sonofaresiii
New member
Hey guys, I'm looking to buy my first real camera and I really would love some help and advice. The first step is of course doing research on my own, and I feel like I've done tons of research... but really, it gets to a point where a ton of the information is outdated, or the information is very skewed because someone's trying to sell me something, or there's just too much for me to figure out what's going on. So I hope you don't mind me asking some direct questions about buying a camera. I've got about $2500-$3000 to work with for a camera and another $500 for sound equipment. I've got some small lights and plan on using a lot of natural light to cut down on light costs.
What I plan on doing with it:
Mostly, I want to learn how to make movies. I've read tons about it and studied as much as I can, but I've decided the best way to learn to do it is by DOING it! I've got TONS of ideas-- for shorts or features or whatever. I really want to own my own camera for various reasons. I've got a couple shorts I want to shoot, and actually want to get into the habit of shooting at least one short every weekend for the next couple months, with some major planning and time and pre-production going into a big short every month or so. Over Christmas break I'm flying home to Indiana for the break where I'll be shooting a feature with a few friends. As I said above, I've got about two and a half grand or a little more to work with. I know I need a lot more than just a camera, as in various accessories and good lights and all that fun stuff, but I honestly think I can get away with borrowing or making my own for a couple months until I get some more money to add to my kit. Until then, I'll have no problem working within the confines of what I've got.
I plan on buying used, since I can get a LOT better camera within that budget.
Now, i said I primarily want to learn how to make videos, and that's true, but I really want at least some of my shorts and hopefully my feature to turn out good enough to send to festivals. That's really the final goal, is sending my things to festivals to get some recognition, maybe win a little money. So, anything I buy is going to HAVE to have good enough quality to be projected on a big screen. I believe HDV is the way to go? From what I've seen, that seems to be the case.
Now it seems like if I record to tape, I'm going to lose the option for high definition, is that correct? Or does it just make the picture a little more muddy? What are my other options besides tape? Can I plug directly into my computer or an external hard drive and save the footage there? Would it then be easy to transfer to a format I can edit with in final cut pro?
I've been looking at the Canon XH A1. It seems to be just within my price range if I buy used, and most people are willing to throw in a bag, maybe a wide angle lens or a boom as well, so I think getting some package like that would be a good deal. However, someone suggested I look into the Canon 7D. An SLR seems really unconventional to be shooting shorts and features on, and the fact that it costs so much less makes me very, very wary. That said, if this truly is a great camera to use for shorts and features the price drop would really help, as I'd be able to spend a little more on sound and some extra features to beef up the camera. However, it also seems like recording sound on it is going to be a lot bigger issue, and I may need to spend some extra $ on a recording deck, so maybe it's less worth it than it seems... What do you guys think?
Do you have any other suggestions for what I should look into? If I decide to buy used and get a chance to scope the camera out before hand, what are major issues I should be looking for and what kinds of questions should I be asking?
Thanks so much for your help!
What I plan on doing with it:
Mostly, I want to learn how to make movies. I've read tons about it and studied as much as I can, but I've decided the best way to learn to do it is by DOING it! I've got TONS of ideas-- for shorts or features or whatever. I really want to own my own camera for various reasons. I've got a couple shorts I want to shoot, and actually want to get into the habit of shooting at least one short every weekend for the next couple months, with some major planning and time and pre-production going into a big short every month or so. Over Christmas break I'm flying home to Indiana for the break where I'll be shooting a feature with a few friends. As I said above, I've got about two and a half grand or a little more to work with. I know I need a lot more than just a camera, as in various accessories and good lights and all that fun stuff, but I honestly think I can get away with borrowing or making my own for a couple months until I get some more money to add to my kit. Until then, I'll have no problem working within the confines of what I've got.
I plan on buying used, since I can get a LOT better camera within that budget.
Now, i said I primarily want to learn how to make videos, and that's true, but I really want at least some of my shorts and hopefully my feature to turn out good enough to send to festivals. That's really the final goal, is sending my things to festivals to get some recognition, maybe win a little money. So, anything I buy is going to HAVE to have good enough quality to be projected on a big screen. I believe HDV is the way to go? From what I've seen, that seems to be the case.
Now it seems like if I record to tape, I'm going to lose the option for high definition, is that correct? Or does it just make the picture a little more muddy? What are my other options besides tape? Can I plug directly into my computer or an external hard drive and save the footage there? Would it then be easy to transfer to a format I can edit with in final cut pro?
I've been looking at the Canon XH A1. It seems to be just within my price range if I buy used, and most people are willing to throw in a bag, maybe a wide angle lens or a boom as well, so I think getting some package like that would be a good deal. However, someone suggested I look into the Canon 7D. An SLR seems really unconventional to be shooting shorts and features on, and the fact that it costs so much less makes me very, very wary. That said, if this truly is a great camera to use for shorts and features the price drop would really help, as I'd be able to spend a little more on sound and some extra features to beef up the camera. However, it also seems like recording sound on it is going to be a lot bigger issue, and I may need to spend some extra $ on a recording deck, so maybe it's less worth it than it seems... What do you guys think?
Do you have any other suggestions for what I should look into? If I decide to buy used and get a chance to scope the camera out before hand, what are major issues I should be looking for and what kinds of questions should I be asking?
Thanks so much for your help!
