Give me the right 3CCD camera

media360 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 12:44 AM

First off, thanks to everyone in this community. Lots of great info to be found here.

Ok...for the past several years I have been using a panasonic AG-EZ30 camera to shoot everything from vacation videos to friend's weddings and events. I've gained the proper filming and editing experience and am now looking for some advice ona camera. Moving to the commercial video world, should I upgrade my camera (I'm certain the answer is 'yes') and if so, what camera/s would you recommend? perhaps more importantly, what camera/s would you recommend me stay away from?
thanks to everyone in advance for the help.

yeebsy · #2 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 08:22 AM

First thing first, how much is your budget?

media360 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 11:34 AM

let's say a buget in the 3000usd...give or take a bit.

Mark W · #4 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 12:16 PM

Commercial world? What do you mean by this ?

What other equipement do you have? A camera is only a part of what you need.

media360 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 09:24 PM

i just thougt i could make a little money for filming and editing the projects i'm asked to do...weddings, local music videos, etc....before i could ever charge anyone i would need to feel confident that i could give them a level of quality worth the fee agreed upon.

lighting, mics, etc are available to me when i need them.

Mark W · #6 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 10:59 PM

I would suggest one the HDV cameras available for that sort of money - more future proof for when people can play hi def dvds. Not used any myself but I am sure they are as good for SD output as similarly priced SD cameras and you get the HDV as an extra when you need it.

I cant see any reson not to go HDV if you have that sort of money to spend.

The quality people expect is what they are regularly exposed to and much of what you see on telly is actually shot on 'prosumer' SD DV cameras, xl1, pd170 and the like. HDV cameras will give a quality much better than broadcast / DVD so I am sure any customers would be satisfied with the results from any of the available cameras at that price.

What is more important by far is the quality of the camera work / editing / presentation.

I recently shot a and edited a little holiday vid on a tiny and ageing sony pc6e and in the edit I put tonnes of work into the 'look' by using lots of clever editing - colour work, gradients, speed changing, radial blur, sharpening, motion blurr, some b/w bits and several people who have seen it commented on the polished look and were suprised it was shot on a low end single chip camera. An enthusiast can 'see' the camera - the noise, the jaggies and the fringing but most people expirience the totality of the look first and foremost.

My girlfriend who is my harshest and most ardent critic felt it looked better than things shot with my bigger and more capable camera.

media360 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-04-2006, 01:15 AM

thanks very much for the advice...i couldn't agree more about the quality of work(my sister's $3,000 wedding video debacle. it was laughable...kinda)

also, i checked the stuff on your site...just wanted to say nice work. thanks again for the feedback.

Mark W · #8 (**permalink**) 10-04-2006, 08:35 PM

Thanks for the compliment, I think my site looks just awful but glad you like some of the films... it sure is a mixed bag!

I was trying to redo my main page last night but at 0300 I was close to losing the will to live and was getting nowhere... can edit, cant fp...