Matt B
Im looking for a camcorder to film surfing and bodyboarding. I'll be editing and uploading my footage onto youtube and vimeo (Im using a Mac if it matters). So I need one that is mac compatible and able to connect to my TV (Sharp HDTV). I want one with great quality for its price, I don't need any fancy and unnecessary extras. Im looking for a camcorder priced around $300-500. All suggestions are appreciated!
Answer
If you are staying on land and want to get good footage, you will want good zoom - or be able to add a lens. Do not spend your entire budget on the camcorder. Because you will be zoomed in on the subjects, you want to be mounted on a decent tripod. Humans were not built to be steady and zooming merely amplifies any movement. NEVER capture video handheld. Tripod, monopod, SpiderBrace, table or rock - but never handheld. In your price range, the Canon ZR900 or ZR930 and Canon FS10 and FS100 cams are probably a good fit. These cams also have an external mic jack - which you may not want now, but you will probably want later.
Expect to spend around $80 for a half decent consumer tripod that won't blow around. Also consider getting one or more high capacity rechargeable batteries. The battery in the box with the camcorder won't last very long.
It is generally pretty windy at the beach and you'll get tired of the wind noise. To get good ocean noise, use an external mic with a good wind screen or (even better) a zeppelin. The Audio-Technica ATR-25 and PRO-24 condenser stereo mics are decent and affordable.
If you are in the water, get a waterproof housing from Eva-Marine or check out the selection at scuba dot com. Waterproof housingas can be more expensive that the camcorder...
You will need a 4-pin to 6-pin firewire (i.LINK, IEEE1394a, DV) cable to connect the DV port on the camcorder to the firewire port on your Mac. iMovie and FinalCut will Import the video when the camcorder is connected - and in Play or VCR mode.
All camcorders - whether miniDV tape, hard drive, flash memory or DVD can be used with a Mac - some need more work than others for file conversion. Since miniDV tape offers best veido quality, we'll stay there. Remember, you get what you pay for... if you can increase your budget then you should be looking at the Canon HV30 or Sony HDR-HC9.
If you are staying on land and want to get good footage, you will want good zoom - or be able to add a lens. Do not spend your entire budget on the camcorder. Because you will be zoomed in on the subjects, you want to be mounted on a decent tripod. Humans were not built to be steady and zooming merely amplifies any movement. NEVER capture video handheld. Tripod, monopod, SpiderBrace, table or rock - but never handheld. In your price range, the Canon ZR900 or ZR930 and Canon FS10 and FS100 cams are probably a good fit. These cams also have an external mic jack - which you may not want now, but you will probably want later.
Expect to spend around $80 for a half decent consumer tripod that won't blow around. Also consider getting one or more high capacity rechargeable batteries. The battery in the box with the camcorder won't last very long.
It is generally pretty windy at the beach and you'll get tired of the wind noise. To get good ocean noise, use an external mic with a good wind screen or (even better) a zeppelin. The Audio-Technica ATR-25 and PRO-24 condenser stereo mics are decent and affordable.
If you are in the water, get a waterproof housing from Eva-Marine or check out the selection at scuba dot com. Waterproof housingas can be more expensive that the camcorder...
You will need a 4-pin to 6-pin firewire (i.LINK, IEEE1394a, DV) cable to connect the DV port on the camcorder to the firewire port on your Mac. iMovie and FinalCut will Import the video when the camcorder is connected - and in Play or VCR mode.
All camcorders - whether miniDV tape, hard drive, flash memory or DVD can be used with a Mac - some need more work than others for file conversion. Since miniDV tape offers best veido quality, we'll stay there. Remember, you get what you pay for... if you can increase your budget then you should be looking at the Canon HV30 or Sony HDR-HC9.
Camcorder (video camera) for filming waves/sports?
Matt B
Im looking for a camcorder to film surfing and bodyboarding. I'll be editing and uploading my footage onto youtube and vimeo (Im using a Mac if it matters). So I need one that is mac compatible and able to connect to my TV (Sharp HDTV). I want one with great quality for its price, I don't need any fancy and unnecessary extras. Im looking for a camcorder priced around $300-500. All suggestions are appreciated!
Answer
Any HDV, miniDV, Digital8, or dv tape camcorder will work perfectly with you Mac and iMoive (or Final Cut).
If you want a waterproof camcorder, there are several waterproof models available from Panasonic and Sanyo on Amazon and similar sites,but these cameras may not integrate as easily with your Mac like the DV tape cassette models.
Any HDV, miniDV, Digital8, or dv tape camcorder will work perfectly with you Mac and iMoive (or Final Cut).
If you want a waterproof camcorder, there are several waterproof models available from Panasonic and Sanyo on Amazon and similar sites,but these cameras may not integrate as easily with your Mac like the DV tape cassette models.
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