Camcorder upgrade, need options -

briano.de.rhino

Hi everyone,

I am a little out of the loop regarding what camcorders are good these days. Using a Canon xm2 at the moment But want to upgrade.
Want to upgrade to HD?
Is tapeless the way to go? Seems handier. A year or two ago when I was more clued in, I heard that AVCHD etc werent up to scratch yet, waht about now?

Any recommendations between 2000-10000 euro?

TommyGun

It depends on what you are going to use it for and if you would like the cost of the the cost to be closer to 10,000 or 1,000?

MarkBennett

You selling the xm 2?

briano.de.rhino

Nope cant sell it.
I would say closer to 5-6000.
Using it for interviews or documentaries, sometimes handheld and sometimes static so liightness might be a factor.ease of use too, some people using it would not be too technical.

TommyGun

I have the panasonic HMC-151E. It is a great camera and one of the best value cameras. You should be available for around 4,000. It is AVCHD, it now accepted this codec is far better than HDV. Sony have just released a similar AVCHD camera too, it is around 5,500.

The panny is the best decision I ever made.

The best of luck picking your camera. If you want too see samples of the camera, see my wedsite.

keefg

Sony EX1 or EX3 would be my choice in that price range.

roguey

Given that its going to be used for documentaries and the like, i would look into possibly the Canon 7D, dont own one myself, but i've seen excellent interviews etc done with it and the quality is amazing. It would also be quite a lot cheaper then a bigger camera also and seeing that the people using it arent too technical it would also be easier to use i should think.

But if your not liking that, i've heard great things about almost all new Panasonic cameras, HVX200, HPX170 etc etc

NealB

I'd suggest the Ex350, the latest in Sony's EX range. It has the full 2/3 inch sensor and lens which get you over the massive dept of field issues that 1/2 inch sensor on the Ex1 & 3 have and apparently the motion issues have been worked out too. Don't know what the price is but if the 350 is out of your range go for the EX3.

D SLRs, not convinced, apparently they have no latitude, can't say that I have direct experience of them myself but if that's true then they are only useful in controlled environments like drama sets where every shot is considered. The BBC haven’t approved the Canon D5 MkII which says a lot, however they are accepting programmes shot on the D5 for broadcast on BBC2 (in SD not HD, the 5D only resolves 650TVL so it’s not HD). A couple of years will probably see the issues ironed out. On the other hand D SLRs are a cheap way to get full sensor video, but with poor audio capabilities and limited storage... The price tag is attractive. If you feel that that is they way you want to go see what the people who are using them have to say. (try creative cow etc).

ciencin

I wouldn't go crazy about the dslr revolution.

5D mk2 does have fantastic video quality and there are lots of amazing videos shot with it already, however it is limited in its use. It would be ideal for tripod work, however it doesn't have XLR ports, which is a big disadvantage for interviews (you can always invest in separate audio equipment, but then you will need spend extra time syncing the audio in post).

I used the 7D and 5DmkII before, and after a while you will wish you had a dedicated video camera instead.

As previous posts mentioned Panasonic is a great choice (HMC150, HPX170 would all be in your budget). Ex1 & Ex3 will be a big step up in price. If you want the shallow depth of field or the "dslr" look, I'd suggest looking into the Panasonic AF100 which will be coming out very soon. Its basically a 5D but without any of its problems.

SD is still fine for now, but as a long term investment I'd say HD would be a better option.

Ahbegob

If you are looking to make documentaries- then audio is vital. Make sure the camera has an XLR input.

If you want to make something that has a chance of broadcast- then the higher spec the better.

HD is great- but it's considered a domestic format and broadcasters don't want to see it come in the door.

Some camcorders record in a variety of formats- to allow very high quality for pro- broadcast work and lower quality for home use (the lower quality- the more hours can be got from a memory card)

You can record on camcorders using tape or cards. The main thing is to now what formats can be used. Think about where the footage is intended for- and make sure your camcorder can record to that format.

Bear in mind that high quality output- means a lot more work on your editing computer- so you may have to invest in a higher spec computer as well.

briano.de.rhino

Sorry, I stopped receivng email notifications about this post, thanks for replying.

I have factored in a new PC. Would you recommend a mac, anybody? Im in the dark. All of work is using pc(im the only media guy there) and all i have ever used is pc, its what i learned adobe software etc on. is the transition to mac a possibility....even a nessecity?