDR-SR12 kit, including tripod, extra battery, tiffen filter, bag, etc. for $1599. Quite a feat. I don't see it being too hard to talk him into Premiere Pro, which is normally $800, but sells to Universities for $300.
I've looked everywhere to see if they are compatible, but can't find out. |
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05/21/2008 09:48:59 AM · #12 |
Compatible camcorders
"Digital camcorders
Adobe Premiere is designed to work with digital camcorders. These digital camcorders support the digital video (DV) format and the IEEE 1394 protocol (also known as Apple FireWire or Sony iLINK). This protocol allows Adobe Premiere to easily handle video, audio, timecode and device control between your digital camcorder and your computer through a single cable connector."
Your camera does not have Firewire though, rather HDMI. I have never used HDMI so I cannot tell you that the camera, the computer and the software will all be happy together for capturing right from the camera. You could use the USB 2.0 to dump everything from the camera to the computer hard drive though.
When I capture, I do not dump everything to my computer hard drive, rather just the clips that I want so that is why I capture though Premiere.
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05/21/2008 10:36:01 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by magnus:
I was in a similar situation just a couple of weeks ago, buying an HD camcorder for work with about a USD1000 budget. After doing all my homework, I went with the Canon HV30. Tape may not be as sexy as hard-drives or memory cards for storage, but the plain fact is that the HDV (tape-based) codec is significantly more mature than the AVCHD (mem-based) codec. This means better image quality on HDV, far fewer software incompatibility issues, and video editing doesn't bring the CPU to its knees. |
I've had the HV30 for about 1 week now, and so far I think it's great. and i got it at a deal price of $768
//www.dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=101448&ru=290
I'd say if the HV20 was the Mercedes of the Canon line, this is a Bentley.
Message edited by author 2008-05-21 22:39:29. |
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05/22/2008 09:07:53 AM · #14 |
OK, guys. I'm having a real hard time passing up this HD camera. Doesn't work with Premiere because no FireWire, gotcha'. But... Final Cut supports it. OK, sure all I"m doing is editing math lectures, but I've got unlimited access to this thing and boss is willing to pay big bucks because we've got to spend this money fast before the end of the fiscal year because it doesn't roll over. I've even got a computer on it's way to use solely for this camera with 160 GB.
Sony HDR-SR12 120 GB Hybrid HDD/memory Stick High Definition Camcorder
It'll be here tomorrow!!!!!
Message edited by author 2008-05-22 09:09:22. |
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05/22/2008 10:57:07 AM · #15 |
I don't want to be misunderstood. I didn’t mean to imply that you couldn’t use Premiere. All I meant was that I didn’t think you could capture with Premiere controlling the camera, but I am really not sure. Everyone has their own workflow so please let me explain what I am talking about. When I shoot, I shoot way more than I need. When I get back to dump the footage, I hook the camera up to the computer, fire up Premiere and begin to capture the video. I basically play the tape on the camera and watch in Premiere. I find a segment I want, play that segment and capture it, or store it on the computer as a digital file using the prescribed codec – then move on. There is always lots of crap I don’t want or need so I don’t capture that. I then have all of my clips in a bin and begin to put together the show.
In your case, as I mentioned, you could dump the files from your camera hard drive over to your computer and then go to work trimming them and weeding out the junk. Once you have digital video files on your computer, you are ready to edit – how they got there is the only difference between your camera and mine.
The difference is my video is on tape and yours will be on a hard drive. You can still totally use Premiere or Final Cut or anything else you want. It would be best to look into which piece of software will provide the most comfortable workflow for you, has the features you desire, and will provide the greatest flexibility. Flexibility is key as Apple has a tendency to not allow you some of the flexibility you might find in other programs because they like to do the thinking for you – sometimes this is awesome and sometimes it isn’t.
You also need to look into your form of delivery – DVD or computer and if the computer, which format? This area is a whole new world of options and workflow.
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05/22/2008 12:51:48 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by tcmartin:
In your case, as I mentioned, you could dump the files from your camera hard drive over to your computer and then go to work trimming them and weeding out the junk. Once you have digital video files on your computer, you are ready to edit – how they got there is the only difference between your camera and mine.
You also need to look into your form of delivery – DVD or computer and if the computer, which format? This area is a whole new world of options and workflow. |
I suspected as much. I'm pretty much relying on the software that comes with the camera until I make up my mind about what to purchase. I've got the whole summer before I need to do anything work-related with it. Do you have any experience with Final Cut?
Form of delivery... well, I'm sure I'll nail something down in time, but for now I'm thinking I'm going to slap it on DVD raw then work from there. Maybe the final product saved on computer as .mpeg.
If any of that sounds ignorant, it's because I am when it comes to video. Ignorant... yet determined. I really appreciate your advice and intellect. |
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05/22/2008 12:58:48 PM · #17 |
If you have Final Cut Pro you should not need Premiere -- it is Apple's competitive professional-level program. If you have that you should also have iDVD, which should let you author a disc.
Digital tape is probably the most stable/shock-resistant storage medium for a camcorder -- personally, I'm hesitant about recording directly to hard disk or DVD ... |
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05/22/2008 01:37:10 PM · #18 |
I don't have either. Premiere seems to be the smarter choice, seeing as I use Adobe. I wonder if I can get some kind of upgrade from Adobe Design Premium to the Master Collection. That would be SWEET.
About the storage medium... I was much too enticed apparently by all the bells and whistles on this camera to follow the wise advice that I was seeking in the first place. I took a leap and hopefully everything will turn out OK. I won't be filming any weddings with it, just some grumpy old math professors. JK about the 'grumpy' and the 'old', Dr. Jones. :) Of course, I'd be lying if I said I was going to have it locked up in my office all the time. |
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05/22/2008 03:15:47 PM · #19 |
| I used Premier back when we were still converting regular video to digital -- versions 3 and 4 I think ... I found it an excellent, easy to use program. |
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05/22/2008 03:31:34 PM · #20 |
| My pro video subcontractor uses Final Cut, Combustion, and Premiere. I strickly use Premiere (Pro) here. I have been using it forever, back when I had huge cards, RS-422 control, and actual video decks. The video boys like Funal Cut sometimes and at others they don't. But, they are stickly doing very high end stuff. Here at my office I mostly do stuff for CD and web delivery and the days of cards, boards, cables, are gone. I have to put out a few DVDs from here a year and when you get to that point give yourself three times as much time to complete the job as you think it should take because that whole process was spawned by Satan himself. Insofar as my web and CD delivery, Premiere is very easy to work with for me and results are predictable and very professional. However, don't be fooled, just because you use whatever nonlinear editor, doesn't mean that is all that it takes to get the job done. When you get to that point we can talk about all of the other things you need in order to get your product out to somebody so they can watch it. |
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05/22/2008 04:02:35 PM · #21 |
sheesh, what have I gotten myself into...
Well, I get it tomorrow.
I'm supposed to take pics at a VERY informal wedding tomorrow night (likely to be doing keg stands and corn hole). I'm going to set it up on a tripod for the 5 minute ceremony and explain to the bride that I may or may not screw it up. She's only paying me for stills, so no harm done if I do screw up.
I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions over the weekend and thanks for all your help so far, even though I don't listen so good. :)
(Did I say earlier, "It's not like I'm going to be shooting weddings with it.") :) |
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05/22/2008 04:17:42 PM · #22 |
| I would think for a 3 ccd and mini DV specifications.. |
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05/22/2008 05:26:57 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by cynthiann:
(Did I say earlier, "It's not like I'm going to be shooting weddings with it.") :) |
Cornhole weddings don't really count. :P
Does that thing have 24P mode? If it does, play around with that - it's a cool feature - cinema like. Have fun. |
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