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Please help picking camera

M

Mike330R

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 8, 2010
111
54
I am looking to upgrade my old Mini DV camera to something that takes HD video.

I will be using it to film business' and action sports in dusty environments.
I'd like something with internal memory and a slot for a SD (or similar) card for expansion.
Would be nice to be able to screw in a clear lens cover to protect the lens from dust. I'd also like a remote either wired or wireless.

I prefer Canon but am open to other brands. Something that connects easily to the Macbook Pro would be handy.

What other features should I be concerned with?

I'd like to be in the $500 range.

Thanks or any help!
 
Mike330R said:
I am looking to upgrade my old Mini DV camera to something that takes HD video.

I will be using it to film business' and action sports in dusty environments.
I'd like something with internal memory and a slot for a SD (or similar) card for expansion.
Would be nice to be able to screw in a clear lens cover to protect the lens from dust. I'd also like a remote either wired or wireless.

I prefer Canon but am open to other brands. Something that connects easily to the Macbook Pro would be handy.

What other features should I be concerned with?

I'd like to be in the $500 range.

Thanks or any help!
Click to expand...


One of the biggest things I would make sure is not in a camera is the AVCHD format. It's a b**** and a half to work with. You need to make sure that the camera you get is recording .MOV files. I'd also recommend making sure you have a fast camera that will be good in low light situations and you'll want to have a camera you can attach microphones to otherwise the audio quality will be terrible.
 
Thanks.
I am considering the new Canon HF M400 once it's released.

How do I find out what type of files it records?
 
zblaxberg said:
One of the biggest things I would make sure is not in a camera is the AVCHD format. It's a b**** and a half to work with. You need to make sure that the camera you get is recording .MOV files. I'd also recommend making sure you have a fast camera that will be good in low light situations and you'll want to have a camera you can attach microphones to otherwise the audio quality will be terrible.
Click to expand...

Unless you want to buy professional line and spend more money, it's pretty tough to avoid AVCHD. Most consumer/prosumer cameras, it's the default codec. Not that it's a bad codec, it's just that Apple is so far behind in video, that it's rather frustrating dealing with that format without transcoding unless you buy a 3rd party solution. Another option is to buy DSLR, but that introduces another whole set of problems to contend with.
 
THX1139 said:
Unless you want to buy professional line and spend more money, it's pretty tough to avoid AVCHD. Most consumer/prosumer cameras, it's the default codec. Not that it's a bad codec, it's just that Apple is so far behind in video, that it's rather frustrating dealing with that format without transcoding unless you buy a 3rd party solution. Another option is to buy DSLR, but that introduces another whole set of problems to contend with.
Click to expand...

One option, which I do myself, is I bought a Canon T2i for $600 and a couple of nice lenses and just shoot video on there. Then all I need to do is pop the SD cards into my iMac and drag the files over into Final Cut.
 
zblaxberg said:
One of the biggest things I would make sure is not in a camera is the AVCHD format. It's a b**** and a half to work with. You need to make sure that the camera you get is recording .MOV files. I'd also recommend making sure you have a fast camera that will be good in low light situations and you'll want to have a camera you can attach microphones to otherwise the audio quality will be terrible.
Click to expand...

Is this a simple solution for AVCHD files in iMovie?
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3634
 
Mike330R said:
Is this a simple solution for AVCHD files in iMovie?
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3634
Click to expand...

Mo, it just gives you the opportunity to see different video files on a camera that records in different formats.
Let's say a Sony camera can record the footage either using AVCHD (MPEG-4) or MPEG-2, now you can decide in iMovie what footage is shows, if you actually switched the codec (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4) during the use of the camera.
What zblaxberg was getting at, is using a camera which stores its footage using the .mov container (QuickTime) for easier import in iMovie, as AVCHD has its ticks.
 
So the only way to edit in iMovie is to 1st convert it? Does that loose any quality?
There has to be others using Canon cam's and iMovie.


Is there a list somewhere of cam's that record in .mov format?

I was kind of set on a Canon :(
 
i don't think there is a consumer file based solution that isn't AVCHD... I know JVC has a professional camera that records to .mov But I think its 2,000+... not really a solution. Best bet is either save more money or use miniDV...

I edit AVCHD professional (i'm editing now actually) and the only draw back for me is the transcoding file sizes.. its huge! I have too 2tb HDD and i'm constantly clearing room on them.
 
Guess I will just have to convert 1st before I edit.
Or learn Final Cut?
 
From here: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/youtube/thread?tid=031e86e0a2b1d3c5&hl=en

Much easier: iMovie ('08 or '09) already can take care of it, either using a USB cable or using a card-reader.

1. USB Cable. Connect cable, connect external power supply, turn on camera. Press the PC-connect button on lower-right of the display. Start iMovie, import one or more movies using File/Import from Camera, and select which movies to upload. Movies will be saved as quicktime movies— "Events".
2. USB card Reader. My preferred method. Again, use the "Import from Camera" control in iMovie. (iMovie thinks that the SD card is a camera).
I can't find a way to delete the movies from the SD within iMovie, so one needs to use the on-camera controls for that.
 
Get the Sanyo VPC-HD2000A Xacti HD (1080p) for $475 on Amazon. I have the FH1A, which is the same thing but in a standard form factor rather than pistol grip and minus the microphone input, which it sounds like you want. My last camcorder was a Panasonic, and while I wanted to stick with that or Canon, I didn't want AVCHD.

The Sanyos record in AVC/H.264 on an SDHC card, producing MP4 files. These files drag and drop right into iMovie with no transcoding. You can also play them on your Mac with Quicktime or VLC, or drag them into iTunes. And if you have a new Apple TV, you can even airplay them to your TV and see your glorious HD footage on the big screen without fishing out the HDMI cable, which the camcorder comes with.

I was concerned about the build quality of a lesser-known brand like this, but it seems on par with Panasonic and Canon's current offerings. And the picture quality is amazing. In daylight the color and detail are wonderful, and it beats the low light performance of my Panasonic 3CCD camcorder hands down. This is the first camcorder I've ever used that even has decent enough still shot quality that I don't feel the need to take a P&S still camera with me.

The Sanyo is no cheapie flip camcorder -- it's the real deal. I know I sound like an advertisement here, but I'm so happy I got my Sanyo. I don't know why these aren't more well known around here, since they work great with Macs. I guess if I had to pick one weakness, it'd be the image stabilization, which is not optical. But I guess I have a steady hand because it hasn't been a problem for me, and now with iMovie 11's stabilization feature (I'm upgrading from the old iMovie HD) it's not as critical anyway.
 
puckhead193 said:
i don't think there is a consumer file based solution that isn't AVCHD... I know JVC has a professional camera that records to .mov But I think its 2,000+... not really a solution. Best bet is either save more money or use miniDV...
Click to expand...

I have one of those (GY-HM100), but that's not a solution, really. It's .mov, but the codec is XDCAM-EX, which only comes with Final Cut Pro, so even Final Cut Express won't be enough to edit those.
 
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