Which is the best low-cost camera for my use?

Hi everyone. Been busy and off the forums for a while, but need your expertise once again.
I just found out that the Panasonic HVX-200p that's been on loan to me for 2 years has to be returned. Since I run a non-profit, I am thinking about asking my major donors to buy one for us. So, the question becomes which one? I own the CS4 MC, and you can see my other info in my profile.
I only do educational-type videos in an interview format against a green screen so far. I've been capturing direct to OnLocation via 1394 FireWire at 720p/60fps and editing in an HDV 720p/30 sequence. I sometimes do "man on the street" segments (capturing to OnLocation on laptop). I integrate numerous PSD graphics as educational slides, a lot of AE projects I get from videohive and customize, render, & import into PP, and motion backgrounds like Pond5's weekly free stock footage (much of this stuff gets resized, of course). I do some scoring and some SFX and export the audio to SB for touchup. I use a bunch of Lowes/Home Depot worklamps with fluorescent bulbs for lighting the subject and background. I key my backgrounds using PP/AE Dynamic Link. Oh, and I'll need a lapel mic and a tripod, too. I would prefer not to rule out shooting at 1080i/p at some point.
I export H.264 highlight clips which get uploaded to Vimeo and embedded in our website using prettyPhoto features. Ultimately, the finished PP project is exported as MPEG2-DVD, finished in Encore, burned via ImgBurn. If you want to see a good example, watch this http://vimeo.com/23346431. Caution: this is religious material. Be sure to repent before watching
So, there's not really much heavy lifting here. But when it comes to what is the minimum I need with the options of capture formats, etc., I'm clueless. I've read about problems with AVCHD, and although low-cost, is it really a problem for what I do? I trust this forum more than online reviews, and I'd appreciate recommendations of specific models and where to buy, if possible. Also, what about used cameras? Please remember, the budget is tight.
All suggestions and questions are welcome and very much appreciated.
Paul

Actually, two things surprise me in your statement and one is simply incorrect:
As for Broadcast quality..... a little station called CNN - you might have heard about them bought 250 of them from Panasonic about a year ago.
First, that CNN would buy JVC cameras not from JVC, but from Panasonic.
Second, there are no JVC cameras on the BBC approved list at all, see http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/site/BBC_Approved_HD_Cameras.pdf and the only affordable ones on the list in the handheld category are the Canon XF300/305. Maybe that is the reason the BBC bought 350 of these. Even the Sony XDCAM EX is only accepted in combination with a 50 Mb disk drive, not in the native 35 Mb format.
The BBC approved list is a list that most broadcasters adhere to, including CNN, Discovery, ARD and NGC.
The JVC GY-HD100U is definitely not acceptable for HD, and in no way HD broadcast ready. But that CNN bought that number of these cameras is probably caused by the fact that they think these deliver better quality than regular phones. And it does not use XDCAM, but a very simple HDV codec, limited to 1280 x 720 resolution. See http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/specs.jsp?model_id=MDL101539&feature_id=03
This simply means that the Canon codec is very acceptable to the BBC for HD programs. The XF100 uses the same codec, but is only a single sensor camera and for that reason alone not approved by the BBC.
Paul, if you can live with the limitations of a single sensor camera - and given your intended purposes, I think you can - the JVC does not even come close and the XF100 material will be hardly worse than the XF300/305. To the untrained eye the results are almost the same.

Similar Messages

Which is the best Open source API for PGP??

Hi All,
Please tell me
which is the best Open source API for PGP??
Please Help me thi is urgent!!
regards
harish

I am also looking at these topic at the moment.
I found Bouncycastle and hushSDK.
Have you found a good one and with example also?

Which is the best user-friendly IDE for swing program development

Which is the best user-friendly IDE for swing program development

I have seen Sun's Forte and IBM's Visual Age for Java.
But Borland's JBulider 7 Personal Edition is far more superior than any of these.Borland's JBuilder is the Best.
Ranga.

Which is the best antivirus and spyware for Mac?

Good morning,
Because of schoolwork and extracurricular activities, I am constantly sending and receiving e-mails and messages to and from PCs and other Apple devices, like IPads. Two years ago I purchased a 120,12GB MacBook Air and, until a few months ago, it went perfectly well.
I am not sure what happened, but lately, every time I go online, whatever I click -whether it is a random letter in a website, or a blank space in a page, anything- an advert appears or a new -unwanted- tab opens with publicity and such, the kind of additional tabs that open when you are watching movies online in a random website, but this time, it is happening with every website (even the Apple site) and almost constantly. I suspect it is something I downloaded or maybe something I received from an infected PC that I got a virus or problem from.
I tried using the MacKeeper software, but it is not working for me (?). Also I tried blocking pop-ups (I use Google Chrome), Java Script, automatic downloads, complements and everything I could when going online, but it has not gotten better over the last 9 months. My parents also recommended me a very good technician, who I personally know and has solved many of my previous problems, but he could not help me, in this situation.
For that reason, I have been considering either purchasing a good antivirus for my Mac or a new Mac and an antivirus for it, to prevent future problems like this one.
Either way, the question is the same,
Which is the best antivirus and spyware software for Mac?
Thank you so much for your attention.

Please get rid of MacKeeper, as it and most other such junk software will do more harm than good.
Please review the options below to determine which method is best to remove the Adware installed on your computer.
The Easy, safe, effective method:
http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php
If you are comfortable doing manual file removals use the somewhat more difficult method:
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987
Also read the articles below to be more prepared for the next time there is an issue on your computer.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-7471
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-8071
http://www.thesafemac.com/tech-support-scam-pop-ups/

Which is the best/popular video chat for iPad2?

...of course other than FaceTime. I want to be able to video chat or video conference with anyone, even if they don't have Apple devices. Which works the best AND is accessible to everyone? Does Google video work on the iPad2 as a stand alone or does it require a separate app? Would I be better off setting up a Skype account? What about iChat? Does it integrate lots of different platforms?
Other suggestions?

Yes continued research after posting the question told me that iOS devices don't have iChat. oops.
Ok so one vote for Skype (which I will probably get anyway)... at least for it's popularity. What about Google or other apps? I'd like to hear feedback on them as well.

Which is the best windows operating system for After Effects CC 2014?

Which is the best compatible windows operating system for After Effects CC 2014?

Thanks Todd_Kopriva for your response. The same thing i saw from adobe website also, but i just want to know in these 3 os which is the best choice.?

What are the best low cost web cams to use with a Macbook Pro?

I want to use both the Mac internal camera and a remote camera for teaching on Skype and I am therefore looking for the best solution for me - any help out there?

For Skype use, see Skype Help starting at https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA603/which-webcams-and-headsets-will-work-with -skype?q=webcam. In general, webcams from http://www.mac-compatible-web-cam.com that meets your budget limits will work.
I suggest a USB (versus Firewire) cam. Don't install any software that comes with it (all necessary software is included in Mac OS X 10.4.9 and later), and it should work with your Mac.
When your Mac recognizes more than one connected camera, most camera-capable applications have settings that allow you to choose which camera to use. However, they do not all work the same way. (In most apps, the selector choices do not show if you do not have more than one camera.)
To switch Skype between your inbuilt and external webcams, select the camera you want in the "Camera" choices bar of Skype Audio/Video Preferences as shown in this image:
These previous threads contain some general information on how to select between connected camera in some other camera apps:
• http://discussions.apple.com/thread/6531512
• http://discussions.apple.com/thread/5162798
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.10.3

Best Low Cost Camcorder for FCP?

I'm going to take back a Samsung D453 camcorder because it has time code breaks during capture. Does anyone have any recommendations for a low cost DV camcorder that is supported by Final Cut Pro?

Actually, recording timecode on a tape might have been a good idea with analog crash recording, but it does not make sense on DV camcorders. If nothing else you end up recording twice on the tape which increases wear on the camera heads and doesn't do much for the tape either.
As an alternative to blacking tapes, simply record the first 30 seconds or so of the tape without images. Use a bars and tone if the camera can generate one. Otherwise use the FCP version. This gives you enough preroll area for capturing all material after this point.
Once into the tape, just make sure when you stop recording, the heads are in a position that will allow them to pick up the timecode and continue on. As long as you do not rewind and review the footage you are good to go. If you must rewind & review, stop the play back a few seconds short of the end of the previous shot.
So to recap. Generate bars and tone for the first 30 seconds of the tape then give your self enough preroll on each shot as well as an additional few seconds at the end of each shot.
If you must review a shot/scene in camera, stop the tape before the end of the scene so the camera can pick up the timecode as it moves on.
Good luck.
x

2nd low-cost camera for on-site shoots

I use the Panasonic HVX-200p for my studio work which is almost all green screen and usually shot at 720p30 or 720p60. I capture direct to my workstation using OnLocation CS4 via firewire.
Now I need a 2nd camera to capture on-site, outdoors mostly, but possibly some indoors. End use is educational DVD's and perhaps online courses, probably in H.264, so I don't need broadcast quality.
I need to go cheap on this because of my budget. I have little knowledge, but how about an inexpensive DSLR? My concern with these is that the codec is AVCHD [I think] and I've read about how this strains the PC requirements, is not easily digested (unless that's improved with CS6), etc. (see my Profile for workstation specs). Also, I'm not sure how it would look with the Panasonic keyed footage.
There is another option: carry a laptop with OnLocation CS4 installed and capture with it using the Panasonic. Granted, it is cumbersome and hinders in other ways, but it is possible. This choice, if acceptable, would require me to buy a laptop with a decent battery life (my existing laptop is an older, core 2 duo & the battery died long ago). I'd like to hear opinions on this because I don't know if this option would be cheaper than a new camera and/or give me better quality.
Anyway, I think you get the idea. I am most grateful for all recommendations. I am willing to consider used cameras, if that works.
Paul
P.S. I need at least one wireless microphone.
Message was edited by: Paul Stark

Hi Paul,
Both my cam's are panosonic, and though a little above the one in question in terms of price range, i can give a little feedback on what is similar between them.
Apart from the dreaded AVCHD problems CS5 and early versions of CS6 had, you shouldn't have to much trouble with it.
Both of my cams;
AG-AC130
Panasonic AG-AC130 AVCCAM HD Handheld ... - B&H Photo Video
& AG-AC160
Panasonic AG-AC160 AVCCAM HD Handheld ... - B&H Photo Video
use the dual SDHC cards, apart from making sure you copy the entire card, you will be fine. The file structure has to be completely intact otherwise timecode, audio and spanning clips will get messed up and cause you headaches.
My cam's are extremely good in low light, stomp all over the famed Sony Z7's of yesteryear. As long as your not shooting anything fast moving, if you need the light lower the shutter speed to 1/25 and open the iris right up you will get decent footage in lower light situations.
One thing you won't get in that model is the DRS function which is revolutionary to say the least, in a nutshell it supresses overexposure and boosts shadows.
In addition you'll have to xlr inputs so add wireless, or even a boom mic (much better price to quality ratio) with ease.
The GoPro's are amazing, but in my opinion totally sh*t in low light situations. People will argue that the newer models are much better, but I hate any grain. Another option with your low light requirements would be to add one of these Z96 LED, They are amazing for the size, easy to attach to a hotshoe, dimmable and unbelievably bright. Color temp isn't bad either, can be a bit cold\blue at full kick but has two magnetic diffusers ( i usually just manually change the temp in cam but lower budget cameras don't often have this function). Even doing an Auto WB would help to correct the temp.
Hope this helps you a bit
Troy

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!

Which is the best USB Wireless Adapter for a MacBook?

I have a MacBook Pro 13" (Late 2011), nowadays I have a lot of problems with the Wi-Fi connection in my University (translated):
PHY mode: 802.11n
Channel: 1
Country code: MX
Network type: Infrastructure
Security: WPA2 Enterprise
Signal/Noise: -59 dBm / -86 dBm
Transmission speed: 52
MCS index: 5
I am not the only one with this problem, almost every Mac and computer has the same problem, the question is "What is the best Wi-Fi USB adapter I can buy to improve my connection?". I know there are a lot of answers to this question the problem is many of them are very outdated.
Finally, the problem only happens with this network, my home connection. Some people using PC's have bought Wi-Fi USB adapters and their connection improves a lot.
Thank you.

Give the Edimax EW-7811Un a try. I am curious if it solves your wifi problems!

How can i cut down the video's i've shot to only have the best parts in them for later use

first thing I was wondering was. I upgraded to the premiere user to where I have 20mb of storage but I take a lot of spearfishing video's and photo's and the 20mb is just about full. I see I can buy more memory but should I just get a external hard drive to keep all my photo's and video's and if I do that is it easy to get the materials that I need for me to create my new projects in premiere elements or should I just buy more memory. the second thing I was wondering is that I take a lot of spearfishing videos and each dive can be 15min long but only have about 4min of action footage that I actually use. so my question is after I download the video's from my camera can I go through them and extract the good footage and save it like that for me to use at a later date in my projects. it would save a lot of time and a lot of memory to be able to do it this way and if I can how do I go about doing it. thank you for all your help Cory

"I download the video's from my camera can I go through them and extract the good footage and save it like that for me to use at a later date in my projects."
This is the very definition of video editing, Cory! That's what the program is designed to do!
If you need some help with the basics of this program, I've created a free 8-part Basic Training series of tutorials for Premiere Elements support site Muvipix.com. That may be the best place to start.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/537685
The most important step in any project is setting up the project settings to match your source video as precisely as possible. I cover this in part 1, so watch it carefully. I go into greater detail on setting up a project and capturing, editing and outputting video in my books, if you're interested.
As for Photoshop.com, I'm not sure it's worth buying more than 20 gig of backup space online at this point. You'd be better off investing in a good, large second hard drive for your media and project files. Save the online backup for your finished pieces.

Which are the best practices with mail for machos and any email client for PC

I got some mac`s at the office, and I want make a best practices manual for my users, like, please open the clip to attach the file intead of drag and drop, beacuse the pc users see the photo embedded into the message body.
could someone helpme?

Why not print out Mail's Help files?

Which is the better low-cost 24" Alum refurb'd iMac and why?

OK, I admit I don't pay enough attention. I have a couple year old 24" White iMac with 2.4GHz processor and 500Gb drive, and I'm thinking of "upgrading" to an Alum iMac for no particular reason. So I've been looking at the refurbs in the Apple store. Right now I've got a choice between
1) 2.66GHz, 4G, 640G HD, Nvidia GEForce 9400 w/256 for $1299, and
2) 2.93GHz, 4G, 640G HD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 256MB memory for 1549, and
3) 3.06GHz, 2G, 500G HD, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB memory for 1599,
all more or less in budget. Are there significant differences and are they mostly to do with the vid card?
Any opinions? Buy the most expensive one you can afford? There used to be an older 2.8GHz model that many said was better than the 2.66GHz model here, so are there sig differences? Sould I just keep the white one for the present and wait?
Mired in Doubt

Pier Rodelon wrote:
One poster remarked that the 2.8 GHz model unlikely to be noticeably faster than my present 2.4GHz with 3G ram. If that also holds true for the 2.93 and 3.06 I might just sit still and wait a bit, since my machine has operated flawlessly since I bought it on eBay 2 years ago.
As a side-question, what is the projected schedule of new iMac releases, and where can I find a history of all releases?
Again, many thanks for the help.
All the choices you refer to, including the 2.8 GHz that I mentioned, won't have significant speed differences. You already have an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and the difference between 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 2.9, and 3.06 is only an issue of seconds, not minutes. If you were moving up from PowerPC to Intel, then yes, a new Mac would provide a huge increase in speed.
If you want to know the history of all Macs, download the free Mactracker program.
http://mactracker.dreamhosters.com/
It provides details of every Mac model made, including the introduction and discontinue dates. Macs lasted a lot longer in the old days: Mac IIci introduced September 1989 and discontinued February 1993. The shortest lived Mac would be the original Power Mac G4 from August 1999 to October 1999. The iMacs have typically run the course of a year before a new model is released. Complete design changes have been around a two to four year period, or sometimes longer.

What is the best Wi-Fi camera for the iPad

What camera company makes a Wi-Fi camera it's easy to use with the iPad.

If money aint a problem, I would go with a GoPro(Black Edition). It gives its own wi-fi signal and is almost everything proof, and really hi-def.

Which is the best low-cost camera for my use?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for