camcorder specs?

Q. there are gobs upon gobs of choices out there for a camcorder..but hopefully someone knows what i need...kind of on a budget but give your best answer...
i need somthing that uses interchangeble lenses(or ad ons),
some manual options (obviously decent video quality)
optical image stab. and mic inputs(and usb or firewire output for pc editing)
those are just the basics of what i need ...i am planning to shoot sports (high school) videos and xtreme sports videos
thanks for the help

A. Cheapest is probably Canon XL2 or GL2. GL2 is smaller. Both are in the $3-4K region

These are entry level for cable TV, corporate, educational and can even do spot news or a TV show. But the quality is still a ways from an Ikagami used by network news.

Otherwise you are going to have to live without mic input and interchanable lenses.

Original Question

Pro camcorder, under $5000?

Q. Hi,
I'm looking to step up from DSLRs.
I'm going to be shooting in dependant films I don't think I'll be able to pay more than $5000.
Here is what I'm looking for.
- Can film at least 2k (4k is not nessasary)
- Can shoot 60fps, 1080p+ for slow mo
- interchangeable lenses.
- Is compatable with the standard tripods that I own for my DSLRs
- Has an electronic follow focus
- Lenes that won't break the bank (or has a good zoom lens included)
- All round, good quality images

I'm comfortable with canon, but I understand that they may be out of my price range.

Maybe you could tell me about several lenses that are similar to what I am describing? Cheaper and expensive.

I'm still at uni, so my budget is limited.

A. Hi Brian,

The least expensive camera that meets all of your specs is the Sony NEX-FS700, which costs:

$7999 new at Adorama: http://www.adorama.com/SONEXFS700U.html?kbid=66297

or

$7385 used on eBay: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=170995736898&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg

This camera is 1080p out of the box, but has a 4K sensor and can record 4K externally.

It shoots incredible 1080/240p slow motion and has tracking autofocus, seen here: http://vimeo.com/40369782

If you are willing to give up autofocus and 1080/60p, you might consider the $2995 2.5K RAW BlackMagic Cinema Camera. It shoots RAW images, ProRes or DNxHD. It is also compatible with your Canon EF lenses.

Here is what this camera can do:

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/56191630

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/48861294

The BMCC is on backorder, but you can order one at Adorama and they won't charge your card until it ships: http://www.adorama.com/VDBMCC.html?kbid=66297

If you are willing to live with 1080p, you can get 1080/60p and electronic autofocus for $1300 with the Panasonic GH3, which looks like a DSLR, but has the features of a camcorder. Its viewfinder continues to work in video mode, it has no clip length recording limits, and produces very little moire compared to Canons. Here is what this camera can do:

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/59543338

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/49420579

The GH3 is on backorder as well, but you can order one at Amazon and they won't charge your card until it ships: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-GH3K-Digital-Single-Mirrorless/dp/B009B0WREM?tag=battleforthew-20

Hope this is helpful,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com

Original Question

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Pro camcorder, under $5000?

Q. Hi,
I'm looking to step up from DSLRs.
I'm going to be shooting in dependant films I don't think I'll be able to pay more than $5000.
Here is what I'm looking for.
- Can film at least 2k (4k is not nessasary)
- Can shoot 60fps, 1080p+ for slow mo
- interchangeable lenses.
- Is compatable with the standard tripods that I own for my DSLRs
- Has an electronic follow focus
- Lenes that won't break the bank (or has a good zoom lens included)
- All round, good quality images

I'm comfortable with canon, but I understand that they may be out of my price range.

Maybe you could tell me about several lenses that are similar to what I am describing? Cheaper and expensive.

I'm still at uni, so my budget is limited.

A. Hi Brian,

The least expensive camera that meets all of your specs is the Sony NEX-FS700, which costs:

$7999 new at Adorama: http://www.adorama.com/SONEXFS700U.html?kbid=66297

or

$7385 used on eBay: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=170995736898&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg

This camera is 1080p out of the box, but has a 4K sensor and can record 4K externally.

It shoots incredible 1080/240p slow motion and has tracking autofocus, seen here: http://vimeo.com/40369782

If you are willing to give up autofocus and 1080/60p, you might consider the $2995 2.5K RAW BlackMagic Cinema Camera. It shoots RAW images, ProRes or DNxHD. It is also compatible with your Canon EF lenses.

Here is what this camera can do:

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/56191630

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/48861294

The BMCC is on backorder, but you can order one at Adorama and they won't charge your card until it ships: http://www.adorama.com/VDBMCC.html?kbid=66297

If you are willing to live with 1080p, you can get 1080/60p and electronic autofocus for $1300 with the Panasonic GH3, which looks like a DSLR, but has the features of a camcorder. Its viewfinder continues to work in video mode, it has no clip length recording limits, and produces very little moire compared to Canons. Here is what this camera can do:

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/59543338

Narrative: http://vimeo.com/49420579

The GH3 is on backorder as well, but you can order one at Amazon and they won't charge your card until it ships: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-GH3K-Digital-Single-Mirrorless/dp/B009B0WREM?tag=battleforthew-20

Hope this is helpful,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com

Original Question

Is any HD camcorder as good as any other? What makes the price differentiate?

Q.

A. Besides a camcorder being able to record in HD, that HD maybe of various resolutions. Like 1,280�720 pixels (720p) or 1,920�1,080 pixels (1080i/1080p).even 4K for example. But how the HD video is watched by a viewer will determine if HD resolutions are maintained. For example, if your camcorder records full HD video (1,920�1,080) and you burn your video on a DVD, it will no longer be HD; it will be conformed to 720 � 480 (or less) for DVD play as standard definition. But if your HD was burned on a Blu-ray disk, then it's maintained. As far as price differences, it's all about features, if from a major manufacture, what the cam has on it and how well it's made, like the lens quality, audio control/system, etc., etc. You can pretty much get a good quality HD camcorder in just about any price range. From $120.00 (720p) pocket cams on up into the $1,000's.

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High fps camcorder?

Q. I'm looking for a prosumer camcorder under 4k that can record at high frame rates for periods of at least 10 sec, without decreasing resolution. Any suggestions?

A. Red Scarlet. It's coming out in 2009, it's $3K and shoots in 3K resolution, which is higher than HD (Ultra High Definition). It's better than any Sony on the market and shoots up to 120fps in 3K. It can also shoot up to 180fps burst, which means it lasts for 5 seconds. That doesn't seem like much, but that's like 40 seconds of slow-mo. As implied, the Red Scarlet is the best camera under $15,000. It's only downside is that it'll require a powerful computer (Mac preferred) and a powerful editing system (Final Cut Studio preferred). It's worth it if you're up for the wait.
http://www.red.com/
Several other prosumer cameras shoot in 60fps, which can achieve excellent slow-mo in a 24fps project, but they are more expensive as Red, and not as good. The only one in your price range is the Canon XH-A1, which can shoot in 60i, but not 60p.

Original Question

Which Camcorder would you recommend for this video clip?

Q. http://www.vimeo.com/21294655

Please try this video clip! It's really SOMETHING..!
someday I wanna make some videos like this.. so i started looking for a decent camcorder
but i'm not really an expert so, please make some recommendations for me
FYI, I've never used camcorder and had no experience in filming or something..

A. Hi Yonghan, and welcome to Yahoo!Answers:

Since you are relatively new to video and camcorders, I won't "bog you down" with a bunch of technical talk, but basically the gentleman (Terje Sorgjerd) who shot the Aurora Borealis video used very high-quality Canon HD equipment and used "motion time-lapse" ("Motion TL") to allow for the long-exposures required to achieve the vivid colors and brightness of the final images.

Here's the equipment and lenses that were used:
Canon 5D Mark II camera
Canon 24mm/1.4 prime lens
Canon 16-35mm/2.8 zoom lens
Sigma 12-24mm zoom lens

Equipment was mounted on a computer-controlled DynamicPerception 6' "Stage Zero" robot-rail to achieve the motion tracking at the beginning of the clip.

You can also tell that he's an expert-level photographer/videographer, since he also has the video available in "4K" (which is super-High Definition video) format.

Knowledge of both equipment & optics, and excellent technique all contribute to a quality project like this one. Feel free to aspire to such a level, but do not be discouraged by your initial attempts! This video clip was not produced by a beginner.

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
 

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Will a movie filmed with a digital camcorder reproduce well when transferred to a theater screen?

Q. I'm ready to shoot my feature length horror movie now. I'm wanting to invest in a HD camcorder that will have that "film look" but that will also reproduce well when it's projected up on the big screen when i try and get it into some of the film festivals. Any suggestions which type of camcorder can help me get that end result that i'm looking for? Thanks in advance.

A. That depends. A good camcorder that shoots full HD (1920x1080) will do a reasonable job on the big screen. That's Blu-Ray quality. Film provides higher resolution, and some digital projectors will also provide about twice the resolution, called 4K (as opposed to 2K, which is full HD).

But you don't win or lose at a festival based on image quality alone. If your content is good, people won't worry too much about the video quality, as long as it's reasonable. So a good HD camera (even a consumer model) could be fine, as long as the rest of the movie is good.

Original Question

How long until we start seeing cheap, compact 4k camcorders in electronic stores, disgracing cinematography?

Q. and we start seeing $50 cameras on drug store shelves with giant "FULL HD VIDEO!" labels replaced with "4K RESOLUTION VIDEO!"
Yes, quantity over quality.
Make cinematography better by making it trite.
Okay.
Sounds great.

A. A person can buy a $50K guitar and still not know how to play.
A person can buy a Ferrari and they won't suddenly know how to get first place in a race.
Your new adidas tennis shoes with independent suspension springs will cost you $200, but you'll still break your ankle trying to jump the 2" your capable of jumping to dunk a basketball on a full-height hoop.
And with cheap fully-auto digital cameras out there, pictures are getting better over-all, but professional photographers are professional because of them, not because of their cameras.
Cheap gear won't disgrace cinematography, because no one will look at film that is made by "cheap"(lousy, uncommitted) cinematographers.
What people watch will be what is made by the best cinematographers, just as these things always work. The gear is irrelevant.

Original Question

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How long until we start seeing cheap, compact 4k camcorders in electronic stores, disgracing cinematography?

Q. and we start seeing $50 cameras on drug store shelves with giant "FULL HD VIDEO!" labels replaced with "4K RESOLUTION VIDEO!"
Yes, quantity over quality.
Make cinematography better by making it trite.
Okay.
Sounds great.

A. A person can buy a $50K guitar and still not know how to play.
A person can buy a Ferrari and they won't suddenly know how to get first place in a race.
Your new adidas tennis shoes with independent suspension springs will cost you $200, but you'll still break your ankle trying to jump the 2" your capable of jumping to dunk a basketball on a full-height hoop.
And with cheap fully-auto digital cameras out there, pictures are getting better over-all, but professional photographers are professional because of them, not because of their cameras.
Cheap gear won't disgrace cinematography, because no one will look at film that is made by "cheap"(lousy, uncommitted) cinematographers.
What people watch will be what is made by the best cinematographers, just as these things always work. The gear is irrelevant.

Original Question

What are some HD camcorders with the quality of a DSLR camera?

Q. I make YouTube videos and since I have started I've been using my dad�s Nikon d3100 and it is amazing just the best quality I have come across but I am looking for something with the same exact quality that has a longer recording time, pull out view finder, and auto focus. I can't seem to fine that I recently bought the Cannon VIXIA HF R400 and its okay but definitely not the d3100 the quality of the video just isn�t there but it has everything else I want. So I could really use someone�s help and input on what is the best camera/camcorder for me based on what I desire

A. ALL Full HD video cameras shoot at 1920 x 1080p or use only 2.1 mp of whatever sensor is on the camera

The only thing that a dSLR has going for it, is the actual size of the individual pixels, so under low light conditions, there will be less noise.

If you want theatrical quality video, you need to consider a 3-CCD video camera like those made by JVC, Sony, Panasonic and Canon. For true high quality video, you need to look at some of the new 4K video cameras being made by Sony, JVC, ARRI and Red One.

I am sure you have the skills to use Yahoo Search to find these websites so you can further explore high quality video cameras

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