I'm starting to get into film making so I will need a camcorder that has good quality and something that is able to connect to the computer to edit the footage. I'm on a tight budget as it's my parents' budget, not mine. (I'm only a teenager.) I don't know how to choose a camcorder since I no nothing of it, but is it possible to find a cheap, quality camcorder?
2006-12-20 16:31:15 · 6 answers · asked by SN 3 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Camcorders
If you want to seriously get into making your own stuff, then I would reccomend getting a pretty reasonable camera. That used to mean shelling out millions (not quite millions) on a semi-professional camera, but now there are tons of consumer camera's that have pretty much all the features that you would need. If you get a really cheap one, you will outgrow it pretty quickly, and wish you got a semi-decent one from the start.
Firstly look out for a camera that has plenty of manual options. As you get more and more comfotable with the camera, you can switch from the auto settings and have more control over your picture.
Secondly, stay away from all these new hardrive/ minidvd/ flashdrive camera's that are around. The hardrive camera is a good idea, but the technology is still pretty new, and they have the potential to crash just like any computer around The mini-DV is awesome quality, doesn't really degrade too much with use, is heaps cheaper than the mini-dvd's, and easy to store.
Thirdly, try for a Hi-Def camera. The quality really is awesome, and you DON'T need a Hi-Def TV or anything else to be able to appreciate the difference (as some people are saying). If they are a bit out of your price range, then definately go for any camera that has 3CCD. 3CCD basically means you have much better defined colours. Most camera's (although this is changing) only have 1CCD chip. Panasonic has a good range of 3CCD camera's for pretty cheap.
Stay away from brands you haven't heard of, and get a warranty, because no matter how good a camera is, they can break very easily, and you will be up for a repair bill double the price that you paid for the camera in the first place.
I have a Hi-Def Sony HDV 1080i HANDYCAM HDRHC3 and it's an awesome brilliant camera. Not sure how much they retail for in the U.S (i'm from Australia) but they are at the more expensive end of the range. But honestly, it's the best value camera I have ever owned (and I have owned a few).
Lastly, try and get some decend editing software. If you are on a Mac, go for Adobe Final Cut Pro and if on PC go for Adobe Premiere. They do cost a bit though, so try and factor the cost of software in when figuring your budget. There are heaps of cheap programs around, but you get what you pay for.
Hope this helps
2006-12-20 17:35:31 · answer #1 · answered by spefio 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should go for the Canon ZR-500 it is usually on sale. Typically around $200. It is a mini dv and they are the best quality camera's and also mini dv's are the easiest to edit on the computer. It is a great little camcorder for a teenager.
2006-12-21 13:41:42 · answer #2 · answered by Jew_Fro 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think if you got a used pv-gs400 off of eBay, it would be perfect, for the price and features. You could probably get it for $600-$800 on eBay, used, and it was the camera I was looking to get a few months ago, but I got a canon GL2 instead. If you parents are willing to pay $1500 for a GL2, get one, mine parents werent but I used some of my savings along with their "budget", so you could ask them if you could do that. Hope this helps and I'm a teen filmmaker as well, and I always like meeting other filmmakers so feel free to contact me at evilgenius4930@yahoo.com.
2006-12-22 05:21:38 · answer #3 · answered by evilgenius4930 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you absolutely need a good digital video-cam. it would be nice if you get a hard-drive video-cam so you won't need tapes or mini-dvds, plus hard-drive camcorders are pc-friendly when it comes to editing but they're a lotlle pricey compared to mini-dv or dvd-camcorders. for a beginner and on a tight budget, you can get good results with any sony camcorders.
2006-12-20 19:25:35 · answer #4 · answered by captainslipp 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A good cheap camera is Panosonic. I found mine at my Local Wal-Mart for $250. If your budget is bigger go for a Cannon.
2006-12-20 16:47:34 · answer #5 · answered by CG 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i admire you am finding for the comparable style of undertaking. Do what i do seem on ebay, you will get what you p.c.. for for a greater robust useful fee, ive carried out this with my GPS and a digicam and saved thousands. So for $3 hundred i might take a seem on there.
2016-10-15 08:45:00 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋