Camcorder for time lapse

Smeg Head · #1 (**permalink**) 11-23-2006, 05:24 PM

Ive never owned a camcorder before so im looking for some advice for my first one, If anyone could recommend any camcorders (preferbly cheap). My main use would be for time lapse projects of my own, if anyone has seen koyaanisqatsi thats the kind thing I would like to do, I would want to use it at night. I would want it to be editable on a pc.

Mark W · #2 (**permalink**) 11-23-2006, 09:40 PM

I find the most flexible way to speed things up is to shoot in real time and speed up in the editor. Any cam will do.

BTW I love koyaanisqtasi too.

I even made my own version....

http://www.zaskarfilms.com/Newsite/C...#Koyaanisqatsi

Smeg Head · #3 (**permalink**) 11-24-2006, 10:59 AM

what kind of camcorders are good for editing, I heard DV or something like that are the best type for editing, and what kind of price am I looking at paying for a half decent one.

btw I watched your film it was really good, hope I can make something like that soon.

Mark W · #4 (**permalink**) 11-24-2006, 02:19 PM

Any DV cam would be fine for editing but the more you spend the better things get. You can gat a great cam for 350 up, I am not up with what is reccomended at present, 3ccd is a likely to be better whatever the brand.

Dont be seduced by gimmicks. Get something with a mic in. DV in is usefull for recording stuff back to tape. Get a tripod, get an external mic if sound is imprtant to you (and for anything where vocals are importanant that is essental).

Try caneas out to see what you like the 'feel' of too.

DV really is best for editing with, avoid dvd and hd hovever much the salesperson says they are better, they are not.

Thnaks for watching my film ,glad you liked it.

Smeg Head · #5 (**permalink**) 11-24-2006, 02:33 PM

Thanks for the advice

Smeg Head · #6 (**permalink**) 11-25-2006, 09:25 AM

hi im back again, I have decided that if i was to get into this more professionally that I would want to pay alot more and get a great cam, but it would be stupid to pay loads for my 1st cam.

I have seen this cam on amazon its quite cheap, its 350 in argos. I was hopeing you could tell me if the specs are good or not for what I want to do, they seem good to me but I dont really know what to look for.

Heres a link. www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B000E3UV7U/ref=pd_rvi_gw_1/026-8835766-5225236

Also another question, on koyaanisqatsi do you how they make the lights of the traffic at night go into beams, Ive heard its something to do with the saturation of the camera, I would love to do those kind of effects, can it be done on every camera.

Mark W · #7 (**permalink**) 11-25-2006, 10:32 PM

That camera looks fine to me.

As for the 'beam' effect. In Ksq that was shot on a film camera and I suspect it was shot a a very low fram rate, like 1 per sec, with a long exposure too, like half a secod, hence the beams.

You cant do that with DV, you can only shoot at 25fps, when you speed that up 10X or more in the editor you might get a beam effect but some motion blur can be added to create some for sure.

I have had hours of enjoyment playing with footage in vegas speeding things up vastly and slowing them down, it really changes the way you think of things we see all the time.

Here is something arty with slo mo and speed up that I like...

http://www.zaskarfilms.com/filmPages/kofbParkstpage.htm

Smeg Head · #8 (**permalink**) 11-26-2006, 08:29 AM

Thanks for all the help its been really usefull.

great film it was very hypnotic and I liked the way it zoomed in on people it made them look like they were pictures sliding past.