Cameras

[Joda]

Lets kick the new forum off with a list of cameras. What are some suggestions from you guys, and ladies .

[WasteOfGoodSuffering]

A lot of digital filmmakers I have talked to seem to always have access to Canon GL2s, and they are not bad camera. Although I have access to both GL2s and and XL2s to I obviously choose the XL2 over the GL2.

I've also heard some say they prefer Panasonic AG-DVX100 over the Canon XL2. This camera was used on Arrested Development and a number of movies like Murderball, A Scanner Darkly, and Jackass 2.

My dream camera would be something like the Canon X1 H1, or maybe even that RED camera everyone won't shut up about.

[tim-bisley]

im stuck with a Sony DCR-SR72 which i must say though is brilliant for the price.

[Westcroft]

Just picked up a Canon HV20... I've worked with far more superior cameras and I'm very impressed with the HV20's performance. It's got it's problems, I'll admit, but it's perfect for indy filmmakers on a budget.

Here's my HV20!



Here it is with some jewellery?? 

\


AND WABAMO!!!!

[EvilDeadChainsaws]

I use a Sony DCR-TRV18E camcorder which I got afew years back. Its a miniDV, although it does
record hard interlaced footage so I usually run any footage taken from it through DVfilm Maker
once its transfered it to my PC, which de-interlaces the footage while maintaining a sharp picture
by only de-interlacing the parts of the picure that need it then giving you a progressive picture.
Works far better than Premiere's filter. The quality is still really good though, the one downside
is that as I'm in europe the camcorder can't record from an external source, you used to be able
to get widgets for the older sony cameras to enable recording but more recently Sony has
changed the hardware so you can't do this anymore. Means you cant dump edited footage back
onto DV tape for storage, I usually write it as DV AVI files to a DVD ISO if I need to.

[Westcroft]

I use a Sony DCR-TRV18E camcorder which I got afew years back. Its a miniDV, although it does
record hard interlaced footage so I usually run any footage taken from it through DVfilm Maker
once its transfered it to my PC, which de-interlaces the footage while maintaining a sharp picture
by only de-interlacing the parts of the picure that need it then giving you a progressive picture.
Works far better than Premiere's filter. The quality is still really good though, the one downside
is that as I'm in europe the camcorder can't record from an external source, you used to be able
to get widgets for the older sony cameras to enable recording but more recently Sony has
changed the hardware so you can't do this anymore. Means you cant dump edited footage back
onto DV tape for storage, I usually write it as DV AVI files to a DVD ISO if I need to.

The HV20 records 24p, BUT when captured onto the computer it's a 60i file, which means that frames are added to make it interlaced (thus it's a pain to try and remove the pulldown, I use TMPGenc 4.0 Xpress and it's able to do it for me). Although the HV20 is a HD 24p camcorder, it can be a dick

[EvilDeadChainsaws]

Westcroft, at least living in europe makes working with camcorder footage alot easier, a
progressive 25fps video is simply the 24fps film version sped up. even an interlaced
PAL video structure is very simple with 50 fields shown consecutively. With NTSC
you have various pulldowns and 29.97, 29.98 or 23.976fps, some fields are repeated
some frames are not interlaced depending. all a world of headache!

[Westcroft]

Tell me about it, luckily certain programs allow it to be a little less like a headache Of course we need to spend a bunch of money on said programs... and that's a headache.

[Your Mothers Boomstick]

i just got a sony handycam, is very nice and very cheap 

[Westcroft]

i just got a sony handycam, is very nice and very cheap 

What kind did you get?

[Your Mothers Boomstick]

its name is the handycam, but the specs are DCR-DVD108

[Westcroft]

eep i checked it out on Camcorderinfo.com and it doesn't have a mic input or a headphone jack... I would look into getting yourself a digital voice recorder for your sound recording! The Zoom H2 is your best bet for high quality audio so your movies sound great! If you decide to use an external sound capturing device make sure to stand in front of the camera with a clapboard, saying the scene and take and using the clap as a way to sych up the audio when you edit.

[elwillo]

yeah i got some crappy 1980's sony truck sized vcr tape eating video camera at a yardsale it has a mike built in a beer holder and a motion sensitive flood light

[Westcroft]

All I'm going to say is grammar, sir.

[cheatingtheman]

Grammer isn't she married to Grampa?