Best Camera for FCE under 3K?

I produce semi-professional videos for the corporate world. fifteen to twenty minute shorts designed to convey engineering details for commercial real estate. I'm going to use FCE as the NLE to put it all together. My question is, WHICH CAMERA IS BEST to use if FCE is going to be the editor. I'm not looking for a BestBuy camera, but I don't need a $10,000.00 Sony either. I want to get as many professional features as possible thought for around $2K to 3K. Furthermore, I've heard that many codex are not compatible with FCE.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Presumably you are looking for something like the Canon GL2 ......
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=165&mo delid=7512

Similar Messages

Best camera for low light and sports

have the sx200is
looking for a newer camera for sports and low light shots

The challenge with sports is that you are REALLY pushing the camera gear to it's limits. Fast action requires fast shutter speeds. But fast shutter speeds demand a lot of light and only outdoor games played during the daytime have that. Indoor games or games played under field lighting at night generally do not have the kind of lighting needed to shoot with fast shutter speeds -- not the kind of shutter speeds needed to freeze action. So this ends up demanding a camera with excellent ISO performance and lenses with very low focal ratios so they can collect a LOT more light when the shutter is open. This gear is expensive.
You will want to consider a reasonable budget depending on what you can afford and the needs of the specific sports.
Are these indoor or outdoor sports? If outdoors, are these played during the day or are they night games?
The "best" camera for sports and low light is the EOS-1D X. It has phenominal low-light performance, has an amazing focus system, and can shoot at 12 frames per second. But it's about $6800 for the "body only" and then you still need lenses. I'm guessing this is probably not what you had in mind. But if money were not a constraint... this would be the one to go for.
The 5D III is another amazing camera for low light performance and and also has an amazing focusing system (largely the same as the 1D X) can shoot at 6 frames per second, and only costs $3500... again, that's the "body only". Still probably not what you had in mind.
The 70D has an extremely good focus system (though not as good as the 5D III and 1D X), not quite as good as low light (but pretty good and much better than a point & shoot camera) and shoots at 7 frames per second (1 fps faster than 5D III) and it only costs $1200 for the body only.
The T5i will be noticeably less expensive than the 70D... a good (but not extremely good) focusing system and 5 frames per second, but the body and 1 kit lens combined is about $850 but that wont a lens suitable for use shooting sports so you'll still need to invest in more appropriate lenses.
When shooting action photography in low light, what you _really_ want is a lens that can collect a lot more light than the average lens for that very brief moment when the shutter is open. Such a lens can allow you to use a faster shutter speed to help freeze those action shots. But *which* lens you use depends on the sport.
For low-light sports, these would ideally be f/2.8 zoom lenses... but f/2.8 zoom lenses are not cheap. Canon's EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM (ideal for most indoor sports and outdoor sports IF the action is happening close to you) is about $2500. Sigma's lens is about half that price. But if you're covering action on a large athletic field and the players are far away, they'll still be small. Sigma makes a 120-300mm f/2.8 zoom for sports... for the low low price of only $3600.
Scott Kelby does a video to talk about sports photography and he discusses the equipment used and why... and basically says if you want the gear for shooting sports, you basically need a suitcase full of money.
Tim Campbell
5D II, 5D III, 60Da

Good HD camera for FCE - Sanyo? Canon? Sony?

I'm looking for a good HD camera for FCE (1920 × 1080 pixels; no tape, no HDD--just Memory).
Is anyone here using the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010?
I could only find sample videos of the older HD1000 here:
http://www.sanyo-dsc.com/products/lineup/dmx_hd1000/feature/02/index.html
Is the quality of the HD1010 better?
Or can someone recommend Canon (HF100?) or Sony?
Thanks!

Please have a look at these cutouts of your examples:
http://rcpt.yousendit.com/633305198/9a2d60f9d7f9fc6d3cb974cb9c10637f
During horizontal movements it doesn't look very good too. Why...?
I looked for other 1920 x 1080 sample movies on Vimeo, and most of them looked MUCH better than yours:
(I could only watch the MOVs and MP4s -- no MPGs, AVIs and WMVs -- where can I find the right plugins for QT...?)
========== MP4 ========== :
http://vimeo.com/2066768
http://vimeo.com/download/video:85836840?e=1228936457&h=2d7b989dcf3f726fc880a27a aadff6d1&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/877353
http://vimeo.com/download/video:50936435?e=1228955488&h=df124d3cddca933233288311 75b79139&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/874048
http://vimeo.com/download/video:50539882?e=1228955762&h=9b71b56a5f62f8eced16590f de439e7d&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/942167
http://vimeo.com/download/video:57750895?e=1228955923&h=dd160ef7e478e5be2e50ed81 058a9157&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"Camera Settings: FXP (of course), 24P, Cine. No post processing was done other than inverse telecine to get the true 24p"
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/1579639
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84938054?e=1228959874&h=0c3089fe59bb0df08a40a040 a70b197d&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"This exportation is on Sony Avc codec. Vimeo has problems with this codec upload: the message "holding pattern" appears at least during a few hours."
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/877968
http://vimeo.com/download/video:51008096?e=1228960326&h=0cc7f8fea66894ca44d96177 3aa0e7af&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"convert from MTS to MP4 with sony vegas 8.0"
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/861101
http://vimeo.com/download/video:49260260?e=1228961001&h=a1083709d6cd6bc2e48cd07d e536e317&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"1080p 30p 17MBps FXP mode - converted from MTS to MP4 with sony vegas 8.0"
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/1514388
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84825675?e=1228962554&h=a80ca03d041ef53e919d7ea7 9ed8e744&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!!!
http://vimeo.com/1864942
http://vimeo.com/download/video:85474329?e=1228963133&h=2573a3eb8c5ae7d576196388 802e2aaf&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!!!
http://vimeo.com/2154180
http://vimeo.com/download/video:86001721?e=1228959239&h=cb519c4feb867880ba79a9b5 68dc7053&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
QT CRASHES!
http://vimeo.com/894341
http://vimeo.com/download/video:52665086?e=1228961606&h=2a4710fe92e4dfa00c6484ae bfef21a1&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"This was Auto W/B and 30p. I'm finding that I like 30p over 60i. Tried 24p cinema, and it just looks washed out and lower frame rate - not very 'cinema'."
("like the 30p mode better than the 60i. My preferred mode is 24i in "cinema" setting, which gives a very "film-like" look."
=> "The file is not a movie file")
========= MOV ========== :
http://vimeo.com/2378443
http://vimeo.com/download/video:86419131?e=1228958152&h=1cb1ef84ed244b96b4576ffc d90bd02c&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"Filmed in 30 P mode, 17 Mb/sec, Auto WB (a bit off sometimes) - Imported with Voltaic, edited with iMovie HD 6.0, exported to quicktime"
PLAYS FINE!!!
========== MPG ========== :
http://vimeo.com/899186
http://vimeo.com/download/video:53171708?e=1228931308&h=df2d4c269528ffc673bc3d02 2ae3104c&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/894555
http://vimeo.com/download/video:52681869?e=1228931474&h=7a395d836a0906269c4ac3d7 eff8d00c&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1292168
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84425502?e=1228943723&h=8885d04465f053b9afc447a1 1d430766&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1520726
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84836028?e=1228962415&h=46517f95818fea61e06956f4 d6b1dea7&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
========== AVI ========== :
http://vimeo.com/1503128
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84805116?e=1228935141&h=805d18efa32ec220d7467637 f465ab1a&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1503232
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84805245?e=1228935912&h=2ea157e92bad012e97049785 e63f94af&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1106220
http://vimeo.com/download/video:74189151?e=1228942452&h=a6aae713f083231390a259a6 14ec95aa&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1503565
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84805739?e=1228957994&h=95884c6895ded635aa897780 4f257560&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1411052
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84641392?e=1228961508&h=743a1989a3f1ff9efc7b528c b32fbfa5&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
========== WMV ========== :
http://vimeo.com/1826169
http://vimeo.com/download/video:85400735?e=1228961889&h=98c5a8978f25f37975cbc963 d93fbef5&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
So the Canon HF100 seems to be a really good camcorder,
but it may be difficult to find the best export settings in FCE...?

Best HD Camera for FCE 4.0.1

I am looking at the Panasonic HDC TM700k vs Canon VIXIA HF S21.
I have read a lot of puzzling information about folks having trouble importing footage from some cameras into FCE, including problems with the 60p on the Panasonic.
Any truth to this? Will I have trouble in FCE with either camera?
Message was edited by: BigOrange1

No experience with the Panasonic, but here's a recent thread of someone's problems with it:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=11457489#11457489
The Canon I can vouch for-- not that model in particular model, but Vixias in general all use an FCE-friendly form of AVCHD as far as I know.

Best Camera for $1500 or less

What is the best mini-dv 3ccd camera for $1500 or less? I wish I could spend more but that is my limit at this time and I need a camera bad. Any suggestions?

Hey,
Keep in mind that the XL-1s is somewhat clumsy and awkward to handle. If you are used to ENG style... the Canon has no comfortable way to rest it on your shoulder. If you like to hold it out front, using the top handle, while framing your shot with the flip-out LCD... the XL-1s has no flip out LCD. Just a big eye cup style viewfinder.
The up side is the interchangeable lenses available for the XL-1. But if you are test driving one this weekend, be sure to ask how many lenses that price includes. Also, is there a wide angle adaptor included as well.
For my money... a used Canon GL-1 or a GL-2 if available, (the GL-2 is the newer version, with a better audio section). Being Canon devices, they already have superior optics. Both camcorders feature optical stabilization and [real glass!] 20:1 built-on lenses, and good sized flip-out LCDs. Since 2000, our church has been using 3 GL-1's for recording the services (via long S-Video runs to the switcher) as well as on remotes for the special dramatizations which are shown on the big screens during the actual services. Never a down day. The GL-1 is able to record in 30p as well as 16:9 anamorphic, and download via Firewire into any NLE. I've owned mine since 2000 as well. Never a glitch in the beginning with iMovie, later with FC Express, or now with FCP 5.1.4!
So... get yourself a used GL-1 and one of those Beechtek DXA-2S mic/line adaptors, so you can use pro mics in the field, and for under $1,500 you have a formidable, light-weight shooting rig.
JC
G5 Quad 2.5 PPC Mac OS X (10.4.10) 3 monitors powered by GeForce 7800GT and 6600. JVC GY-HD100 camera; FCS 5.1

What is the best camera for me?

I don't know much at all about cameras, so I'm really hoping someone will be able to help me! I'm looking for a camera that's better than your standard point and shoot digital camera but one that doesn't cost a fortune. I want to be able to take pictures of NASCAR cars going down the track without them being blurry. I would also like to be able to take pictures of things that are sitting still or aren't going quite 200 mph. I guess I just want an all around good camera that also has the ability to take good, non-blurry pictures of NASCAR cars in motion. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the best camera and/or lense would be for this. Thanks so much for your help!

This is one instance where good gear helps but knowing how to use it properly is more important. Panning skills will be important, & so will choosing the right focal length of lens. I'll assume you have to shoot from the stands but don't know how far you'll be from the stretch of track you're hoping to shoot the cars along. A camera with a good AF system matched to a lens with fast AF capabilities will help too, but you could do this old school & use manual settings & manual focus too. You would set up the camera based on the lighting favoring a Tv that can freeze the car but blur the background & wheels / tires. Then you pick an ISO to allow shooting in the f8 range at that Tv & pre focus on the section of track in front of you. Pan with the car or group of cars as they go by & take a few shots while they are in the zone you've pre focused on.
If however you're really serious about it & think you'll attend enough events to justify spending the money the 7D, 1D2n, 1D3 & 1D4 are all worthy bodies for action thanks to their AF systems & frame rate. For lenses I suggest considering any of these as a starting point but again you may need longer depending on access to the action. 70-200 f4 L, or the IS version or maybe the f2.8 versions but since the 70-300 L IS seems to have both a very fast & accurate AF system it would be my first choice as a from the stands starting point. The 100-400 L would be my next addition to a motorsports kit but I don't think it's the lens I'd start with.
As for setting up a camera for action (DSLR's but some P & S may work too) I wrote an article which is a good starting point & the suggested shutter speeds for prop planes fit a rookie shooting motorsports so I recommend reading this plus use the link in my last post for another set of lessons from Canon that you should read.
http://www.rccanada.ca/rccforum/showthread.php?t=147971
As a side note I started attending R/C events to work on my panning skills so I'd be better at the track. A smooth panning swing is developed through practice & it's the key to good results, and follow through after the last shot in each sequence.
"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

Best camera for compositing

I don't know if that's the best place to ask this but anyway ... I'm considering buying a HD camera for some short-movies and other minor projects but since I'm also interested in studying Shake, I'd like to know which specification I should take a closer look at for maximum results when doing compositing/etc ? Or in other words which of these specs are more important for compositing work ?
Color spacing ? (DVCPRO HD's 4:2:2 vs HDV's 4:2:0) ? High resolution (XLH-1 and JVC HD100's high res vs HVX200's lower res) ? Sharpness ? Progressive chip ? And how do you compare (for compositing purposes only) these flavors of HD with Super 16mm shot on a pin-registered camera using a sharp lens and Spirit datacine ?
(I mentioned these codecs before but my idea is to move to uncompressed for this kind of work)
Appreciate any help.

I would guess that most of our elitists (humor here :)) would say that mini-DV is crap and HDV is just a larger form of said crap due to the high compression needed to get all that HDV data onto a mini-DV tape.
Having said that, I soley use an HDV cam (Sony HVR-A1U). I always shoot HDV and in cam downconvert when capturing into FCP.
If I had had the money and transport (inconspicuous travel) wasn't my thing, I would have gone with that Panasonic P2 one (can't remember the name) or another true HD cam.
But, I'm extremely happy with my choice. When the money is there I'll add the HD cam and use my A1 as a second an my travel cam.

Best camera for Cisco Video Advantage

Hi,
I am looking for a camera which is having the best specifications for Video advantage. It looks like the Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 is the one. (1600 x 1190 with 30 fps) Does anyone have experience with this camera or who has good experience with a camera which is not listed in the "tested" camera list:
Cisco VT Camera II
â¢ Cisco VT Camera
â¢ Logitech QuickCam Fusion
â¢ Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Pro
â¢ Logitech QuickCam Pro 5000
â¢ Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision
â¢ Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000
â¢ Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 Webcam
â¢ Creative Webcam Live Pro USB 2.0 Webcam
Thanks in advance,
Jeroen

Hi Mark,
Thanks a lot for your reply. We tried several models which are not in the list. They all worked. The only problem is that the Video Advantage narrows down the format. I tried the Logitech Quickcam Sphere AF. In the Logitech application it's a great Webcam in with HD quality but these are the Specifications of Video advantage:
â¢ H.263 and H.264 video codecs: Bit rates from 50 kbps to 1.5 Mbps
â¢ Video formats (up to 30 frames per second): 352 x 288, 320 x 240, 176 x 144, and 160 x 120
â¢ Interoperable with most third-party H.323 video terminals from verified IP video telephony partners
So it's only working at 352 x 288. I hope the next version of Video advantage is able to increase the resolution.
I would also like to know if there is a way to enable the camera automatically when a phone call is established.
I don't have a MCU to do video conferencing but is there a way to conference a none-video phone into an video conversation?
Thanks!
Regards,
Jeroen

Best Camera for Graphic Design

I am a Web Designer and Graphic designer in American Samoa. I am looking at cameras for when local clients want me to do work.
What is the best one to get. I want a professional grade, not some $49 special from Wal-Mart.

Bill & Brendon, I have a G1X which I got to replace the G10 my wife has decided is now hers The G10 has totally changed my wifes approach and enthusiasm for taking pictures, mainly because her pictures are soo much better than with the little cheap compact she was using.
However, and it's a pretty big 'however' IMO, a G series camera is a convenient carry around camera that gives good results (the IQ from my G1X is at least as good as the Canon prosumer level DSLRs that I get to process files from, but it sure as heck is not a DSLR, and does not give the sort of control you'd need for a working camera. I actually PM'd the OP to keep an off topic thread growing (but it happened anyway) I suggested a used 5D2 and a Canon 100mm macro lens. That combination would be capable of outstanding product shots, and a lot of what a web/garphic designer might need to shoot.
BTW I get to process files from different assistants/second shooters, and can compare IQ. From the Canon range, the 5D variants can always match the image quality of my 1D bodies (I use 1DsMK3 and a 1DMK4 bodies). The prosumer cameras I have delt with don't come close, and even 7D shots fall short). Remember that is from processing many hundreds (probably thousands) of images from those cameras, so first hand experience.
As for my G1X, I got it as a carry around camera, and to take on overseas holidays as I am fed up with lugging heavy camera gear around, but I not yet convinced that I will feel comfortable relying on a compact camera.

Best Training for FCE 4

Hi there everybody! I was wondering if there is any training for FCE 4 that everyone likes better than the others. I just finished FCE 4 Apple Pro Series by Diana Weynand, but that still left me with a lot of questions. I don't mind spending a little cash, but I don't want to waste it either.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Big Kahuna

There's lots of training material out there. If you liked the Weynand book, you might also want to look at Tom Wolsky's Final Cut Express Editing Workshop. It takes a slightly different approach and there's much duplication, but those two are the ones I generally recommend to my students.
Mr. Wolsky (regular and prolific contributor to this forum) also has a "Class on Demand" DVD available on Amazon. It's more expensive than the book, but if you're looking for a different type of presentation, it might fill the bill.
Lots of folks swear by tutorials available on the web. Here are two sources:
http://www.lynda.com/
http://www.izzyvideo.com/

What is the best simple prosumer camera for FCE?

What is the simplest high quality camera to shoot, import to FCE with the least amount of conversion of footage time? Currently have Canon Vixia and all the conversions to get a simple output for the web are wearing on me! Your experience and expertise is appreciated. I work on PowerMacs, no intel processors.

Depending on your needs a DSLR might be a good way to go. You can get a Canon T3i for around $600. It's a great camera, I've outlined the pros and cons I've found after working with everything from bottom-of-the-line Rebels to the 5D Mk III. I love them for what I do, but you'll have to try one out and see for yourself.
The cons:
Battery consumption. My canon battery lasts about an hour of shooting at the most. Buy lots of batteries and keep them charged!
Overheating. They do warm up quick and they will overheat in sunlight. Have some sort of shade for them and you'll be fine!
12 minute record time. Shooting at the highest quality, you cannot shoot more than 12 minutes at a time. If you're doing an interview, you will be taking lots of breaks.
No autofocus. If you shoot scripted material this is no problem, as you should be manually focusing anyways. However, keep in mind that most DSLR's do not have proper autofocus during recording. Those that do have a LONG way to go before they will really be useful. These cameras are just not made to do it.
The benefits are:
Shooting MOV format, though it is compressed in H.264 which is not very edit friendly. You can do it, just make sure that once you finish editing your sequence, change your sequence settings to Apple Intermediate Codec and re-render the whole sequence before you export.
Interchangeable lenses. You get the whole lineup of Canon lenses to choose from, plus any other companies lens with an adapter.
Depth of field. The larger image sensor lets you blur out your background for cinematic looks that add another level of professionalism.
Low Light performance. Large sensors also are great in dark conditions as they capture much more light, giving better colors and lower noise.
SD card recording. They're fast, reliable and cheap. You can buy 10 and just keep switching them out once they're full, no dealing with tapes or discs.
Plus, you can shoot stills too! I know its a lot of information but I hope it helps!

Best camera for our use?

hello,
We are a web company that is interested in doing quality videos of our client speaking about their company or for testimonials to put on the site. We have a green screen, and have did some tests with a borrowed Sony HDR-HC3 HDV 1080i. THe results came out good but we want to get a camera ourselves. The the videos will mainly use for the web, but I guess we want the flexibility to use higher resolutions. Would a AVCHD camera work good? ALso what's the best storage, tape based or flash?
Thanks for any recommendations!

hey there Kevin,
i prefer & use tape-based cams due to my budget & it's a tried/true technology. will you be working in FCP or FCE? FCE will convert your AVCHD or HDV files & take about 4x the space of SD DV. FCP/FCS2 can work w/ HDV natively, so no conversion=same size as DV, less storage. i also use FW 800 HDD for asset storage/management & keep my tapes. also w/ AVCHD/HDD cams when you dump your footage, the cam gets emptied & you have no physical copy of your footage for back-up, another reason i prefer tape. i like my Sony "baby Pro" HDV cam, the A1-u, though i mostly shot WS DV, not Hi-Def, it does take a good HDV image in decent light & i got/use ND & UV filters when needed. others will have other prefs, you may want to Google some cams/manufacturers.
Sony's HDV cams use the 1080i format, there's nothing higher rez for these type cams. if you're talking frame rates, Canon's higher-end & the newer Sony Pro HDV cams are variable($8-12K). if you want more you're looking at a much higher cost(~$25K+) for a cam.
good luck.

Can't find the list of supported cameras for FCE

Found the one for Final Cut, but not FCE.
Anyone have a link?
I'm looking to get a new video camera and I don't want to go through my last FCE-camera debacle. I had bought a DSLR with HD movie capability and FCE didn't like the camera's best format. I couldn't find a codec that would work properly. Only an iMovie >>> FCE workflow would do the job with a quality loss.
Eventually, after some trial and error, I found that one of the camera's other video formats would work with one of the Apple codecs. Only problem, I have to shoot at a reduced quality.
Looking to avoid a repeat.

Meg The Dog wrote:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2948
good list ... thanks

Good camera for FCE 4 up to $600

Hi. I am a teacher and need recommendations for a camera that will easily interface with FCE 4. Middle school students (12-13 yrs) will be using it so it needs to be straight forward and sturdy.
Thank you very much for your suggestions,
Akamai Mom

I have a Sony HD Bloggie as a cheap HD camcorder, that's under $200 at BHPhoto, and uses a memory stick. The reviews say it doesn't work in low light very well, I haven't run it thru a lot of tests yet myself (it's my second camera when I need two angles, I'll know how it goes in a couple days if I get this project working, but initially the video looks good).
Nice thing about this is it's easy and there's not many controls. You flip open the view screen and it's on. Obviously it's not for professional use.

Best camera for shooting auditions

I'm looking for a camera (tapeless) that will shoot a native QuickTime format to avoid transcoding. In other words I want to stay away from AVCHD because of how long it takes to transcode into iMovie 09.
Every camera I see is AVCHD. Since I'm only shooting auditions I don't need the quality to be HD. It's all about the fastest turn around time.
Does anyone know of a camera (besides the HPX-170 $$$$) that will shoot mini-dv to a flash memory card? This would be ideal.
Am looking for something that is around $1000.
Any suggestions?

Hey,
Keep in mind that the XL-1s is somewhat clumsy and awkward to handle. If you are used to ENG style... the Canon has no comfortable way to rest it on your shoulder. If you like to hold it out front, using the top handle, while framing your shot with the flip-out LCD... the XL-1s has no flip out LCD. Just a big eye cup style viewfinder.
The up side is the interchangeable lenses available for the XL-1. But if you are test driving one this weekend, be sure to ask how many lenses that price includes. Also, is there a wide angle adaptor included as well.
For my money... a used Canon GL-1 or a GL-2 if available, (the GL-2 is the newer version, with a better audio section). Being Canon devices, they already have superior optics. Both camcorders feature optical stabilization and [real glass!] 20:1 built-on lenses, and good sized flip-out LCDs. Since 2000, our church has been using 3 GL-1's for recording the services (via long S-Video runs to the switcher) as well as on remotes for the special dramatizations which are shown on the big screens during the actual services. Never a down day. The GL-1 is able to record in 30p as well as 16:9 anamorphic, and download via Firewire into any NLE. I've owned mine since 2000 as well. Never a glitch in the beginning with iMovie, later with FC Express, or now with FCP 5.1.4!
So... get yourself a used GL-1 and one of those Beechtek DXA-2S mic/line adaptors, so you can use pro mics in the field, and for under $1,500 you have a formidable, light-weight shooting rig.
JC
G5 Quad 2.5 PPC Mac OS X (10.4.10) 3 monitors powered by GeForce 7800GT and 6600. JVC GY-HD100 camera; FCS 5.1

Best Camera for FCE under 3K?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for