Accessories/software for Canon hv30?

Question

I was wondering if anyone could recommend accessories / editing software etc. for the canon hv30 to make videos look more "professional" ... hopefully under $1000 ?

(Also you should know i am pretty new to all this)

I would like the videos to turn out somewhat like these...

http://www.vimeo.com/1131044

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WWGiW9pUp38

Do you need a DOF adapter and other somewhat expensive things or will the camera be able to do well alone (with video editing software) ?

Answer 1

If you want to make your videos look more professional, don't let anyone tell you any different: you don't need to spend thousands to make good videos. Besides, you're already in pretty good shape with the HV30, it's color saturation is excellent, and it has the fastest autofocus function I have ever seen. Now, with a camera that good, you'll want a better editing system- I have a prosumer camcorder, and have suffered a major quality loss through consumer editing programs. Here are my favorites:

1) Avid Media Composer

2) Final Cut Studio

3) Adobe Premiere Pro

4) Sony Vegas Pro

  

First, there's Avid Media Composer. Now, Avid has been the leader in the world of NLE systems for the past few decades and is an industry standard; about 90% of all movies, TV shows and documentaries are cut on Avid. Upon first look, its list price of $2,000 may be intimidating. However, if you are a teacher, or a student K-12 or higher ed, you are eligible for a academic discout. You can get the full software package for $295!!!   http://journeyed.com/home.asp

Avid is an extremely powerful system with awesome tools. Be careful though; the Media Composer is real sticky on specs, it only works on real powerful computers.

  Next there's Apple's Final Cut Studio. Many people prefer Final Cut over Avid, but its merely preference. Many are drawn to it for its somewhat lower price of $1,200. It's not as popular in Hollywood, but its an excellent system. I like Avid a bit better, but one advantage of Final Cut is that the Studio package comes with a bunch of additional programs along with Final Cut Pro that are really cool. It also comes with Soundtrack Pro and Motion! Once again, if you are a student (college only), you are eligible for a student discount of $700 on the Apple site.

   Adobe Premiere Pro is a nice program that has professional tools and a professional interface, but isn't nearly as popular among pros. It's list price is about $700, but you can get a student discount for $350.

http://journeyed.com/home.asp

  Sony Vegas Pro seems to be very popular, especially among consumers. It's a nice program, but I tried the trial software, and the quality seemed to be poor. I don't know. Maybe the trial version is worse. Well, the program is about $550

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After you get a nice program, the next thing to get is a shotgun mic. Many overlook the importance of audio, but in my opinion, good audio is more important than good picture. However, you cannot get pro mics on the HV30, as it only has a mini-stereo input rather than the professional XLR inputs. Of course, you could get an XLR adapter for about $180, like that by Beachtek....Save yourself the trouble and get a mini-stereo mic. Some are decent, and they are a lot cheaper. Here are some models I recommend:

1) RODE VideoMic

2) Sennheiser MKE300

3) Azden SGM-X

I really like my Rode mic. I wouldn't really recommend anything else. I just listed the other two mics just cause. They really don't compare. The Rode VideoMic is awesome, and its only $150.  http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/36...

Regarding your question of the DOF adapter, are you talking of the 35mm adapters that manipulate DOF (depth of field)? Well if so: No don't waste your money on those fancy things. Sure, it looks cool, but they go for at least $1000 for only  a miniscule advantage. If you really want a narrow depth of field, just keep manually set your iris to something low like F2 or something, and zoom in a lot. You can get the same effect, or almost, at least. If you still want a 35mm adapter, look at these:

1) Letus Extreme  http://www.letusdirect.com/

  2) Redrock M2    http://redrockmicro.com/

Well I hope that helps, so have fun, and best of luck!!!