quiznosman
I'm a student filmmaker on a limited budget and I want to buy a mini dv camcorder. I need something with a microphone input so that I can add a beachtek xlr adapter to it. I already know about the canon zr930 but is there anything better than that in the price range? And hows the video quality of the zr930? Pros and Cons?
http://www.youtube.com/user/jeandfilms
Answer
The ZR900 and 930 both have a mic jack - but no manual audio control. Both are entry level consumer camcorders with small lenses and imaging chips. There is nothing better in this price range... Adding the XLR adapter is good - but I don't know if that actually bypasses the auto mic gain. And there is no headphone jack on the ZR series, so you need some method to know what the audio levels are that are being captured. BeachTeck and juicedLink bot make XLR adapters with LED audio level "meters", but they are more expensive than the basic XLR adapter models.
The least expensive miniDV camcorders - of which I am aware - that have both a mic jack and manual audio control are the Canon HV30 and Sony HDR-HC9. Their lenses and imaging chips are a little large than the ZR series, too. (Larger lenses and imaging chips - whether CMOS or CCD - means improved low-light video capture behavior).
The other option is to not worry about the camcorder's mic jack (or the XLR adapter) and get an external audio "field recorder" like those from Zoom (the H4 has decent built-in condenser mics AND XLR/1/4" combo mic jacks and manual audio control). When you edit, just replace the audio captured by the camcorder with that captured by the field recorder.
The ZR900 and 930 both have a mic jack - but no manual audio control. Both are entry level consumer camcorders with small lenses and imaging chips. There is nothing better in this price range... Adding the XLR adapter is good - but I don't know if that actually bypasses the auto mic gain. And there is no headphone jack on the ZR series, so you need some method to know what the audio levels are that are being captured. BeachTeck and juicedLink bot make XLR adapters with LED audio level "meters", but they are more expensive than the basic XLR adapter models.
The least expensive miniDV camcorders - of which I am aware - that have both a mic jack and manual audio control are the Canon HV30 and Sony HDR-HC9. Their lenses and imaging chips are a little large than the ZR series, too. (Larger lenses and imaging chips - whether CMOS or CCD - means improved low-light video capture behavior).
The other option is to not worry about the camcorder's mic jack (or the XLR adapter) and get an external audio "field recorder" like those from Zoom (the H4 has decent built-in condenser mics AND XLR/1/4" combo mic jacks and manual audio control). When you edit, just replace the audio captured by the camcorder with that captured by the field recorder.
Best handheld hd camcorder under $600?
Jenna
I want to buy a good camcorder, it shouldn't be too small, but not extremely big either. I need i to be about 500 to 600 dollars. I might splurge up to 700 if it makes a huge difference. I need it to make short films and documentaries. I also want to buy an external microphone, so if you know which ones are good, tell me that too! :) (It doesn't have to be wireless)
Thank you!
Answer
HD camcorders interpolate the video, which means of every 25 frames of video, 4 or 5 frames are taken by the lens assembly; the other frames in between these are filled in by the camcorder inner circuitry, thus giving you not true video. It looks like this -one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, from front to back of the video. Near impossible to edit, even when you have the Multi processor computer with the big Graphics and sound cards that is required to edit, view, watch and work with the files a HD camcorder produces.
Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.
MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition. And add the fact that to get a HD camcorder that could produce better video quality footage, one would have to spend in excess of $3500 for that camcorder that could produce higher quality video.
http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part1_camcorder_choices.htm
http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part2_connect_camcorder.htm
http://www.canon.ca/inetCA/products?m=gp&pid=1017#_030
HD camcorders interpolate the video, which means of every 25 frames of video, 4 or 5 frames are taken by the lens assembly; the other frames in between these are filled in by the camcorder inner circuitry, thus giving you not true video. It looks like this -one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, from front to back of the video. Near impossible to edit, even when you have the Multi processor computer with the big Graphics and sound cards that is required to edit, view, watch and work with the files a HD camcorder produces.
Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.
MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition. And add the fact that to get a HD camcorder that could produce better video quality footage, one would have to spend in excess of $3500 for that camcorder that could produce higher quality video.
http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part1_camcorder_choices.htm
http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part2_connect_camcorder.htm
http://www.canon.ca/inetCA/products?m=gp&pid=1017#_030
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