Looking 2 Film a Video; But what camera?

[Yacko]

I've gotten enough money to buy a camera.

I want to know, what cameras do gurus
like Frank kern use to film their stuff.

I need above average quality.

Any Ideas people?

Thanks :]

P.S I looked in some box and I've got a pretty ordinary sony handy cam - that any good

[LegitSells]

Like Youtube videos? Or short film movies?

Well I'm working on a YouTube series and I like to make short films but my camera sucks.

I'm saving up for this: http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp...odel=AG-HPX170

[Adaptive]

You can often find freelancers who will bring their own rig. If you want the results - a well shot video - and are not personally fascinated by the process - choosing lenses, setting up angles, implementing lighting, color balancing, logging shots, editing to tell a story, etc. - then leave it to the pros. Hire someone who's been passionate for life about being a total master of their art and craft, but who couldn't find a hot-selling keyword with both hands and a flashlight. Team up.

Regards,
Allen

[seemar49]

Anything with 3ccd chip or HD but make sure you get a deicent Mic as the ones on the camcorders pick up room ambience. Choose a lapel mic or a boom mic. Check out ebay.

[Dan C. Rinnert]

As korypearman asked, it depends on what you are going to use the camera for. And what do you consider "enough money"? Does that mean you have enough money to buy a professional camera for maybe $20k? Or enough to buy a prosumer model around $5k? Or enough to buy a consumer model under $1k?

If you're looking for a pro or prosumer camera, you're better off asking on forums where professional videographers hang out.

If you're looking for something just to make videos for IM, as I suspect maybe you are if you're using Frank Kern as your example, then start out with something like a Flip Mino or Flip MinoHD. It's a reasonably inexpensive way to get started, and the quality is good for most purposes. You can always upgrade later to a higher-end camera if your project takes off.

Of course, you may be able to start out just using your Sony Handy Cam.

[Dan C. Rinnert]

Originally Posted by korypearman

Like Youtube videos? Or short film movies?

Well I'm working on a YouTube series and I like to make short films but my camera sucks.

I'm saving up for this: Learn about Panasonic's AG-HPX170

I've had my eye on this one:
Learn about Panasonic's AG-HVX200

[ehicks727]

I just got a Canon Vixia HF20 and IT IS AMAZING! I highly recommend this camera. I also bought Mass Control 2 and said to myself "I want to make videos as good a Frank's".

Now I'm sure Frank uses a "Pro-sumer" grade camera, but this Vixia HF20, even on it's middle settings, is indistinguishable (to my eyes at least) to Frank's videos.

Here... check out a video (yes, it's a "driving" video) I shot with this camera for my church. Especially look at the quality at the end where we are on the beach... about at 6 minutes or so. Make sure you're viewing it HQ in YouTube.

[ehicks727]

Originally Posted by AnarchyAds

ehicks727

wow that Canon Vixia HF20 is good!

Thanks! I only had it on the SP setting too.. There are two higher quality settings above SP even.

[IMnwxlh2]

Hi Folks

The Canon HF20 is a good camera, but somewhat small if you have big hands. There is also the tape version called the HV40. These are under $1000.00 buckaroos. The HF20 records to an internal 32 Gig drive whereas the HV40 records to miniDVs.

The Panasonic HVX200 is a beaut!!!! going for about $5-6K!!!
It records to P2 memory cards and they are expensive (I think 16 Gig is abut $1K ouch !!!!). But this is a serious camera. It's a mid-size model bigger than that of the HF20 or HV40.

At the end of the day, what do you want to do with the camera?
I have the Canon HV30 and it's images are quite beautiful (just like that of the HF20. But like I said, I have large hands and I find getting to the controls is a bit awkward.

I find that the Canon (at least the HV30) is not that great in low light situations. The Sony's are much better for low lighting.

There is a forum that I frequent a lot for Video cameras and is called

www (dot) dvinfo (dot) net

Sorry for the above as I do not have enough posts to include links yet

I need 15 posts (getting there ...)

Norman

[ehicks727]

Originally Posted by IMnwxlh2

The HF20 records to an internal 32 Gig drive whereas the HV40 records to miniDVs.

Correction, the HF20 has DUAL recording to either the internal 32Gig hard drive OR to SDHC cards. I picked up a 32 Gig SDHC card because I like to just pop the card out and slide it into my laptop's card reader to get my videos.

Personally, I recommend that if you're getting a new camera, get one that records to SDHC cards. No fumbling with cables, no tapes, no discs. It's just like your Digital camera that uses cards... pop the card out and download to your laptop... so easy.

[Sam Rodrigo]

HI Folks,

Which type video camera would you recommend in the Canon line --I would like to be able to use the Canon *camera* (dSLR) lenses on the video camera.

The videos are for a website and YouTube (HD) for mostly travel videos.

Thanks, Sam

[Terry Crim]

It depends on the type of video you are planning to do. Video for Youtube you can use any webcam camera, it does NOT need to be a highend camera. Some use digital photo camera's (most have video capability).

I use a Sanyo Xacti HD 720P Video Camera, it uses SD Cards and saves in MP4 format.

For editing software I use Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8.0 and I created my own green screens to use with the chroma key effect of the software.

You do NOT need highend capability to do web based video. A lot here talk about how you need studio quality video and sound. My testing shows otherwise.

Though if you are doing DVD quality video to ship out in a physical DVD then yes I would go with the more highend equipment and audio equalizer mixer with quality microphone.

You can get studio quality and build yourself a nice studio for under 10k, which includes everything you need.


- Terry

[IMnwxlh2]

Originally Posted by ehicks727

Correction, the HF20 has DUAL recording to either the internal 32Gig hard drive OR to SDHC cards.

Ooops, my bad. Also the SDHC card is much cheaper than the P2 card for the Panys.

Also, the download from the SDHC card will be much faster than from tape.

[IMnwxlh2]

Originally Posted by Sam Rodrigo

HI Folks,

Which type video camera would you recommend in the Canon line --I would like to be able to use the Canon *camera* (dSLR) lenses on the video camera.

The camera that comes to mind is the Canon XL family (XL1, XL1s XL2, XLH1a, XLH1s) as they have removable lens. There are adapters out there that waill mate your lens to the Canon XL mount. But these are pretty expensive and maybe an overkill if all you are doing is shooting for the web.

[Quentin]

You know if I was just starting I would get something like the flip camera and try my skills first plus it will be a great addition later on.

Have a look at this video as it highlights the quality and also a few suggestions on the better equipment.

Multimedia | The Internet Marketers Club

Watch it on HD to see the real quality comparison.

Quentin

PS: By the way if you really want to get into video then watch some of these tutorials.

http://www.digitaljuice.com/dj_training/default.asp

PPS: and some more at Vimeo

http://vimeo.com/channels/theedit

[IMnwxlh2]

Originally Posted by Sam Rodrigo

The videos are for a website and YouTube (HD) for mostly travel videos.

Hi Sam

Your travel video is a great niche to get into. What you can do is shoot in HD and then create a teaser/trailer for the web. If people wants to get the full complete package, you can upsell a physical version on HD with all the bell and whistles.

[xiaophil]

Originally Posted by Terry Crim

Though if you are doing DVD quality video to ship out in a physical DVD then yes I would go with the more highend equipment and audio equalizer mixer with quality microphone.

Hi Terry,

Isn't the video stream of a DVD encoded to a relatively low resolution (like 720x480 for NTSC)?

Although I definitely agree with having a quality microphone, why would someone need high-end equipment to produce video for a DVD?

I would suggest that lighting (often neglected) and (as you already pointed out) audio quality would have a much greater impact on the overall results.



Phil

[iwanttomakemoney]

Hi guys.

Freelance/indie filmmaker here. I apologize in advance if I sound a bit too "elitist" or "snobbish"

Originally Posted by Yacko

I've gotten enough money to buy a camera.

I want to know, what cameras do gurus
like Frank kern use to film their stuff.

I need above average quality.

Any Ideas people?

Thanks :]

P.S I looked in some box and I've got a pretty ordinary sony handy cam - that any good

Honestly you need to first figure out just what level of principal photography you want. Obviously you're not looking to "film" anything, you're looking to "videotape" something. The majority of these IM "gurus" use simple consumer camcorders which get the job done well. Remember, you're not shooting some epic narrative feature or short film that's to be submitted to film festivals worldwide or within the country. You're not aiming for Sundance or Tribeca where your film will be screened and possibly purchased. All you're aiming to do here is make a few *videos* (note that the word used is not "film") on IM and get them out there. For that, your "Sony Handycam" MIGHT be fine, but it begs the question on what model it is.

I personally own one consumer cam, one prosumer cam, and one professional cam.

The consumer camcorder is used for just ordinary point-and-shoot ventures. Nothing big, nothing important. In fact, it's played a few parts as props in short films I've made. It's a Panasonic PV-GS85 that I purchased a few years ago. The camera shoots on DV.

My prosumer camera is quite a beauty. I purchased her for about $900 a year after I purchased the GS85. She's a Sony HandyCam HDR HC-1, the first in the line of HC camcorders you see today in stores. Of course, she was discontinued long before I purchased it and for a really good reason: Manual focus lens. There's a reason the newer HDR HC models lack a manual focus lens. Sony deemed it "too good" for the consumer/prosumer market to the point that their prosumer target audiences were buying it instead of the HVR-A1U, its higher-end counterpart that looks the same but contains two XLR ports (for boom microphones, obviously) and other extra features. It shoots on HDV.

My professional camera, on the other hand, has been mentioned in this thread. It is the Panasonic AG-HVX200b (well, it's the revision model) and shoots on P2 flash memory which I absolutely love. I hate to even think about dropping it

Now if you're shooting just IM promotional videos I would suggest just sticking to a consumer camera, hopefully on a tape-based format. Let me speak out vocally against DVD and hard drive recorders right now:

1. DVD-RW is a very fragile medium and extremely slow and tedious. You do not want to shoot on any sort of optical disc format, because you're going to be very frustrated at it. Consumers love it, I hate it.

2. Hard drives are unreliable compared to flash memory. If you must refuse a tape-based format such as MiniDV or HDV, I highly suggest flash memory over hard drives any day. The biggest downside to a hard drive-based camcorder is having to export all your footage once your hard drive is full and not being able to just swap it out with another tape or memory stick.

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

I've had my eye on this one:
Learn about Panasonic's AG-HVX200

Isn't it just hot? I think so! I'm aiming for a RED next

Originally Posted by ehicks727

I just got a Canon Vixia HF20 and IT IS AMAZING! I highly recommend this camera. I also bought Mass Control 2 and said to myself "I want to make videos as good a Frank's".

Now I'm sure Frank uses a "Pro-sumer" grade camera, but this Vixia HF20, even on it's middle settings, is indistinguishable (to my eyes at least) to Frank's videos.

Here... check out a video (yes, it's a "driving" video) I shot with this camera for my church. Especially look at the quality at the end where we are on the beach... about at 6 minutes or so. Make sure you're viewing it HQ in YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2tAw3lV2XY

I have two friends, one who owned an HV20 and one who currently owns an HV30 (the upgrade to the HV20). They love it, but for the same price you can pick up a new/slightly used HC1 which in my opinion is much more superior in that price range because of its manual focus lens

=====
Also:

When it comes to editing software, I swear by only two different programs. Those are Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. I'm only not listing Avid Media Composer because I simply have not used it yet. I plan on doing so, but not at this time. For now, Premiere and Final Cut do exactly what is required.

I don't approve of any other editing programs such as iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas, or anything else for that matter. I've tried a lot of editing software and have found flaws in them =P

That and I swear by a MacBook Pro as my primary system of work!

[The Copy Nazi]

Mate, I have a Canon HV20 HD. Swear by it. Has "Cine" option which softens the contrasts right down to make it look like 24 fps film. Check this out -

Fear of Falling test shots on Vimeo

And this one is Full HD -

Fear of Falling: Episode One on Vimeo



(Can't work out how to embed them here???)

[IMnwxlh2]

Originally Posted by iwanttomakemoney

Hi guys.

Freelance/indie filmmaker here. I apologize in advance if I sound a bit too "elitist" or "snobbish"!

Don't worry about that, the more people with different interests (niches), the better. I'm an event videographer myself ...

Video is now starting to replace sales pages, squeeze pages, etc. so it will be here for the next while. IMers are now starting to take the quaility of video seriously as it does improve the professionalism of their website.

Originally Posted by iwanttomakemoney

1. DVD-RW is a very fragile medium and extremely slow and tedious. You do not want to shoot on any sort of optical disc format, because you're going to be very frustrated at it. Consumers love it, I hate it.

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) the format is in MPEG2 which means you've already lost some quality (especially if you want to edit the footage). There are some editors out there that can edit MPEG2 directly. I use Adobe Premiere Pro so I have to decode it back to the right format.

Originally Posted by iwanttomakemoney

Isn't it just hot? I think so! I'm aiming for a RED next

Drooling .....

Originally Posted by iwanttomakemoney

When it comes to editing software, I swear by only two different programs. Those are Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. I'm only not listing Avid Media Composer because I simply have not used it yet. I plan on doing so, but not at this time. For now, Premiere and Final Cut do exactly what is required.

Just a note. Final Cut Pro works only on a MAC. So if you (like myself) have a WIndoze based system, the Adobe Premiere Pro is the way to go. I know there is a MAX OS emulator for Windoze but now we're treading into deep waters here. A lot of the TV stations and Movie studios swears by Final Cut Pro.

I currently own the Canon XLH1s and the Canon HV30. I use the Canon HV30 as my playback unit to save wear and tear on my baby ...

Norman

[iwanttomakemoney]

Originally Posted by IMnwxlh2

Don't worry about that, the more people with different interests (niches), the better. I'm an event videographer myself ...

Video is now starting to replace sales pages, squeeze pages, etc. so it will be here for the next while. IMers are now starting to take the quaility of video seriously as it does improve the professionalism of their website.



I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) the format is in MPEG2 which means you've already lost some quality (especially if you want to edit the footage). There are some editors out there that can edit MPEG2 directly. I use Adobe Premiere Pro so I have to decode it back to the right format.



Drooling .....



Just a note. Final Cut Pro works only on a MAC. So if you (like myself) have a WIndoze based system, the Adobe Premiere Pro is the way to go. I know there is a MAX OS emulator for Windoze but now we're treading into deep waters here. A lot of the TV stations and Movie studios swears by Final Cut Pro.

I currently own the Canon XLH1s and the Canon HV30. I use the Canon HV30 as my playback unit to save wear and tear on my baby ...

Norman

Yup, Final Cut only runs on Mac OSX (which is why I swear by my MacBook Pro!). If you're interested in installing OSX onto a PC-based platform, your two search terms should be "x86" and "Hackintosh", it'll explain it in much more detail.

Remember, always use the same brand/model of tape if you're shooting on tape!

[relfe]

The "What Camera" question should be the last question you ask.

Look at your entry into the film world as a project. And in any Project Management system you always start at the END.

Decide what you want to do (sell product, make a movie, whatever...)

Decide how you want it to look (will it be junk, like 99% of the so called videos you see on squeeze pages. Or do you want professional production values, similar to your TV or Cable?

If you want professional production values you need:

GLASS and LIGHT.

What you see on the screen is related more to the quality of lens your camera has AND the amount and QUALITY of light you provide for the picture than any particular camera.

01. Decide on your studio. Outside? Greenscreen? An office? If its greenscreen, better buy one AND you will need a background compositor such as the one Adobe has.

02. Get your lighting. I recommend softlights (like Mole or Altman) A minimum of 3. You can find great buys on Ebay. You will need stands to go with them.

03. Decide on your video editing workflow. I use SONY vegas. It is easy to learn and the quality is excellent.

04. Decide on your audio. Use an audio editor such as sound forge AND you will need a noise reduction plugin (like WAVES or something similar). After video capture you will extract the audio from your video and process it to remove noise, breathing etc. Then you will put it back into to video during editing.

05. Decide onyour wireless microphones. I use Sennheiser.

06. Decide on your microphone mixer. I user a 12 channel Mackie

07. I would also suggest a small DAT recorder to record audio onto during shooting. Dont record audio on just the camera. Make a simultaneous recording on your dat drive. It could save you.

08. Now decide on your camera AND your tripod. Get a GOOD tripod with a floating head. I use a Panasonic DVX100A which you can see at DTVUSER website. You can get them cheaper than the 3500 I paid for mine. Many movies have been made with this camera. And the HD version of it is even better.

Hope this helps

Michael