no regrets
I am trying to get a videography business started and wanted to know from people with experiance or who know a bit about cameras which one of these cameras would be best to use, or if you have a better one that would work for a small business. I am looking for something with great quality, easy to manuver around with, high proficiency, and nice looking. Any other advice would be great! Thank you
http://www.frys.com/product/5049425?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
http://www.frys.com/product/4186853?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/255811-REG/Canon_7920A001_GL2_Mini_DV_3CCD.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/589909-REG/Canon_3235B001_XH_G1s_3CCD_HDV_Camcorder.html
Answer
Hi No Regrets
I do weddings for a living (among other things)
The Canon XHA1 (Your first link) has been replaced by the XHA1s. It is very similar to the Canon XHG1s (Your 4th link). As it is very light, you will need a mono-pod to keep it steady.
The main difference between the XHA1s and the XHG1s is that the XHG1s has additional connections (BNC type connectors for streaming out pure HD (not HDV) if you are planning to use this camera for TV, multi-camera shooting, etc.) For wedding work, you most likely don't need these features and you will save about $3000.00 if you go for the XHA1s. They both shoot in SD and HDV format so that you can grow with the camera.
With the money you save, you can get a wireless microphone to capture those wedding vows clearly.
The Canon XL2 (your second link) is also a good camera but shoots only in SD. It is a larger camera than the XHA1s/XHG1s cameras. You may find it a "front-heavy" camera, meaning that the weight of the camera is towards the front due to the heavy 20X zoom lens. The XL2 is meant to be held on your shoulder. The XL2 has a removable lens so that you can add other lens to the XL2. The XHA1s/XHG1s lens cannot be removed.
If you like shoulder mounted camera and want to go the HDV route, try the Canon XLH1a/XLH1s camera. It is the top-of-the-line camcorder out there right now. It is similar to the XL2 but does both SD and HDV and comes in beautiful black. This is the camera I currently own and use for my wedding business.
Forget about the Canon GL2 (your third link). Go with the XHA1s/XHG1s camera.
One thing to keep in mind is that all the Canon cameras are not good in low-light situation such as in the case of wedding where most church and receptions are lit with very little light, so you may need to add in a small light to the camera. I use the Canon VL10i (which is about 20 watts) and just enough light to fill in the faces. Don't go over board with 100 Watt (blaring lights) as they will be too bright and distracting and ruins the atmosphere.
It seems that you want to go the Canon route. For low light situation, the Sony camcorders are the best for that.
For Sony, take a look at the HVR-V1U, HDR-FX7
In summary, if you are not a strong person, go with the XHA1s/XHG1s. Your shoulders will thank me later. But if you need the capability to change lens (which I never had to) and want more of a "pro" look go with any shoulder mounted camera.
Believe it or not, people still view small cameras as "amateur" and large camera as "professional".
Good luck in your wedding business
Hi No Regrets
I do weddings for a living (among other things)
The Canon XHA1 (Your first link) has been replaced by the XHA1s. It is very similar to the Canon XHG1s (Your 4th link). As it is very light, you will need a mono-pod to keep it steady.
The main difference between the XHA1s and the XHG1s is that the XHG1s has additional connections (BNC type connectors for streaming out pure HD (not HDV) if you are planning to use this camera for TV, multi-camera shooting, etc.) For wedding work, you most likely don't need these features and you will save about $3000.00 if you go for the XHA1s. They both shoot in SD and HDV format so that you can grow with the camera.
With the money you save, you can get a wireless microphone to capture those wedding vows clearly.
The Canon XL2 (your second link) is also a good camera but shoots only in SD. It is a larger camera than the XHA1s/XHG1s cameras. You may find it a "front-heavy" camera, meaning that the weight of the camera is towards the front due to the heavy 20X zoom lens. The XL2 is meant to be held on your shoulder. The XL2 has a removable lens so that you can add other lens to the XL2. The XHA1s/XHG1s lens cannot be removed.
If you like shoulder mounted camera and want to go the HDV route, try the Canon XLH1a/XLH1s camera. It is the top-of-the-line camcorder out there right now. It is similar to the XL2 but does both SD and HDV and comes in beautiful black. This is the camera I currently own and use for my wedding business.
Forget about the Canon GL2 (your third link). Go with the XHA1s/XHG1s camera.
One thing to keep in mind is that all the Canon cameras are not good in low-light situation such as in the case of wedding where most church and receptions are lit with very little light, so you may need to add in a small light to the camera. I use the Canon VL10i (which is about 20 watts) and just enough light to fill in the faces. Don't go over board with 100 Watt (blaring lights) as they will be too bright and distracting and ruins the atmosphere.
It seems that you want to go the Canon route. For low light situation, the Sony camcorders are the best for that.
For Sony, take a look at the HVR-V1U, HDR-FX7
In summary, if you are not a strong person, go with the XHA1s/XHG1s. Your shoulders will thank me later. But if you need the capability to change lens (which I never had to) and want more of a "pro" look go with any shoulder mounted camera.
Believe it or not, people still view small cameras as "amateur" and large camera as "professional".
Good luck in your wedding business
Wedding Videography Business: Canon GL2?
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Hello-
I am in the process of starting up a wedding video business. I have 1K to 2K to spend and was thinking of purchasing the Canon GL2 Camcorder. Would this be a good beginner camera to use for this? And also for parties, events, corporate gigs, etc? Any info you can supply would be great as I am new to this!
Thanks!
Answer
The GL2 is a good camera, but if I were you, I'd get a pair of HV20s or HV30s. I had a GL2 for about a year and a half and I recently sold it to buy a Canon HV20, technically a consumer camera. Why? The GL2 was getting old; it is an SD camera, and while most of us don't have Blu-Ray burners, it would be a mistake, in my opinion, to go spend thousands of dollars on SD equipment. HD downrezzed to SD looks better resolution-wise than footage from the best SD camera. Despite the GL2's great quality, grain was always noticeable in even medium low-light situations. HD also gives you the flexibility to remaster certain projects in HD in the future.
Also, the GL2 is expensive, even if you get it used off of eBay (by the way, when I got it December '06, the average price was $1600, and now, the resale value is around $1100-$1200). Like Nikolai said, the GL2 has a 3.5mm input jack. This is okay if you're planning on using mics such as the Rode Videomic, but if you plan on using XLR mics, which have balanced outputs so you can use cables five or ten times longer than the 10'-20' limit of 3.5mm unbalanced signals, or the option of being able to accept live feeds from a mixer at a concert, you'll need an XLR adapter. Beachtek and Juicedlink make great adapters, but they'll add about $200 to the cost of the GL2. Add any mic to that, and it'll be about $150-$300.
Now, that doesn't sound like a lot of money since your budget is 1-2k, but if you're going to be shooting events, you'll definitely want more than one camera. Not only does it make your finished product more interesting, but it also gives you more flexibility if you run out of tape or if you accidentally bump into the tripod during taping because you can just cut to the other camera. And the chances are pretty low for the other person shooting to mess up at the same exact time. Even if you got just two GL2s and nothing else, it would still be about $200-$400 over your budget.
I got my HV20 off of eBay for $660 plus shipping. I also have a Beachtek DXA-2S adapter and NTG-2 XLR shotgun mic. If you are planning to mount the mic on the camera, a Rode Videomic will probably be fine, but if you are planning to use a boompole, then a mic such as the NTG-2 will suit you better. Shameless plug: I'm selling cheap painter's pole to boom pole adapters, by the way ;-)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESEX:IT&item=220227197941&_trksid=p3984.cSELL.m315.lVI
Probably the biggest reason people get the HV20 is because of its 24p. Basically, if you've ever noticed how the news looks more "real" than a movie is because of film's 24fps speed. While it may seem to not matter much to you, shooting wedding videos, events, corporate videos, and even parties in 24p will make it seem much more "professional." Most people won't know what the heck you did, but they'll know it looks good. And of course, the HD as well. Remember you can always edit in HD and print to tape in HD. This won't do most people any good, but if there's someone who's dying to have it in HD and they have an HDV camcorder, they can just take the tape and play it.
As for the HV30, it's basically the same exact camera as the HV20, but it's black, features 30p and 24p, has an improved LCD screen (read: larger vertical viewing angle), and a new zoom toggle (?). Oh and the hot shoe cover doesn't come off unless you cut it, which might be a problem if you're mounting the Rode Videomic to the camera. And it costs around $880 (at the cheapest).
Oh and consider getting a WD-H43 for your HV20/HV30, if you do decide to get one of these camera.
So I think that's everything. Hopefully this helped and if you have any more questions, feel free to contact me!
The GL2 is a good camera, but if I were you, I'd get a pair of HV20s or HV30s. I had a GL2 for about a year and a half and I recently sold it to buy a Canon HV20, technically a consumer camera. Why? The GL2 was getting old; it is an SD camera, and while most of us don't have Blu-Ray burners, it would be a mistake, in my opinion, to go spend thousands of dollars on SD equipment. HD downrezzed to SD looks better resolution-wise than footage from the best SD camera. Despite the GL2's great quality, grain was always noticeable in even medium low-light situations. HD also gives you the flexibility to remaster certain projects in HD in the future.
Also, the GL2 is expensive, even if you get it used off of eBay (by the way, when I got it December '06, the average price was $1600, and now, the resale value is around $1100-$1200). Like Nikolai said, the GL2 has a 3.5mm input jack. This is okay if you're planning on using mics such as the Rode Videomic, but if you plan on using XLR mics, which have balanced outputs so you can use cables five or ten times longer than the 10'-20' limit of 3.5mm unbalanced signals, or the option of being able to accept live feeds from a mixer at a concert, you'll need an XLR adapter. Beachtek and Juicedlink make great adapters, but they'll add about $200 to the cost of the GL2. Add any mic to that, and it'll be about $150-$300.
Now, that doesn't sound like a lot of money since your budget is 1-2k, but if you're going to be shooting events, you'll definitely want more than one camera. Not only does it make your finished product more interesting, but it also gives you more flexibility if you run out of tape or if you accidentally bump into the tripod during taping because you can just cut to the other camera. And the chances are pretty low for the other person shooting to mess up at the same exact time. Even if you got just two GL2s and nothing else, it would still be about $200-$400 over your budget.
I got my HV20 off of eBay for $660 plus shipping. I also have a Beachtek DXA-2S adapter and NTG-2 XLR shotgun mic. If you are planning to mount the mic on the camera, a Rode Videomic will probably be fine, but if you are planning to use a boompole, then a mic such as the NTG-2 will suit you better. Shameless plug: I'm selling cheap painter's pole to boom pole adapters, by the way ;-)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESEX:IT&item=220227197941&_trksid=p3984.cSELL.m315.lVI
Probably the biggest reason people get the HV20 is because of its 24p. Basically, if you've ever noticed how the news looks more "real" than a movie is because of film's 24fps speed. While it may seem to not matter much to you, shooting wedding videos, events, corporate videos, and even parties in 24p will make it seem much more "professional." Most people won't know what the heck you did, but they'll know it looks good. And of course, the HD as well. Remember you can always edit in HD and print to tape in HD. This won't do most people any good, but if there's someone who's dying to have it in HD and they have an HDV camcorder, they can just take the tape and play it.
As for the HV30, it's basically the same exact camera as the HV20, but it's black, features 30p and 24p, has an improved LCD screen (read: larger vertical viewing angle), and a new zoom toggle (?). Oh and the hot shoe cover doesn't come off unless you cut it, which might be a problem if you're mounting the Rode Videomic to the camera. And it costs around $880 (at the cheapest).
Oh and consider getting a WD-H43 for your HV20/HV30, if you do decide to get one of these camera.
So I think that's everything. Hopefully this helped and if you have any more questions, feel free to contact me!
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