Sony DCR-PC350E MiniDV 3.0MP Handycam GOOD ENOUGH?

K

kases

is it good enough to shoot a music video with? because i've got it practically for free, it was a birthday present. the problem is i can't find any info on it online, to compare it with others.

my friends and i are going to shoot our first official music video, we've got great light, a room with lightabsorband sheets, and i just gotta ask. is this camera good enough to actually record a music video good enough for tv with?

or should i spend some serious money on renting some other one for a this video shoot. please let me know as soon as possible because we start shooting on monday.

thanks alot for your time... even if you can't find out anything about this specific camera itself, any form of info is very well appriciated.
 
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There isn't a yes or no answer to this question.

Basically, this is a good camcorder, with a not bad chip and the added bonus of true 16:9 shooting.

In the right hands it would be capable of producing broadcast quality images.

I say in the right hands, because when using a domestic camcorder you have to play to it's strengths, in it's creative use. It's no good trying to get it to produce images that look like they were shot on 35mm.

The people you really need info from are the people who will be broadcasting your music video. They will have specific requirements on aspect ratio, format and various other things. It's this information you really need. If you give the station a call they should be able to provide you with that information.
 
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considering the format, it's a music video. the stations here in germany take in dvds and vhs pal. and yes it's a pal camera.

could you please explain to me in more detail "in the right hands"? what do i need to consider when trying to make it look professional? i can film the heck out of a scene. meaning my camera handling is decent, and we have a light engineer. but what else do i have to make certain of?

thanks alot for replying so swiftly.
 
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Sounds like you are the right hands.

You might want to check whether the stations take 16:9 or 4:3 and whether they want the output "legalised," which is where they run the footage though a meter to check if it breaks any of their regulations about intensity of light or use of excessive strobe lighting fx.

In the UK it all has to be 16:9 now, I've no idea about German TV.

In terms of making it look professional, I think that your best bet is to avoid that as much as possible and play up the fact that the video is shot on a camcorder. Make it a style choice rather than constantly running into the limitations of the equipment.

My favorite music video of all time was a girl singer who borrowed her local record store and shot the whole video on the security cameras. It was really, really clever use of her resources and it got lots of TV airplay even though it was shot on the worst format and cameras you can imagine.
 
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sadly with this video i can't do that. it's just not that type of video, it really has to look as professional as it can. and to be truthful, i'm kind of scared it's a big shoot. and with that camera. man i just wish it looks good.

none the less, thanks alot for all the helpful information you've been giving. and if there's anything else, dont hesitate to let me know.
 
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If it's that big a shoot isn't there a budget to hire a broadcast quality camera?

If there is you should be hiring the best format you can afford.

A sony PD170 would be a good choice if you're most comfortable shooting on mini-dv/dvcam

If it was me I'd be shooting on DVCPro50, which is a beautiful format. (However, making this choice will dramatically put up post production costs and will also require you to hire a camera op familiar with the camera as there is a steep learning curve on using it)

Your other option is to shoot on HDV, which will give you high resolution and FCP editing options. A pretty good choice if your experience is limited to camcorder shooting.
 
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apperently we've got a high 8 sony camera. but i dont know which one it is, and they couldn't tell me neither, nor could i check out the camera or take a look at it. but apperently they use it to make a tv broadcast on some free channel.

any info on that type of camera? any tips? anything that may come as a suprise to me?
 
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Hi8 is awful by todays standards.

At a bare minimum you should be using a PAL Mini-Dv camera. For your own sake of editing it should be digital format with a firewire. If you absolutely must go Analog, consider renting Beta or at a very minimum, SuperVHS.
 
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