Would this work as a good beginner's video camera?
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-AG-DVC7-Proline-Camcorder-Optical/dp/B00008SBIT
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-AG-DVC7-Proline-Camcorder-Optical/dp/B00008SBIT
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Beginners Camera
- Thread starter dcluver04
- Start date
For the price, it looks good. Looks like it has audio hook ups for a mic and a pull focus lens. Before you spend any money though, do your research and compare other camera in your price range. Remember that audio is as important as the video, so get something with audio input.
This is a pretty old camera. I think that there are much better options in the same price range that will produce much better quality.
Some people don't like it on principal but I'd recommend looking at DSLR...
Some people don't like it on principal but I'd recommend looking at DSLR...
Normally I'd ask what it is you would like to do, but I'm pretty confident that's a less than ideal choice either way. Having said that, I've never seen that particular camera before, and it does appear to have a grandson still available (on Amazon as well). Perhaps I am wrong and it is the hidden gem no one hears about.
It's MiniDV (tape) - so take that as you will.
It is also standard def, but that's not really why I think it is less than ideal; there SD camera's with better glass in front of them that could probably be had for a similar price if you were set on that route for one reason or another.
(Pardon me while I make a modest attempt at channeling Alcove) It does have a mic-in, but not xlr - so the quality of the connections and associated bits that likely bork your sound quality anyway is likely suspect as well. Of course it does *have* the connections, and that is something.
Now having said all of that, I feel myself coming back to my standard question; what is it that you want to do?
The reason I ask is that when anyone asks what to get for a camera as a beginner, the following things are always listed:
Audio Input
Manual Focus
Exposure Control
White Balance
This camera has all four of those things. $600 is probably too much for a camera verging on 8 years old, but if you could find one on, say ebay, for half that or so - then it might be worth it as a tool to start with. Of course if you have some sort of hook-up/freebie thing and just want to know if you should accept, then the answer is yes. Anytime anyone offers you a free camera, the answer is yes.
Might.
As a tool for experimenting and following the "Make 1 short a month" method (I'm certain DirectoRik has rights reserved on that, so you know, "tm" and all that), then it might be useful. Perhaps if you have a documentary that is burning a hole in your brain, it could serve for that as well.
Having said that my gut feeling is that is less than ideal, and a quick peek at ebay shows that ~$600 appears to be the going rate. For that money you could probably pick up a solid state camera of some sort, save on tape, and write/shoot/edit to your heart's content.
If you want to learn cinematography, for example, buy a super-8 camera and shoot a ton with it, also buy a DSLR and shoot STILLS with it as well as video. The MiniDV camera you linked will teach you enough about exposure for certain things, but you'd have to dig deeper than that tool would allow you if that was your focus.
It's MiniDV (tape) - so take that as you will.
It is also standard def, but that's not really why I think it is less than ideal; there SD camera's with better glass in front of them that could probably be had for a similar price if you were set on that route for one reason or another.
(Pardon me while I make a modest attempt at channeling Alcove) It does have a mic-in, but not xlr - so the quality of the connections and associated bits that likely bork your sound quality anyway is likely suspect as well. Of course it does *have* the connections, and that is something.
Now having said all of that, I feel myself coming back to my standard question; what is it that you want to do?
The reason I ask is that when anyone asks what to get for a camera as a beginner, the following things are always listed:
Audio Input
Manual Focus
Exposure Control
White Balance
This camera has all four of those things. $600 is probably too much for a camera verging on 8 years old, but if you could find one on, say ebay, for half that or so - then it might be worth it as a tool to start with. Of course if you have some sort of hook-up/freebie thing and just want to know if you should accept, then the answer is yes. Anytime anyone offers you a free camera, the answer is yes.
Might.
As a tool for experimenting and following the "Make 1 short a month" method (I'm certain DirectoRik has rights reserved on that, so you know, "tm" and all that), then it might be useful. Perhaps if you have a documentary that is burning a hole in your brain, it could serve for that as well.
Having said that my gut feeling is that is less than ideal, and a quick peek at ebay shows that ~$600 appears to be the going rate. For that money you could probably pick up a solid state camera of some sort, save on tape, and write/shoot/edit to your heart's content.
If you want to learn cinematography, for example, buy a super-8 camera and shoot a ton with it, also buy a DSLR and shoot STILLS with it as well as video. The MiniDV camera you linked will teach you enough about exposure for certain things, but you'd have to dig deeper than that tool would allow you if that was your focus.
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Defin...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1295572670&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ZOOM-Zoom-H...FJII/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1295572723&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rode-NTG-2-...SHG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295572736&sr=1-1
I think I'm over budget here... but these are pretty solid options for film and sound...
EDIT: I assumed we'd ruled out DSLR, but if not replace the top link with the Canon EOS 550D...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ZOOM-Zoom-H...FJII/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1295572723&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rode-NTG-2-...SHG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295572736&sr=1-1
I think I'm over budget here... but these are pretty solid options for film and sound...
EDIT: I assumed we'd ruled out DSLR, but if not replace the top link with the Canon EOS 550D...
Oh OK thank you! So something like this works: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-HF-M31-...=sr_1_5?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1295573447&sr=1-5 ?
Sure. They all work
It just depends what you want to do with them. But starting out you don't need the top of the range £3000 kit...
This might just confuse you more, but any camera from Sony, Canon,
Panasonic, JVC and even Samsung (check out the SMX-K40) with a
mic input is going to be a good beginner's video camera. You could,
literally, flip a coin and get a good beginner's video camera from any of
those manufacturers.
The Canon HF M31 is a fine little camera. So are the Canon FS200 and
the Canon R100. I like the Sony CX100, too.
Sorry to muddy the water. Buy the Canon HF M31 and make your
movie! You're going to discover the camera is the least of your issues
and the easiest to deal with. Lighting, audio and then casting and scheduling
are the real problems.
Panasonic, JVC and even Samsung (check out the SMX-K40) with a
mic input is going to be a good beginner's video camera. You could,
literally, flip a coin and get a good beginner's video camera from any of
those manufacturers.
The Canon HF M31 is a fine little camera. So are the Canon FS200 and
the Canon R100. I like the Sony CX100, too.
Sorry to muddy the water. Buy the Canon HF M31 and make your
movie! You're going to discover the camera is the least of your issues
and the easiest to deal with. Lighting, audio and then casting and scheduling
are the real problems.
This. From the sound of your questions, I'm pretty confident you should probably just do this.
After you've made some stuff you'll get an idea of where you want to focus your energy.