I need help choosing a camcorder?

Question

I want to create a website with moving pictures as the main feature. Although I am on a budget, I want to have sharp, good quality images that I can easily transfer to the website and I am very confused as to what to buy and where to buy it from. I would like to use two lavalia micophones, one for myself and the other for my co-presenter.

Answer 1

Maybe if you tell us your budget, what your camera NEEDS to have whether you want HD or not.

Be more specific we can't help you unless you help us.

Answer 2

Best available video quality comes from miniDV tape based camcorders. Your computer will need a firewire port and you will need a firewire cable from the DV port of the camcorder to the computer's firewire port.

Lavaliere (clip on lapel) mics are very handy - and the decent ones are expensive. I cannot recommend Nady or Samson. Since you think you want two, the easiest will be to get a couple from Shure. The lavaliere will connect to a battery powered body pack - the body pack connects wirelessly to a base station - the base station connects to power and 1 channel of an XLR adapter. The other mic's base station connects to the other channel on the XLR adapter. The XLR adapter (like those from Beachtek) connects to the 1/8" mic-in jack of the camcorder.

If you have a bigger budget, you can get a better camcorder that has built-in XLR connections for the mic-in jack...

The Shure base stations require AC power, so you won't be able to be very mobile with the camcorder. VHF is best. UHF is OK - anything less (900 MHz or 2.4 GHz shared frequencies) is asking for RF or EM interference to ruin your your audio.

If you have a big budget, you can take a look at the Sennheiser lavs - they have a nice system that has a battery powered base station so it can be more portable. The problem I see with them is that while the base station connects with a 1/8" jack (which means the BeachTek XLR adapter is not needed - but your camera has only one 1/8" mic in jack and splitters do not work very well - and you have specified using two lavs).

On the low end, the Sony DCR-HC96 with http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/47...

or Canon ZR950 and the BeachTek DXA-6vu and two Shure wireless lav systems would work. The HC96 does not have manual audio control, but the XLR adapter will provide that.

The next step jumps to the Canon HV20, HV30, Sony HDR-HC7, HC9. They all have 1/8" mic in jacks, so the XLR adapter is needed - and they all have manual audio control, too. All these consumer-grade cams will record in DV or HDV.

Then comes the Canon GL2 or the Sony DCR-VX2100. Both are standard def - prosumer-grade cameras with 1/8" mic-in jacks and manual audio control. For hidef/standard def, Sony HDR FX1 or FX7.

Then comes the high-end prosumer/pro HVR-V1U, Z1U; Canon XL2, XHA1, Panasonic DVX100B and HDX200. These all have XLR mic in jacks built-in so no XLR adapter is required.

Use a tripod, monopod or SpiderBrace to be steady.

Turn on some lights. Good (2-point or 3-point) lighting is very important for good video quality. A couple of PAR 56 cans mounted on a couple of light trees and using a dimmer system would be helpful - but not urgent for when you start. You can plan to get these later.

Amazon.com, B&H Photo and Adorama are reputable on line retailers. Or try your local electronics or camera store and kepp your friends and neighbors employed. Guitar Center or Musician's Friend are good sources for the mics, PAR can lighting, light trees and dimmers.

Answer 3

i have a Sony Handy cam mini DVD camcorder that's real easy to use and has quite a lot of features on it mabey that will work for you. i know you can hook up mic's on the out side i'am not sure about the ones you have though.