recommendations for a good dvd/video camera for professional recording with a very h

culabula88

I am looking for recommendations for a good dvd/video camera for professional recording with a very high quality to do professional wedding service / business.

I am also looking for one with an outlet for a microphone in case I decide to get somebody to do a commentary for a match.
All suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Which cameras in general are best for quality - hard disk or tape or dvd disk. If you copy the disk to a computer and edit the recording - could the editing program that I use or the quality of the computer effect the quality of the final production.

decob

Sony EX1 (sxs card)
Sony EX3 (sxs card)
Sony Z1 (tape based)
Canon XH A1 (tape based)

Would be the 4 off the top of my head that i can think of.

culabula88

How much for each of those. any opinions on my other questions above. I used a Sony HD hard disk camcorder to tape something but while it looked good on the camcorder when I put the disk on the telly the quality wasnt as good.

decob

Cheapest camera is prolly the z1 - somewhere in the 3/4k market. Ex1's are about 5k, ex3's 6-7k.

tape for the most part is always regarded as the best format as it has the least amount of compression. In recent years camera's like the panasonic p2 and now more recently the Sony Ex1/3 use removeable cards (the main problem that exists with them is that the cards were/are quite expensive and the amount you couldfit on a card is limited).

culabula88

I was thinking more along 1000e spend.

How about renting the cameras that you have mentioned above. I had a look at filmworks.ie website which offer to rent the camera. Are there many other places which rent these out?

m83

for that price get a canon hv30, quality is excellent but it lacks the manual controls of the more expensive cameras listed above.

keefg

OP, For someone whom appears to know nothing about camera equipment I think you will find it difficult to get into the wedding videography game.

Just because you buy a camera this does not make you a cameraman (woman). There are many technical aspects to even the most basic filmmaking to consider.....

Camera
Editing suite
Lighting
Sound / microphones
DVD burning & packaging
Back up

Spending a thousand euro on a camera won't make you money in the wedding game for a few reasons.....

There are dozens of video production companies and even more indy "cameramen" in Ireland with a lot of experience working the wedding circuit

A lot of wedding work comes from word of mouth and recommendations from friends and family for whom you have already done weddings for.

As a beginner you will probably need to find some couples who will let you film their wedding for free just so you can put a showreel together. Even this wont be easy because free or not, it will be tricky to find couples who will be your guinea pigs while you try to learn how to use a video camera.

erm....best of luck with it anyway.

culabula88

The real reason I want the camera is to do a high quality recording of gaa/ soccer matches - so what I would be looking for is a camera which gives high quality picture without the hassle of having to adjust too many controls. I used a Sony HD hard drive camcorder before but I was a bit disappointed with the results. Maybe something around 1000e could suit me.

I copied the recording from the Hard disk of the camcorder to the hard disk of the computer and edited it a bit - could this have effected the final production?

reece

bite the bullet and splash the cash. 5k will get you sorted. If you make money off it, it will pay for itself in no time. I've got a Canon XhA1 which I find great

keefg

@culabula88,

Where will you be showing your finished products? TV, DVD's, Internet?

I would not take Reece's advice and spend 5k on a camera when it's quite clear that you don't know how to use one in a (semi) pro capacity.

Your concern about too many manual controls is misplaced because to get decent results you need a camera with as much manual cotrol as you can get to achive hi end results (critical focus, undercranking & overcranking etc). A consumer auto camcorder just won't give you the results you are looking for especially for filming fast moving sports action.

To be honest a thousand euro won't get you an awful lot so maybe you can get yourself a second hand PD150 or PD170 with low hours on it. A simple editing suite. Get a half decent tripod (make sure it has a fluid head).

If you want to do "live" commentary the get a half decent XLR mic that will plug right into your camera (make sure it has a dead cat for outside recording and a long XLR cable). Alternatively, you can record the commentary in post without the worry of background & wind noise.

The editing suite will only alter your final output if you start on washing & colour correction and the like but you are a long way off that stage yet.

Just record your footage and stick to very simple cuts.

Or....hire a cameraman (maybe Reece can help you out if the price is right :D).

culabula88

What about hiring a good camera - could that be an option?

keefg

culabula88 wrote: »

What about hiring a good camera - could that be an option?

Only if you know how to use it. Like I said, owning or having a camera does not make you a cameraman.

It's the same with anything really, I could spend a fortune on the best brushes, paints, canvas & easel.......but if I can't draw or paint (which I can't) then the best of gear still won't make me an artist.

An experienced cameraman (with good editing) can get better results with a 500 euro camera than someone with no experience can with a 5000 euro one.


But the decision is yours of course. Maybe you should hire a few different cameras out and see which one you can get the best results from. If then you find it easier to use say a Canon or a Panasonic over a Sony then that will help you with your purchase.

Whatever you decide to buy though, don't forget to budget in the extras such as, mic, tripod, xlr cable.......sorry to tell you but 1000 euro wont get you much in the way of prosumer gear.

culabula88

how long would it take to get up to speed on the camera functions?

Where could I rent or buy one?

m83

culabula88 wrote: »

how long would it take to get up to speed on the camera functions?

Where could I rent or buy one?

Anyone can learn the technical nuances of a camera in a few weeks/months but that doesn't mean you'll know shot composition, lighting, sound, editing, etc all of which are equally important in video production and all of which are going to cost you extra bucks for the equipment.

Remember, anyone with a camera can shoot a wedding but to do it well is not an easy feat. To be honest I think you're probably rushing into this venture. I would just hope that you wouldn't be charging typical wedding prices because you will not be able to provide a quality service until you get a lot more knowledgable in this field.

Saying that, there is a wealth of information to be learned for free online. Get yourself involved in forums, blogs, youtube, vimeo et al and you'll have a much better idea of what equipment to get and what techniques work best.

In my opinion I think you shouldn't invest too much now. Just get a cheap SD camera and play around with it for a while to see if you are going to stick with it.

Good luck!

reece

keefg wrote: »

@culabula88,

I would not take Reece's advice and spend 5k on a camera when it's quite clear that you don't know how to use one in a (semi) pro capacity.

3.5K for the camera. The 1.5k for the extras (sound/light/etc..)

I agree that for some one starting out it's a big spend. But hey, I started out like that and learned the camera features in no time - through experience (taping astro league footy matches for a start, then diy comedy shorts/then weddings/ then corporate gigs.

If you get into it and like it and find cheaper camera doesn't suit your needs then you got to splash out again.

Renting first though would be a good idea if you feel you won't be fully committed

Dublin_Gunner

Culabula, I dont know where you're based, but Conns Camera's (just off grafton street) rent all sorts of camera equipment.

I usually rent gear for around a weekend or so (maybe 4 days) if I'm doing a short for work.

I recently rented a Canon XM2, with a tripod etc for around €240 I think (was a couple of months ago). I found it to be a fairly decent camera, with good quality pictures (once the lighting was ok).

But one thing you will definitely need to learn (after you know how to use the camera) is editing. I've been editing as a hobby for a few years now, and I find it great fun (if not incredibly time consuming lol), but it does have quite a steep learingn curve once you get past basic cuts & edits.

Get yourself a decent editing suite, and you shouldn't need any other software for a time. Even some free editing suites (movie maker, imovie) will allow you do simple edits, and add in effects, clean up lighting to a point etc), but you'll probably want something that has layers/tracks if you're getting serious about it.

Sony Vegas will do the job, and its nowhere near the price(the lower end version) of the likes of Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.