FOAK: Video cameras

This is a "what do I want to buy" post.

Anya wants a video camera for Chrimbo, so I've managed to come up with
a budget of 500 notes, but I know bugger all about vid cameras.

What do I want to look for? I guess my only real requirement is that
it can be easily connected to the laptop (which has Firewire 400 and
USB2 ports) so that the film can be pulled off to turn into dvd. I
know how to author dvds from mpgs and avis, but I don't know what's
the best way to transfer from camera to 'puter.

Cheers FOAK.

 

Panasonic NV-GS300 - 3CCD, Leica lens, Optical stabalisation, 16x9 mode.

Of course, there will be others, but I don't follow the other brands so
much these days.

Firewire. You can use USB2 on some camcorders, but firewire is the best,
and most reliable.

 

Seconded. Works a treat with a Sony camcorder connected to my VAIO.
Controls it from the DVgate app.

 

One for the list then.

How does the stuff transfer across? Does it just 'play' and you need
to capture it, or does it copy across an mpeg2?

And ultra-thick question of the day... What do these things actually
record onto in the camera? I'm assuming they don't use solid state
memory yet.

 

In my case the full DV on the tape in the camcorder is captured on the
PC.
Sony DVGate application controls the playback of the camcoder and you
click to start and stop capture of the clip you want.

On mine the full DV is on tape, but it can also hold short MPEG clips
in 'memory' - a bit like the latest digital still cameras. These can be
copied across by USB, or, if on a memory card, via a card reader.

 

if you go down this route I'd suggest one with a LANC control input too
so you can record on/off from a switch on the handlebar

 

Thanks.

 

Firewire.

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
POST PRODUCTION http://www.iq18films.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

It's just a cable that connects one drive to another. The actual
captured file type is dictated by the software you use.

Do not capture to MPG2 if you have that option. If it's a Windows system
and you're not using Avid, then capture as AVI. Let your NLE do the
converting to MPG2 once you've finished assembling your project.

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
POST PRODUCTION http://www.iq18films.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

DVD camcorders seem to be popular
then there is no transfer issues

 

The quality is also shite.

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
POST PRODUCTION http://www.iq18films.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

ah, as you were then

 

NLE?

 

Sorry. It's your editing software [1]. Although you can let the DVD
software do the converting, you get a lot more control, and therefore a
better quality file, if you convert from your editor.

[1] Non Linear Editor.

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
POST PRODUCTION http://www.iq18films.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

Adding to what others have said, some editors offer a capture mode.
Firewire allows control codes to be sent down it, so the software on your
computer can rewind the tape, and then play it to grab the video. The
data is captured at high quality rate that will eat disc at around
210MB/minute of video into an AVI file. Yes you can capture as MPEG, but
you're then stuck with a seriously compressed file, which gives you less
options for editing.

Most, including the one I quoted, use DV tapes. With the 3CCD and 16x9
mode, it's great quality. It's not High Def, but it's pretty rocking.

There are some camcorders that have hard discs, and others that use
recordable DVDs. If you're not bothered about editing, then these are OK
options - particularly for techno-biffs who just want to record something
and slap it in a DVD player when they get home.

Using DV tape is the "real" way of doing it, but it's more involved to get
the video to DVD. At the very simplest, you capture to the computer and
pass the AVI files to a DVD creator. The more creative you want to be,
the more steps are involved.

 

I bought a Panasonic NV-GS 180 3ccd jobby. Under £300 and the
performance is stunning.

What he says.