Camcorder advice (yes, again <grin>)

dogwalker wrote on 4/15/2008, 1:21 PM
Last month, I thought I was ready to buy an HV20, but some other things came up and it got pushed off the schedule. Meanwhile, I have rebuilt my two main computers to now have one based on a Q6600 and a dual core machine. So far, Vegas runs great on either one (I use whichever I can get to!).

Now I'd again like to look into a camcorder. I'm also looking at perhaps getting my first ever DSLR, but that's another story (looking at the Canon Rebel Xsi and the Sony A300, fwiw).

I'm torn between purchasing the HV30 versus a standard def camcorder like the Panasonic GS320, mainly wondering about the difference in workflows and data storage (and there is a cost difference). For now, I imagine the main user of the camcorder will be my son, just creating videos, which is why I think the GS320 would suffice. However, I may just start using the camcorder myself once we have it (I currently focus on photos and creating slideshows).

Our output would be mainly two - youtube for my son, and home movies on dvds for me. Neither of those are high def, which again makes me wonder whether the added workflow complexity and cost of the HV30 are justifiable.

OTOH, I am curious about other differences. Which camera does better in low light (e.g. school events)?

And how simple can we make the HV30 workflows? What if I use it in SD? And if I use it in HD?

Are there any compelling reasons to go with an HV30 now, rather than using a GS320 for a few years and buying an HD camcorder in the future when it's more settled?

thanks!

Comments

riredale wrote on 4/15/2008, 6:42 PM
What is it that will be settled? Five years from now there will be some new technology that's "just around the corner." If you have a need now, I'd suggest you buy something now.

Even if you are going to DVD, I'd also strongly suggest you get HDV, so the raw material is in HD. Who knows what you will do with the footage next year, or the year after?

My own experience is that I no longer think anything of editing with HDV footage. I'm perfectly happy with V7d and GearShift for the longer projects. As for your editing, you can shoot in HD and bring SD into Vegas, or edit with m2t, or edit in HD but with GearShifted proxies. That way you can always recreate your projects later on in HD without having to re-edit. But to each his own.

As for cameras, I'm a Sony bigot, but Canon is a popular choice, too.
LReavis wrote on 4/16/2008, 1:36 PM
I've been shooting HDV for quite some time, but I miss the low-light capability of all my previous cameras. I began editing with Vegas 3 when I had to edit uncompressed files that my cameraman captured with an ancient Hi8 camera during home inspections performed the early-mid 90s. I believe it had a 1/3" CCD and a large lens (f1.8, as I recall), and produced tolerable images even in dark basements and attics. If I had too much noise, I cleaned it up by letting Grain Surgery chew on the original file in After Effects (it would take a week or so for each 2-hour video, but it turned terrible video into video that was just a bit yukky).

Unfortunately, none of the inexpensive HDV cameras are nearly as good in low light. If I must shoot in really low light, my best option now is to use the video feature of my Casio digital still camera. I think it has a CCD that is nearly a half-inch in size, and gets the job done - albeit without zoom capability and with a somewhat fuzzy SD output. If I'm shooting a nearly static scene, I can set the shutter speed for 1/4th second on my HC1s and get pretty good results, but any motion will result in noticeable trails (sometimes I like that - as an "artistic" effect).

You might want to rent a camera and try it in the low-light settings that you typically encounter before plunking down your $$$. In good light, the HDV pictures are so superior to SD that I'd never go back to SD; and already the web is home to HD video - with more to come.

But at least make sure the camera that you're getting allows manual control of shutter speed; and be prepared to clean up the noise (you won't need to spend the $$$ for Grain Surgery & After Effects - search the forum for inexpensive software to do this job).