Updated July 16th 2008 Choosing the Right DV Camera While it is true that all you need to create a video and put it online is an inexpensive webcam it may not leave the right impression with your audience. If you are creating video for your business and use a cheap camera that does not capture decent video and audio you are going to give the wrong impression. So I recommend you consider getting your self a mini dv camcorder. Below I recommend a few different top user rated consumer and semi pro models that I or my professional video producer partner use or that have the highest consumer ratings. Depending on what you plan on doing with your videos and how you want to represent your self online what camera you choose can be one of the most important decisions you make so here is what you need to consider: 1. External mic - It is best to get a camera that you can connect an external microphone to. Don't ignore this advice. So many people do and they end up sounding like they are speaking in a tin can or large empty box. I told a client of mine that I consult locally to get a camera with a mic input and he ignored my suggestion and instead got a fancy hd sony digital camcorder that cost twice as much and had no mic input. He soon got frustrated with it and took it back. Don't make that mistake. Whatever brand you decide on just make sure it has an input for an external mic jack and records to mini dv tape. 2. MAKE SURE WHATEVER YOU DECIDE THAT YOUR CAMERA RECORDS TO MINI DV TAPE. Do not make the mistake of purchasing a model that records directly to dvd and do not waste your money purchasing a model with a built in hard drive unless it is a high end model that records full quality uncompressed video. If you are looking for the most bang for your buck you want a 3ccd dv camcorder that records to "mini dv tape." One of the draw backs if you go with a budget model you wont get much manual control which is important if you plan on doing much more than plain talking head shots or home videos. However, a lot of people use the budget models I recommend below just fine for their web videos. Personally I prefer more control. Depending on your budget range finding a good digital video camcorder with a mic input can be a bit challenging. here are the models I recommend you consider: 3. The Samsung SC-D363 Mini DV Camcorder has the lowest price of all the mini dv camcorders that I have found with an external microphone input. You can find it on ebay ranging from $80-$190 which in the world of mini dv camcorders is a really good deal. Here is the discontinued spec page on BHPhotoVideo.com: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/sitem/sku=415032&is=REG That model was quite highly rated in the consumer reviews. However, you get what you pay for. It is a cheap camera. But it is exactly that... a cheap camera and should only be used if that is all you can afford to buy. In my own tests I found it a little buggy to use for capturing video that was recorded to tape from the camera to my computer but it worked as a video source for live video when capturing direct from firewire and not using tape. The bad news is that Samsung recently discontinued it. But there are currently a lot of models for sale on ebay some selling for under $100! Click here for a list of Samsung SC-D363 Mini DV Camcorders available on ebay right now. 4. Another popular model and better camera line to look at the Panasonic PV-GS300 models and higher. The price for the budget models that have mini mic input is $300 to $600. The GS300 is the base model with mic input and got very high user ratings in reviews at cnet and is used and recommended by my friend Tracy Childers the creator of FLV Producer. The bad news is that the GS300 was recently discontinued and it seems that the new model replacement for it does not include an external mic input. If you are interested in the GS300 just do a search on ebay. They will come up once in a while used for sale. 5. A great mid range prosumer model that has great user reviews is the Sony TRV-900. The TRV-900 is a 3ccd mini dv camcorder that provides a lot of manual control. It is no longer in production but you can find great deals for the Sony TRV-900 on ebay from time to time. One of my associates picked on up a used one on my recommendation on ebay and is very happy with it. A great resource page published by a professional about the Sony TRV-900 can be seen by clicking here. 6. This leads me to my top recommendations for those of you, who like me, who prefer to get the highest quality tools for the job and have the budget to do so. If you are serious about your video production and you think you may want to learn more advanced video production techniques or even hire someone with some training to come in and film for you it makes sense to purchase a good quality semi-pro camera. I personally settled on the Canon Gl2 which is a top user rated model but my friend Scott from Video Producer Online who is a tru professional video producer offline with decades of experience has recommended the Sony vx-2100 as an excellent camera... Update May 31st 2008 Scott recently asked me to include this recommendation for the Panasonic DVX 100. This prosumer camera includes built in dual xlr inputs for pro external mics. He also mentioned he was able to pick one up on craigs list in a deal for under 2000... that's a little more risky place to buy than bhphotovideo.com but if you are looking for a deal it may be worth a try. Addionally he wanted me mention that if you are using a GL2 or Sony vx-2100 or other prosumer model you will need a beachtec adaptor if you want to use an external xlr mic like a shotgun mic and get the best possible audio quality. I personally own and use a beachtech adaptor with my Canon GL2 and my sennheiser shotgun mic and they are great. Both the Canon and the Sony are priced right around the same range and both give you all the advanced capabilities you need for pro web video production and even indi film making. A lot of pros use these models and rate them highly and they are among the lowest priced in their class. The Canon GL2 is one of the most popular low end pro models loved by consumer users and filmmakers alike because it is lightweight and performs well. It and the Sony vx-2100 have top ratings but you may find more tutorials and third party instructional material available for the GL2 because of its popularity. I purchased my GL2 at www.bhphotovideo.com which is also a favorite of many pro and semi pro video producers. If I were to choose again I think I would pick the Sony though. 7. Finally I want to mention a small bit about High Definition Camcorders. Most High Definition consumer camcorders are not true HD. They are simply producing HD dimentional video which renders better definition. In fact if you are not recording to HD tape and buy into one of those lower price (generally anything under $1000) gimmick HD camcorders that records to a hard drive, disk, or memory card you may only be getting SD quality video at HD dimentions. Also be aware that models that do not capture to HD tape often use a format called AVCHD which most edting software is not yet compatible with. I am sure it will catch on and improve over time but for right now if you do settle on HD get a true hd camera like the Canon HV30 that captures true HDV and not AVCHD. If you purchase any HD camcorder please consider the following: a. You will need software that can edit HD video. Ok, so having said that there is one consumer model HD camcorder under $1000 that is topping the charts in both great consumer reviews and also industry reviews and that is the Canon HV30. You can watch a video intro to the Canon HV30 here: Canon stepped it up a notch with the HV30 which is getting even higher accolades than canon's previous HD model: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dMmvpW1SEnI Again I do NOT recommend using an HD camera for the Transparent Effect Project unless you know what you are doing and are sure you HD format compatible software to use to accomplish it. However, I thought you would appreciate knowing about this ground breaking consumer HD camcorder model. I purchased and own an HV30 and it is a really great buy but I am still learning how to shoot and edit in HD myself... However, if you also want to use it for shooting really great standard definition video it is an excellent choice and I do not think I would personally choose another consumer camera over it at the under $1000 level. So in short if you want to make a quality purchase at the under $1000 level there is nothing on the market right now that beats the Canon HV30 which you can use to shoot both standard definition and true high definition video. 8. My Associate Scott referred me to a great article here which he feels is a great overview that will help people understand the differences between the standard format video and hd video and choose the right camcorder to meet their needs. That article is a review of a specific camera but it doubles as great info that will help you in making the right choice whatever camera you decide on. One of the techniques that I use to save a lot of money when purchasing digital equipment is comparison shop between www.ebay.com - www.bhphotovideo.com - and by doing a price comparison at www.pricegrabber.com. If the prices are close I always go with www.bhphotovideo.com because they have fast shipping, great customer service, and offer good extended warranty plans. However, if you are looking for a deal on used equipment there are some to be found on www.ebay.com - A word of caution though click here and read this page before purchasing any expensive video equipment on ebay. I have purchased literally thousands of dollars in audio, photo, and video equipment on ebay and never been ripped off. But as you can see from the example above if you are not diligent it is possible to get scammed. Also I always read feedback from other buyers. Additionally I email the seller if I have any questions at all especially about return policies. Some sellers have an "exchange only" policy listed but that wont work if they only have one item for sale. You also want to make sure they are insuring any expensive purchases you are making. It is possible to find a used camera like the Canon GL2 on ebay for as much as a thousand dollars under retail but you need to consider that you do not know the condition of the camera or its internal components, it may not come with a warranty, and if you are purchasing off a previous owner it will not come with an extended warranty. Some times you can locate and verify a good seller who only used the camera a few times and guarantees its condition but it is important to weigh your risks carefully. Additionally you can sometimes get rebates when purchasing from authorized dealers. At BH I got my camera with a $250 mail in rebate. Last of all if you are shooting in a small area... for example my studio is only 20 x 12 and that makes getting walk on shots a bit of a trick for me to pull it off with proper back lighting. I recommend getting a good wide angle lense for your camera (not available in the budget models) like the WA 58 for the Canon GL2. This will give you more usable depth in your studio and for shots in confined space. At www.bhphotovideo.com they offer a dvd that trains on the basics of the GL2 for $30 created by some indi film producer guy. If there is something like that available online for the camera you choose get it. You want easy to follow instructions written from a users point of view to help you understand the camera and the tricks to using it. It really helps to have that in addition to the technical manual that comes with the camera. Also remember Google is a great place for research on tips for how to use your camera from other users. Whatever camera you decide on and wherever you purchase it make sure you search for the model you are researching on www.pricegrabber.com and www.bhphotovideo.com and read the spec sheet to make sure it has the features you are looking for. Also on those sites you will find both consumer and expert reviews... reach them. Pay particular attention to the user reviews as they are often more helpful than the pro reviews. Do not forget to pick up an extra battery for your camera and extra accessories like protective uv lense (if available), portable car adaptor battery charger, cleaning cloth, etc. and consider getting an extended warranty. I also purchased an inexpensive tape rewinder to save on some of the wear and tear on my camera. |