what's a good camera for a dirt race track? I'm considering filming races at a local dirt track.?

Question

I'm concerned about dust though- I don't want to invest in something too expensive unless it is also dust resistant. Oh, and it doesn't have to be a camcorder- everything will be run through a switcher and on to a VTR- maybe digital...

Answer 1

Are the races at night? If so, are they well lit? Need a long zoom range? Don't know your price range, and what's expensive to one person might be too cheap to another, but I'm going to suggest the the Cannon XH G1, roughly $6,000. It's an HD cam that has genlock, since your not recording to camera, 20X zoom, good low light, and actually has the same chipset as the XL H1 ($10K). I've never heard of such a thing as a "dust resistant" camcorder, but the main investment to make for any cam, especially in your circumstance is a UV filter. It's cheap, protects the lens, and if it breaks or gets too scratched up, just replace it. Much better than something happening to the actual lens itself, which depending on the camera, might justify just replacing the whole camera. Always protect the camera from the elements as much as possible. Work behind a clear plastic bag if you need to, or if the camera only has buttons to access its features, you might be able to wrap it in clingwrap while still being able to control it. Not covering the lens, of course, I hope goes without saying. The best place I know to get research is at www.camcorderinfo.com to find the right cam to reach your needs, unless you plan on spending more than $6K, in which case, shop around the pro gear at bhphoto.com or talk to some pros at the local news/tv station to get some suggestions.

Answer 2

Get a any camera of your choice (preferable with a lens hood) and attach a UV filter. Then get a plastic bag (clear is best), and seal the camera inside with holes for the lens, viewfinder (you can put a piece of tape over the viewfinder), and cables. Be sure everything is sealed tightly,and use a ridiculous amount of tape if necessary. Oh and a can of compressed air might help to blow the dust off the lens. I don't think dust should present any problems if your camera is protected in this way, I mean, I've waterproofed my camera this way, so I think you'll be okay. As long as you seal the joins tightly, nothing should be getting into the bag, and into your camera. As for the lens, the compressed air should do it at the track, when you get home you can wipe off the filter, and of course if anything ever happens to the filter, $20 is nothing compared to getting a new camera. Hope this helps!