i am looking to purchase a prosumer type camcorder. I'm willing to spend anywhere from a grand to 2 grand. I'd like the camera to have good sound quality, and have a 16:9 option with it. Also, can anyone tell me is a camera that has a 24fps option necessary because i'd like to have something that produces that "film look" to make it look like a real professional production. I am all open for opinions, someone please help me deicde which camera's are the best to choose from! I hae looked at tha Canon XL1, XL2, and GL2, Canon XH A1, Sony HDR FX1, Panasonic DVC30, and the Panasonic AG-DVX100's..ALSO I NEED SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY GOOD IN LOW LIGHTING..any info would help and i deeply appreciate it. im open for all suggestions! thanks!
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Help Please! Need Prosumer Camcorder!
- Thread starter leathaface954
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1-2 grand will get you a higher end consumer camera, but not something in prosumer realm (at least not something new). 24p by itself isn't going to get you the "film look." Solid audio, cinema-style camera work, proper lighting, and good color correction/grading after editing are part of the equation too. The deep depth of field you get w/small video camera also yells "video" so people use contraptions (like the one pictured in marioman38's post) to hook up still photography lens to video cameras and achieve a more shallow, more film-like depth of field. The downside is the 35mm adapters aren't cheap (typically starting around $1k) require precise setup, and the use of a tripod so they aren't very run 'n gun friendly (Red Rock is coming out w/a shoulder mounted setup but I don't know if there is a release date yet).
What you want to do w/the camera should be an important consideration as well. If you want to do mainly things like skate videos you'd want a different kind of camera package than if you want to do mainly short films.
Lethal
I have the Canon GL-2. Got it on sale at B&H a few months ago. Kinda disappointed with the low light performance, it can get kinda grainy. Looks fine on standard def on smaller screens usually, but doesn't look great on the higher def and/or larger ones. With enough light, even indoors, looks fine. Sound it great with the external mic I bought, but it eats up battery life, so I got 2 of those extra large third party ones and a portable charger.
There's a new Sony model coming out that might fit your price range. Read about it on Camcorderinfo.com. Looks like it's pretty much just an HC7 in a bigger body though.
There's a new Sony model coming out that might fit your price range. Read about it on Camcorderinfo.com. Looks like it's pretty much just an HC7 in a bigger body though.
Higher def, ie computer screens.SD isn't supposed to look good on HD TV so I wouldn't fret too much about it.
Even my 20" LCD, but yeah, especially on my 23" HD ACD. Also looks like crap on a 32" SD CRT. But again, only for low light. Indoors with the family with the lights on = fine. Outside in daylight = great. In a darkish club taking video of my friends' band with only stage lights lighting them = not so good. It's supposed to be good down to 6 lux, but still looks very grainy at ~10 lux. Very grainy.Otherwise though, the camera itself is awesome.
thanks for the feedback! Now, do i NEED a camcorder with 24fps to help achieve the film look, or can it be done without it (and replaced by effects)????
Do you recommend getting something in HD, or something with 24fps?? which has better image quality?
Can HD also produce a film like look to it (with effects if needed)?
Do you recommend getting something in HD, or something with 24fps?? which has better image quality?
Can HD also produce a film like look to it (with effects if needed)?
what would you say are the BEST camcorders available in the price range from a grand to say 3 grand???
If you can wait until Christmas, Sony is coming out with a nice Shoulder mount HD pro camera.
MSRP $1900
http://www.videomaker.com/video-news/2007/08/1842-sony-announces-shoulder-mount-hdv-camcorder