Glidecam 5000 or halo fig rig?

Q. I'm using a canon xl1s with a 7 inch lcd monitor on top of it and i'm trying to decide what the best affordable (under $400) would be to stabilize my camera.

A. Are you sure it's Glidecam '5000' and not '4000' ? Or is it the Flycam 5000?

The Halo works best when you use the camcorder's own LDC monitor. It places you more centered (behind the wheel so to speak) behind the camera. If you attach your external LCD monitor, it will most likely be mounted on the outside the ring and hard to compose and monitor your subject.

The Flycam (or Glidecam) can become heavy when you add external devices on it and/or the camera and hard to manage after prolong use. Ideally, a harness mounted Glidecam would be best but those cost a lot more.

If you could try each one out first, that would be great. But I know that's not always possible.

Original Question

What camcorder should I get for movies and commercials?

Q. Im looking for a camcorder that is professional, HD, SD card, and something that has longevity. I dont want to make an investment and something better comes out. Ive heard of the RED cameras but I cant afford that. Ive looked at some DSLR's. What do you recommend for movies and commercials?

A. Take a look at the Canon XF100. As far as I have seen, it is the only Pro-camcorder at it's price to get a 50 mbps data rate. Everything else under about $5000 is getting half of that, making them little better than a good consumer twinkie-cam.

At $3300, the XF is not much more expensive than a 5DM2 with a good lens.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is the best video camera each one of these companies have to offer: Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Canon, Aipteck?

Q. I am particularly interested in picture quality (nothing else). Especially the pixel count and perhaps the speed at which it records which will affect the quality when it is put into slow motion.

A. Well, you can rule out Aiptek... they only make low-quality toy camcorders.

Pixel count isn't that important for video in camcorders, because there are only a few options, and they're tied to the standards. Standard definition camcorders record at 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL), regardless of the size of the sensor in pixels (many consumer camcorders have many pixels, to improve color and give you a better digital still camera function). HD camcorders recorder at either 1280x720, 1440x1080, or 1920x1080 (the latter only on tapeless camcorders).

Very few camcorders have any sort of slow motion mode. You get slow motion when you shoot at one rate (in frames per second) and replay that slower.. but if you replay much below 24 fps, the video will look jerky. So faster fps = better slo-mo. And you will find, in the few cameras that do slo-mo at a consumer price, the pixel count does start to drop.

Some pro models offer full video at 60fps, which lest you do 1/2 rate slo-mo at full video quality, as long as your flash cards hold out. But unless you're thinking of spending $5000 or more, this is not for you.

But don't fret... 60fps is starting to enter the consumer world. One such option is the Sanyo Xacti 1010. This is an HD camcorder that records in MPEG-4 on flash. It's not the absolute best quality around, but it's decent. And it can record at 720p (1280x720) at a full 60fps. This is under $700 online.

To go beyond that on a consumer budget, there are a few weird choices. Sony offers a very short burst high-speed mode on some of their camcorders. They call this "Smooth Slow" recording mode, and it can go to 120fps-200fps, depending on the camera model. This is supported in both pro/prosumer (HVR-V1, HVR-Z7, others) and consumer (HDR-CX7, HDR-HC3, others) models. This is always at a much lower resolution, good for YouTube but little else. And you're limited to bursts of about 3 seconds real-time.

Another interesting option isn't a camcorder at all, but Casio's new digital still camera, the Exlim Pro EX-F1 (about $1000) http://www.exilim.com/intl/ex_f1/. Most digital still cameras these days have a video mode, but it's usually at best standard-def at 30fps, maybe a tad better. But the EX-F1 has several high-frame rate video modes. It can actually shoot near SD-quality (512 � 384) at 300 fps, 432�192 at 600 fps, or 336�96 at 1200 fps.. it also does standard High-def. And this is continuous, up to memory or file limits, not just short bursts. If you're really serious about high-speed filming on a consumer budget, this is your best bet.

Original Question

digital camera good enough for movie making?

Q. im looking to get a digital camera 5000 or under to start a hobby and movie making. i was thinking the Canon EOS 5D Mark III would be a nice purchase? would there be something better, tips or pointers?

A. For movie making specifically skip a DSLR altogether. Look into the Sony NEX FS100UK with a Super 35mm sensor or a similar camera in that price range. You will need to add a lens but you can get an 11x zoom lens from Sony with the camera for an additional $600. You can make a movie with a $109 Canon A1300 but you won't get "Hollywood" quality - for that be prepared to spend even more than $5,000 - closer to $10,000 and more for all the stuff you will need to go with it - software, lighting, a computer with huge hard drives, etc.

The person who said Canon 5D Mk III is better for video might not know that the Nikon D800 has superior autofocus to the Mk III. Nikon has finally caught up. You will need to buy extra accessories to do video so by the time you add it all in you might have spent just as much as buying a video camera. You are also limited to 4 GB file sizes in a DSLR due to trade tariffs (I think) so if you want to make a video longer than 30 minutes that is not interrupted you need to go with a camcorder anyway.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is the best camera for recording videos?

Q. A video camera that's under $200, can pause videos without stopping the whole video, and has a good grip. Must also have VERY good quality hd.

A. Hi Mike:

For your $200 budget, you are not going to have "very good quality HD", when you consider that pro video cameramen and TV stations spend $5000 to $10,000 (and more) for "good HD" equipment.

Unless you use a tape-based (miniDV cassette, for example) camcorder, there is no need for a "Pause" button, and most SD card storage models start a whole new video file when you start/stop the Record button.

Some SD card and HDD storage models have a "pre-record" function that actually saves several seconds of video from before you press Record. So, a "Pause" feature has no advantage.

Sony, Panasonic, JVC, and Canon all make affordable models that sell in your price range. (See a typical B+H Photo listing of models on sale here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Camcorders/Ns/p_PRICE_2%7c0/ci/1871/pn/2/N/4294548093 )

Sony currently has some price promotions that stretch your shopping dollar ($50-$150 off certain models) that are in effect this month. (See the B+H Photo page for examples.)

If you prefer the "pistol grip style" camcorders (like the Sanyo/Panasonic "Xacti"/HX-WA series), look at a Panasonic HX-WA3 model ($198). Panasonic bought Sanyo, and rebranded the Xacti pistol grip line into their HX-WA series.

For palm-size camcorders, you can always buy an accessory grip handle that threads onto the bottom of the camcorder via the tripod socket.

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
 

Original Question

Im looking for a new camcorder because im a into aviation and, someone find me a good cheap camcorder?

Q. Im a student soo i hardly have any money atall.
but im a plane spotter and i am looking for a cheap good camcorder :)
good picture and sound quality.
easy to upload to the internet.
anyone help? thanks

A. go the SVP , they are hard wearing reliable camera's which have the strength and technology to give the best camera's a run for there money , I would suggest the T-100 or T-500 for design and quality , have two of them , I have a $5000 canon xm2 camera , and use the t-500 for productions , as they pretty much have the best quality minus the zoom function , although they have a 5x optical zoom which is small but handy . I have tow t-500's they are small , and able to be taken anywhere , and offer brilliant an epic colour and rendering capabilities , and most of all , under $150US including postage (you will need to grab the code from the top to get 30% off)
they are light and robust , and weigh around or less than 500gma and are high definition 1080p ,
for a one seater cessna , you put the cam in a suction phone holder so that you can operate it hands free , if your talking about r/c planes , you rig a bolt bettween the landing gear for dry use , or either uses , by sealing a case in epoxy resin and either placing strong magnets in the epoxy resin and placing on the fuselage

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is the best video camera each one of these companies have to offer: Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Canon, Aipteck?

Q. I am particularly interested in picture quality (nothing else). Especially the pixel count and perhaps the speed at which it records which will affect the quality when it is put into slow motion.

A. Well, you can rule out Aiptek... they only make low-quality toy camcorders.

Pixel count isn't that important for video in camcorders, because there are only a few options, and they're tied to the standards. Standard definition camcorders record at 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL), regardless of the size of the sensor in pixels (many consumer camcorders have many pixels, to improve color and give you a better digital still camera function). HD camcorders recorder at either 1280x720, 1440x1080, or 1920x1080 (the latter only on tapeless camcorders).

Very few camcorders have any sort of slow motion mode. You get slow motion when you shoot at one rate (in frames per second) and replay that slower.. but if you replay much below 24 fps, the video will look jerky. So faster fps = better slo-mo. And you will find, in the few cameras that do slo-mo at a consumer price, the pixel count does start to drop.

Some pro models offer full video at 60fps, which lest you do 1/2 rate slo-mo at full video quality, as long as your flash cards hold out. But unless you're thinking of spending $5000 or more, this is not for you.

But don't fret... 60fps is starting to enter the consumer world. One such option is the Sanyo Xacti 1010. This is an HD camcorder that records in MPEG-4 on flash. It's not the absolute best quality around, but it's decent. And it can record at 720p (1280x720) at a full 60fps. This is under $700 online.

To go beyond that on a consumer budget, there are a few weird choices. Sony offers a very short burst high-speed mode on some of their camcorders. They call this "Smooth Slow" recording mode, and it can go to 120fps-200fps, depending on the camera model. This is supported in both pro/prosumer (HVR-V1, HVR-Z7, others) and consumer (HDR-CX7, HDR-HC3, others) models. This is always at a much lower resolution, good for YouTube but little else. And you're limited to bursts of about 3 seconds real-time.

Another interesting option isn't a camcorder at all, but Casio's new digital still camera, the Exlim Pro EX-F1 (about $1000) http://www.exilim.com/intl/ex_f1/. Most digital still cameras these days have a video mode, but it's usually at best standard-def at 30fps, maybe a tad better. But the EX-F1 has several high-frame rate video modes. It can actually shoot near SD-quality (512 × 384) at 300 fps, 432×192 at 600 fps, or 336×96 at 1200 fps.. it also does standard High-def. And this is continuous, up to memory or file limits, not just short bursts. If you're really serious about high-speed filming on a consumer budget, this is your best bet.

Original Question

digital camera good enough for movie making?

Q. im looking to get a digital camera 5000 or under to start a hobby and movie making. i was thinking the Canon EOS 5D Mark III would be a nice purchase? would there be something better, tips or pointers?

A. For movie making specifically skip a DSLR altogether. Look into the Sony NEX FS100UK with a Super 35mm sensor or a similar camera in that price range. You will need to add a lens but you can get an 11x zoom lens from Sony with the camera for an additional $600. You can make a movie with a $109 Canon A1300 but you won't get "Hollywood" quality - for that be prepared to spend even more than $5,000 - closer to $10,000 and more for all the stuff you will need to go with it - software, lighting, a computer with huge hard drives, etc.

The person who said Canon 5D Mk III is better for video might not know that the Nikon D800 has superior autofocus to the Mk III. Nikon has finally caught up. You will need to buy extra accessories to do video so by the time you add it all in you might have spent just as much as buying a video camera. You are also limited to 4 GB file sizes in a DSLR due to trade tariffs (I think) so if you want to make a video longer than 30 minutes that is not interrupted you need to go with a camcorder anyway.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Any good cameras that shoot hd video, over 12 megapixels, with fold and twirl lcd screen under price of £300?

Q. My birthdays coming up and I need a new camera, im looking for a camera that shoots HD Videos, over 12 mega pixels, with adjustable LCD screen ( fold and twirl) under the price of £300 anyone know of such a camera?? BUT NOT A CAMCORDER!

A. Look these over

Canon Powershot G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6.
Nikon Coolpix 5000, 5400, 8400, 5700, 8700, 8800.
Canon Powershot S1 IS, S2 IS, S3 IS, S4 IS, S5 IS,
Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200
Canon Powershot A80
Pentax Optio 750Z
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50K (one of the best higher end cameras with this feature)
Canon Powershot A640, A650 IS

Original Question

What is a good Pro HD Camcorder I could buy for under $5000? Or under $4000?

Q. I want to look into an HD camcorder (not the hand-held ones... the pro camcorders)... what is a good brand/model to buy?

Thanks!

Keaton
What else do I need to buy besides the camera? I'm taking some classes on the production of film so I'm sure I'll learn how to work all of the elements of filmmaking there, but in the mean time, what should I buy? (somebody mentioned mics, lenses, etc.)

A. Same suspects... depends on your requirements...

Canon XHA1, Sony HVR-Z1U, HVR-Z5U, HVR-Z7U, Panasonic AG-HVX200, JVC GY series.

Mics? Lenses? Editing platform? Tripod or other steadying devices (camera crane), external monitor? It is easy to spend more on accessories than the camcorder.

bhphotovideo and Adorama are good online sources.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers