DV Camera and Capture Card

GrenadaV wrote on 1/15/2006, 5:02 PM
Hi all,
I am new to al this Video stuff and very new to Vegas etc (infact, it was the product, Vegas, that made me want to get into video...man it is cool software :))

Anyhow, down to the questions..I only have 3 ;)

1: I have decided, as I am very new to all this, that I would initially get a lower end DV Cam to start with, then after a year or so of mucking around and confirming that I still have the video bug, moving to a higher end cam like the A1 etc...
my question is....is this the right way to go about it?

2: Of the lower end cameras, around the $600 to $800 mark, after comparing all the features, especially shooting in native widescreen, Canon seem to come out on top feature for Price/Quality etc....does anyone have much experience with the lower end gear and in particular canon?

3: I would prefer to have a capture card do most of the MPEG processing, rather than leave it all up to the CPU, on the lower end scale of these cards, can anyone recommend some?

Cheers anad regards
Rossco

EDIT: Actually, now that I am asking these questions, I will ask what probably is a really dumb question, but I don't know the answer...;-\ do you need a analog to dv/dv to analog converter or/and a mpeg encoder/capture card?

cheers(red faced newbie)

Comments

jrazz wrote on 1/15/2006, 6:25 PM
I will address #3. I would not leave it up to a card to do the mpg compression. I would use the MainConcept codec supplied by Vegas as it is very good and if you are going to buy a more expensive camera (600-800) for the lower end of the spectrum, I would hate to see that quality fade away due to the mpg compression being less than par. I guess while I am addressing #3 I will also comment on the lower end DV cameras. I started out with used consumer jvc dv cameras which I bought all of them on ebay for less than 800 total as they were all used. As I started filming weddings, I was able to buy better equipment feature-wise and do a lot of correcting in Vegas itself (and from the experience gained from one wedding to the next). I don't think that the camera is the most important thing starting out... I think the most important thing is getting a camera that you can become familiar with and know well as it doesn't matter how good of a camera you get if you can't or don't know how to use the features that it has. My suggestion would be to buy some used DV cameras or camera and get comfortable with it and with editing/correcting/rendering, etc. and then moving up once you understand exposure, white balance, shutter speed, amongst other functions of the camera.
I hope this helps; have a good night,

j razz
GrenadaV wrote on 1/15/2006, 6:50 PM
Hi jrazz,
thanks for the info, and it makes perfect sense to get to know the camera and functions and also understand, like yo say, white balance (which at the moment I don't) etc.
Really good to know I don't or should not fork out extra cash on mpeg cards etc...at this stage, especially if the Vegas Encoder is as good as you say it is....

As an OT, how did you get started filming weddings etc? Did you have some filiming experience previously, or did you just decide to bite the bullet so to speak and go for it?
cheers
Rossco

EDIT: I just realised that you are the one that just got an A1!!! WOW! I looked at that camera after you posted and man, what a camera....one day, hopefully I will have one :)
jrazz wrote on 1/15/2006, 7:04 PM
Well, I had a coworker (for a moving company that I was the operations manager for) ask me if I would be willing to film his wedding as I had Pinnacle 8 (IMO the sorriest escuse for a program that I have ever bought) and a miniDV camera that I bought off ebay for about 120USD. I told him that I would charge him 400 dollars to film the wedding and the reception and that this would be my first. He had confidence in me that I didn't see. (To be fair though, I did film a few events at University and sold the DVD's, so I did have a little experience in that regard, but not much). So, I spent half the money that he was going to give me to buy another miniDV camera off ebay that was a little better and I learned both of them decently and I brought on board a friend who I paid 50USD to help film and I borrowed another miniDV camera to use as a stationary cam. We filmed the wedding and reception and I edited and attempted many renders before Pinnacle finally gave me a file that was error free, I slapped a label on the DVD and made a case with an insert and gave it to him about a month later. He was very pleased and is still buying copies to this day (2 weeks ago actually) to replace the ones that he has given to family members.
From there word spread that I filmed weddings and I have gotten 99% of my business via word of mouth and it has been good business at that. I finally set up a website about 5 months ago and have gotten 3 jobs for this summer already just from that and that is on top of what I already have booked from people here locally that have heard by word of mouth.
I hope that helps and answers your question. Have a good night and good luck.

j razz
GrenadaV wrote on 1/15/2006, 7:15 PM
jrazz,
I am impressed and now even more inspired and motivated..:)
thanks
Rossco