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Tips for new camcorder?

Best choice for quality/price for a camcorder?

  • I'm looking to buy a new camcorder to shoot an independent movie on, so there's a few things I need to know about them, since camcorder's is one area I know practically nothing about. I'm looking for decent video quality (not great, but not vomit worthy either), ease of porting onto a PC for editing, functionality, and, of course, price. Also, I know nothing about the process of moving actual "film" video over to a PC versus digitally recorded (like HDD/SD). I've always liked the somewhat grim and less "popout" look of film, but will it be much harder to edit or more expensive? Also, after deciding what kind of camera I want to go with, where would be a good place to buy it? I assume probably somewhere online, but I wouldn't even begin to know what places are good for that, outside of whatever a Google search will tell me. Sorry I need so much help and know so little, I'm completely new to this and I'm trying to learn. So far, all that I really know is some basic film making tips and how to work on my current rough script. Thanks a ton.

  • Answer:

    If I may nitpick on your comment? "I'm looking for decent video quality (not great, but not vomit worthy either)" Well, any camcorder today will provide decent video quality. If your looking for the best video quality, I suggest in investing in a MiniDV camcorder - Dont bother with hard drives camcorders, as they are a nightmare to transfer over to computer, and memory card camcorders are expensive and... well, hapless. Did I mention both are expensive, and both offer a compression system? As MiniDV systems are direct to tape, you can ensure the best quality with NO compression involved. "Porting onto a PC for editing, functionality, and, of course, price" MiniDV is used by professionals and consumers alike, and is the most supported format to day since it's release in the late 90s. "I know nothing about the process of moving actual "film" video over to a PC versus digitally recorded (like HDD/SD). " AVOID FILM CAMERAS AT ALL COSTS. Film cameras are hell expensive and you will probably PAY for the camera several times over maintencing it, and the actual price of film is stupendously expensive. If it costs £250,000 to shoot on film, it will cost less than a tenth of that to shoot on video. Video is more durable, editable, and is just... better. "So far, all that I really know is some basic film making tips and how to work on my current rough script. Thanks a ton." No worries, I had to resort to Yahoo Answers when I first started out in the filmmaking buisness. If I may help you further, it might be worth your while if you look up books on filmmaking and consider looking at undeveloped scripts on the internet. :) Good luck!

KewlzYo at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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definitely price

Go for a JVC, they are hard to beat.

J I H

Since you are just starting out and probably don't have a lot of money, I would start out with a prosumer model like the Canon VIXIA HF200. It is really great for film making with a 24 p "Cinematic Mode" and a normal 30 p mode. It runs on flash so storage will be pretty cheap and the image quality is vivid. It usually runs for about $750 but Amazon is selling it for only $519! Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OI2Z2I?ie=UTF8&tag=thebubrocpro-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001OI2Z2I So if you think you like this Canon, try to get before the sale ends. Later on when you learn more about film making, you can get the more professional camera outfits and maybe even a RED camera!

Real Z

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