Technophone seeks help.
June 5, 2011 10:01 PM Subscribe
Advice for buying a digital camcorder?
I need to buy a digital video recorder and I'm rather at a loss about where to start. I don't know much about video cameras and am not sure what I will need.
I will be using this to record videos of people telling stories on a stage. They will be 10-15 ft away. most likely it will have to pick up the sound of the PA, so a good mic would be very nice. As i'm clueless right now, a good user interface would also be great -- something easy to use.
- HD capabilities are rather important
- plug-in for an external mic? port to run audio out into another recorder?
- battery life?
-i'll probably be using iMovie to edit the videos down and upload them to Vimeo.
I'm looking to spend around $800 on this, plus a bit more for accessories.
Does anyone have any recommendations? What types of questions should I be asking? Where is a good place to buy such a thing? (i'm in Toronto)
I need to buy a digital video recorder and I'm rather at a loss about where to start. I don't know much about video cameras and am not sure what I will need.
I will be using this to record videos of people telling stories on a stage. They will be 10-15 ft away. most likely it will have to pick up the sound of the PA, so a good mic would be very nice. As i'm clueless right now, a good user interface would also be great -- something easy to use.
- HD capabilities are rather important
- plug-in for an external mic? port to run audio out into another recorder?
- battery life?
-i'll probably be using iMovie to edit the videos down and upload them to Vimeo.
I'm looking to spend around $800 on this, plus a bit more for accessories.
Does anyone have any recommendations? What types of questions should I be asking? Where is a good place to buy such a thing? (i'm in Toronto)
Response by poster: The recordings will probably be around 2 hours.
posted by custard heart at 9:21 AM on June 6, 2011
posted by custard heart at 9:21 AM on June 6, 2011
I'd recommend the Canon Vixia line of camcorders. They run from about $400-800 US dollars. All of the ones I've seen have 1/8" mic input for an external mic. And you definitely want a good external mic. Something like this compact shotgun mic. Rode and Sennheiser are good brands.
Other things: most camcorders come with dinky batteries. If you don't have access to a wall socket, you will have to buy better (longer-lasting) batteries (usually cheaper online).
Memory: The Canon Vixia line works with standard SD cards. This is good, because SD cards are cheap and reliable. Look for class 4 or higher SD cards. If you are shooting HD, you will probably want 32 GB or more.
Tripod: Don't forget a good tripod.
If your total budget is $1100, I would suggest this breakdown: camera $550 (canon hf m300), sd card(s) $50, batteries $100, shotgun mic $200, tripod $200.
If you have to skimp. Which is more important sound or fluid pans? skimp accordingly.
Questions to ask: Will this mic work with this camera?
Do I need any extra cables?
Is there built-in memory? Do I need memory cards? What kind?
Warranty?
posted by 2ghouls at 2:05 PM on June 6, 2011
Other things: most camcorders come with dinky batteries. If you don't have access to a wall socket, you will have to buy better (longer-lasting) batteries (usually cheaper online).
Memory: The Canon Vixia line works with standard SD cards. This is good, because SD cards are cheap and reliable. Look for class 4 or higher SD cards. If you are shooting HD, you will probably want 32 GB or more.
Tripod: Don't forget a good tripod.
If your total budget is $1100, I would suggest this breakdown: camera $550 (canon hf m300), sd card(s) $50, batteries $100, shotgun mic $200, tripod $200.
If you have to skimp. Which is more important sound or fluid pans? skimp accordingly.
Questions to ask: Will this mic work with this camera?
Do I need any extra cables?
Is there built-in memory? Do I need memory cards? What kind?
Warranty?
posted by 2ghouls at 2:05 PM on June 6, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by drhydro at 10:52 PM on June 5, 2011