still thinking about first camcorder

rec.video

7 Sep 2007 1:04 PM

Joe

Well, I still haven't bought my first video camera- I can't decide if I
should start off with a basic model to find out what I really need- or go
for a better quality camera, as I did when I bought my Nikon F100 35 mm a
decade ago (though I now wish I had a digital camera).

At first I was budgeting about $1,000 but now I think I can go to about
$2,000 - not counting accessories- does this get into the "prosumer" level?

Any suggestions for $2,000 camera? It will be used for general purpose, non
professional use- but I will certainly see what I can do in forests, being a
forester- so low light capability will be a plus. I also intend to interview
people. I have a nice Manfrotto tripod for that purpose, assuming we're all
sitting down- though I don't have a video head on it- presumably I can
replace the existing head with one designed for video work? (of course while
just sitting the video head won't be necessary).

Presumably all $2,000 cameras today will be able to shoot hi def- though I
don't really need it- at least I don't think I do. I certainly intend to put
some videos up on You Tube or a similar web site- and for that it isn't
necessary but I will eventually like to burn a hi def DVD. BTW, on a hi def
DVD about how much video can it hold- that is, if the recordings are 1080i,
will it hold an hour of video?

As people here have pointed out- what I may come up with won't be
"professional" but it will be better than anyone else in my professional
world- as forestry people aren't all that sophisticated. I've doing email
for 20 years and only in the past few years has it caught on in the forestry
world- I created the first forestry web site in Mass. a decade ago and
amongst several dozen forestry consultants I still have the only interesting
one. <G> The others tend to be little more than one page flyer on the web. I
did Javascript programming and lots of other tricks a decade ago- so putting
videos on You Tube and burning hi def DVDs will keep me a least a decade
ahead of the competition.

Joe

7 Sep 2007 4:08 PM

PTravel

"Joe" <a**@xyz.com> wrote in message news:4%bEi.17003$453.10686@trndny02...
> Well, I still haven't bought my first video camera- I can't decide if I
> should start off with a basic model to find out what I really need- or go
> for a better quality camera, as I did when I bought my Nikon F100 35 mm a
> decade ago (though I now wish I had a digital camera).
>
> At first I was budgeting about $1,000 but now I think I can go to about
> $2,000 - not counting accessories- does this get into the "prosumer"
> level?

It does. Look for a sale on Sony's VX2100:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/303956-REG/Sony_DCRVX2100_DCR_VX2100_3_CCD_Mini.html

>
> Any suggestions for $2,000 camera? It will be used for general purpose,
> non professional use- but I will certainly see what I can do in forests,
> being a forester- so low light capability will be a plus. I also intend to
> interview people. I have a nice Manfrotto tripod for that purpose,
> assuming we're all sitting down- though I don't have a video head on it-
> presumably I can replace the existing head with one designed for video
> work? (of course while just sitting the video head won't be necessary).

You should be able to do that. The Bogen RC700 and 3160 are good choices
for a VX2100.

>
> Presumably all $2,000 cameras today will be able to shoot hi def- though I
> don't really need it- at least I don't think I do.

Um, no. The VX2000 is a standard def camcorder. If you want a good
prosumer high-def machine you'll need to spend $3000-5000. You can get a
mediocre consumer AVCHD high-def machine for around $1,200 but the results
won't be prosumer quality.

> I certainly intend to put some videos up on You Tube or a similar web
> site- and for that it isn't necessary but I will eventually like to burn a
> hi def DVD. BTW, on a hi def DVD about how much video can it hold- that
> is, if the recordings are 1080i, will it hold an hour of video?

BlueRay or HD-DVD can each hold more than 2 hours. You will need a special
DVD burner to do this -- standard DVD burners will not support either
format. You'll also need authoring software that supports HD and this can
be format specific. For example, Adobe Encore supports BlueRay and HDV but
does not support HD-DV and AVCHD.

Show quote

>
> As people here have pointed out- what I may come up with won't be
> "professional" but it will be better than anyone else in my professional
> world- as forestry people aren't all that sophisticated. I've doing email
> for 20 years and only in the past few years has it caught on in the
> forestry world- I created the first forestry web site in Mass. a decade
> ago and amongst several dozen forestry consultants I still have the only
> interesting one. <G> The others tend to be little more than one page flyer
> on the web. I did Javascript programming and lots of other tricks a decade
> ago- so putting videos on You Tube and burning hi def DVDs will keep me a
> least a decade ahead of the competition.
>
> Joe

8 Sep 2007 4:20 PM

David Ruether

"PTravel" <ptra***@travelersvideo.com> wrote in message news:5kdbc6F36g4pU1@mid.individual.net...
> "Joe" <a**@xyz.com> wrote in message news:4%bEi.17003$453.10686@trndny02...

>> Well, I still haven't bought my first video camera- I can't decide if I should start off with a basic model to find out what I
>> really need- or go for a better quality camera, as I did when I bought my Nikon F100 35 mm a decade ago (though I now wish I had
>> a digital camera).
>>
>> At first I was budgeting about $1,000 but now I think I can go to about $2,000 - not counting accessories- does this get into the
>> "prosumer" level?

> It does. Look for a sale on Sony's VX2100: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/303956-REG/Sony_DCRVX2100_DCR_VX2100_3_CCD_Mini.html

I second this, so long as HD is not a requirement - and BTW, the
VX2000 footage (and the camera itself in cut-aways that showed
other cameras used in the shooting) was commonly used on
Discovery and MTV network programs. You may be able to find
a *good, low-use* used VX2000 or VX2100 (or the PD150/170
version that has XLR mic input sockets) if you look hard enough.
This camera shoots nice footage in woods, even in high-contrast
environments - MUCH better than one-chippers or cheap three
chip camcorders. BTW, there is a review of it on my web site at
www.donferrario.com/ruether/sony_dcr-vx2000.htm There are more
articles on video at www.donferrario.com/ruether/articles.html#video

>> Any suggestions for $2,000 camera? It will be used for general purpose, non professional use- but I will certainly see what I can
>> do in forests, being a forester- so low light capability will be a plus. I also intend to interview people. I have a nice
>> Manfrotto tripod for that purpose, assuming we're all sitting down- though I don't have a video head on it- presumably I can
>> replace the existing head with one designed for video work? (of course while just sitting the video head won't be necessary).

Yes, but... The tripod needs to be heavy enough to resist the rather
high damping on Bogan "fluid" heads (which I've never found very
smooth - but good ones are VERY expensive, so......).

> You should be able to do that. The Bogen RC700 and 3160 are good choices for a VX2100.

>> Presumably all $2,000 cameras today will be able to shoot hi def- though I don't really need it- at least I don't think I do.

> Um, no. The VX2000 is a standard def camcorder. If you want a good prosumer high-def machine you'll need to spend $3000-5000.
> You can get a mediocre consumer AVCHD high-def machine for around $1,200 but the results won't be prosumer quality.

True. If you must go HD, the Panasonic "200" is well-liked for both
Mini-DV and HD shooting quality, but the price of about $5200 plus
expensive needed accessories may be prohibitive.

>> I certainly intend to put some videos up on You Tube or a similar web site- and for that it isn't necessary but I will eventually
>> like to burn a hi def DVD. BTW, on a hi def DVD about how much video can it hold- that is, if the recordings are 1080i, will it
>> hold an hour of video?

Look at good standard definition DVDs on an upsampling system,
displayed on a good HDTV - and you may not want to waste the
money...;-)

> BlueRay or HD-DVD can each hold more than 2 hours. You will need a special DVD burner to do this -- standard DVD burners will not
> support either format. You'll also need authoring software that supports HD and this can be format specific. For example, Adobe
> Encore supports BlueRay and HDV but does not support HD-DV and AVCHD.

Yes - at this point, the whole process is too "bleeding-edge". It
is still hard enough to produce faultless SD video DVDs reliably...

>> As people here have pointed out- what I may come up with won't be "professional" but it will be better than anyone else in my
>> professional world- as forestry people aren't all that sophisticated. I've doing email for 20 years and only in the past few
>> years has it caught on in the forestry world- I created the first forestry web site in Mass. a decade ago and amongst several
>> dozen forestry consultants I still have the only interesting one. <G> The others tend to be little more than one page flyer on
>> the web. I did Javascript programming and lots of other tricks a decade ago- so putting videos on You Tube and burning hi def
>> DVDs will keep me a least a decade ahead of the competition.
>>
>> Joe

Don't try to jump TOO far ahead - it can lead to a LOT of grief!!!

--
David Ruether
d_ruet***@hotmail.com
http://www.donferrario.com/ruether