Reviews about hard disk comcorders? Which one is better?

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Such as the ones like JVC Everio, or sony or any of the DVD camcorders.

Are DVD recorders better than hard disk?

Answer
The current top 3 HDD camcorders are:
Sony HDR-SR1
Sony DCR-SR100
JVC GC-MG505

You can read their reviews here:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php

Personally, I bought the DCR-SR100, and I'm very happy with the video quality. I like that it stores to the hard drive, and that I don't have to buy any additional media (blank tapes/DVDs, etc.)
The video quality is probably on par with the DVD camcorders as they both record video in the same mpeg2 format. The downside for DVD camcorders (at least for me) is that each mini-DVD only holds about 20 minutes of video - whereas the 30G HD can hold > 7 hours of video at the best quality setting.

Panasonic 3 CCD camcorder?

Dj Lab Rat

I'm lookin to buy a panasonic 3 ccd camcorder. can anyone recommend a good model. Preferably not priced very high. Also how would you rate the GS 500 vs. GS 400. And how would you rate the GS 180

Answer
I would recommend buying the PV-GS500, or PV-GS400, depending on what you plan to use it for.

Ratings-

PV-GS500: 7.5/10

PV-GS400: 8/10


I rated the 400 higher because it has more manual controls, and for me, that is really important. But if you don't plan on using manual controls as much, than the 500 would be better for you.

PV-GS400:

Pros: Excellent manual control for a consumer camcorder, 3CCD, great video, wireless remote, wired remote (with zoom button, mic, and record), Optical Image Stabilizer, pop up flash, 3'' LCD screen, Manual Focus/Zoom ring, top loading tape.

Cons- Low light filming, portability



PV-GS500:

Pros- Manual Zoom ring, flash, 3CCD, excellent video, true widescreen, Optical Image Stabilizer, top loading tape, wireless remote.

Cons: Small LCD screen for shooting 4:3, Low light filming, portability.



So here is where you make the decision. I would recommend the PV-GS400 if you what to have superior manual control and great video. But, i would recommend the PV-GS500 if you would rather have slightly better video quality. Also, the 400 is hard to find these days. You can get a 500 for as cheap as $449 online. The PV-GS400, however, is hard to find under $900. Either way, these camcorders are both fantastic and you would be happy with either of them.

P.S.

I would rate the PV-GS180: 6/10

Its video isn't as sharp as the previously discussed camcorders. It has no focus or zoom ring. However, it is a very good cam for its price.

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What are some high end prosumer camcorders for relatively cheap?

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Joe Savin

I plan on making films or short films and am about to come into some money. I'm currently working with a panasonic dvx-100a. I will have a budget of about 3,000 but the chapter the better. I want to go HD and also purchase some basic equipment (boom, mics, etc.). Should I save over a thousand for such equipment?

Also I'll need to edit it on a macbook with 4gb ram. I can upgrade the ram if needed also.

Answer
You are close, so close...

In the Canon line the cheapest pro-sumer is the single sensor, non gen-lock, XF100 for $3300. While it comes with about everything you need, you will still want at LEAST one 64 gig card ($250).

And the Canon is pretty-much the bargain in these cameras. The Panasonic AG-AC130A is over $4,000 and gets HALF the data-rate (quality) of the XF100. Panasonic cameras closer to $3000 are getting LESS data than the older, SD MiniDv tape based cameras.

Given the choice between a new Panasonic for somewhere around $2000 and a used MiniDv like the Canon GL-2 or XL series...I'd go with the MiniDv cameras (well under $1000) and get a solid-state drive to attach to the cameras (about $1000). The 4:2:2 compression of MiniDv and the 13 gigs/hr of data means that with proper editing, it can be up-converted to the HD frame-size with better quality than native HD from a camcorder getting 11 gigs/hr.

4 gigs ram on a laptop? Dealing with 25 gigs/hr video?

Think of quality video production like an equilateral triangle. The three systems are camera, computer, software. No one leg is more or less important than the others, it invites disappointment to spend for a camera, without upgrades to both the computer and software. Yes, you can leave a couple legs short and it will work. You can edit RED footage with free software on an off-the-shelf Dell from Best-Buy. But the sooner you match the camera, the happier you will be.

(And this analogy does not fall off much right through the top-end $100,000 cameras although software does flatten out by around $20,000)

How would i record 3 different video cameras onto my pc at the same time?

Stephen Ha

To be able to record from 3 sources, ie video cams, how would i go about recording them simultaniously?

I presume i need a video suite to begin with. live windows movie maker or other but will such programs permit multiple devices to recpord at the same time for different camera angles of the same shot?

Answer
Hi again, Stephen:

From your Y!A Question yesterday about split-screen & PIP, you have an interest in multi-camera multi-angle shoots like in the Jared Falk drumming tutorials you referenced in that discussion: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqnF6ZXueWqGYNdPHOi5rnLsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20130118061726AAoFj3m

For most projects like this, since recording to tape or memory inside each camera is relatively cheap (compared to the old days of film or large studio TV cameras), each shot is stored without using a computer (recording more than one camera at the same time is a very large workload on a PC!) and then combined (edited) later.

To make sure all the different footage lines-up (called "sync" for synchronization), a clapperboard or "slate" is held up where all the cameras can "see" it. (This is why you've seen movie set scenes or blooper-reels with someone calling out "Scene Two, Take One" and "Scene Two, Take Two" etc., then clapping the hinged stick at the top of the slate loudly.)

The visual slate makes sure all the right Scenes & Takes (versions of same scene) match each other , and the loud clack of the clapsticks makes sure the audio matches frame-for-frame (the visual closing of the sticks marks where the short clack sound should be).

This method has been used for sound movies ever since they were invented back in the 1920's. There are more-modern "electronic slate" & Time-Code methods using LEDs and short "beeps" for sync.

Low-budget productions (or in-a-hurry shots) often use the "hand-clap" method. An actor or other person in the shot holds their arms out to one side, widely apart, and then claps them together to make a sync-point. They can also call out the shot & take info, as well as hold up a sheet of paper or card with the slate info for the editor.

Another reason slates & sync are important is for "double-system sound". For music videos and projects like Jared Falk's drumming demos good sound is essential, so a separate audio recording system (usually digital now, but analog tape is still used) along with one or more microphones captures the sound better than any of the cameras could. This allows you to use cheaper cameras that don't have external mike connections.

The other recording method I briefly covered in our other Y!A discussion mentioned multiple cameras & a video mixer. This is the typical TV studio method, and used to be a necessity before camcorders were invented (and later became cheaper than studio cameras). In this, a video director makes live decisions which camera to choose from or, in the case of split-screen & PIP, which cameras will appear where on the screen. The video mixer sends the single choice or mixed image to a separate video recorder or tape machine for storage. Titles & special effects can be added live or later on during editing.

When it comes to webcams (whose video stream doesn't take up as much storage space compared to regular HD cameras), there are software programs like MultiCam which can handle more than one webcam at a time. You still need a good, fast PC & hard drives to record all this at once, and in most cases someone needs to act as "director" to make switching decisions.

As far as Windows Movie Maker, it's a basic A/B timeline editor (switching back & forth between only two cameras or clips at a time, and no PIP or split-screen effects). It can edit video clips from more than two cameras (although not "live" video), but it can't run more than one video track at a time, which makes multi-camera edits hard to sync & keep track of.

There are better editors (even for under-$100 USD) that allow multiple video tracks & the simultaneous shot effects you are looking for. AVID's Pinnacle Studio is a popular edit package in this price range ($50-$99 depending on version & where you shop). NCH Software's VideoPad is a free download and has similar multi-track features and PIP effects.

I'll add some links in my Sources below, for more info. (You appear to be in the UK, so let me know if you need UK software links.)

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
 

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