Video Equipment - Quality

fosko wrote on 9/21/2001, 12:02 PM
I'm a musician by training, so this whole video thing is new to me. But in an effort to make some $$ I've taken on some new and diverse projects. I'm currently using my new Panasonic PDVD digital palmcprder and a MUCH older Video camera. If things take off and I can bring in some more capitol, is it really in my intersts to invest in a more expensive professionla camera ? Mind you . . . even though I'm looking for the best pro quality I can get, my target customer base is really going to be churches, weddings, and consumers on a budget (no McDonalds commecials yet. This product will usullay be put on the Web or CD.

From my music background I know this is a stupid question. You get what you pay for and there is a DEFINTE difference between home keyboard purchased at your local department store and a por model from a company like Korg, Yamaha, Kurtzweil, ect.

Still., I guess I'm just wondering about the corelation between quality, price, and affordability.

Comments

Jdodge wrote on 9/21/2001, 5:06 PM
Hello,

You should read through this ongoing post to get an idea about some hardware questions:

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=77303&Replies=14

Almost always, you get what you pay for.

Try to find reviews of products you are interested in and learn from the success or failure of others. You can post questions here and we'll try to help you make some decisions, especially in reference to Sonic Foundry applications.

Do any users have any recommendations?
FadeToBlack wrote on 9/21/2001, 5:38 PM
Chienworks wrote on 9/21/2001, 6:03 PM
Some things to keep in mind ...
- Remember the difference between features and quality
- Remember your target medium and audience

My Panasonic DV900 ($600) has a 300x digital zoom and 0 Lux
sensitivity. Nifty features, yes. But neither one is something i'd use if
someone was paying for the video i'm shooting. Before i bought the
camera i tried it out in the store, then played the tape back on the big
TV there to see what it looked like. The picture was sharp and clear with
good color. I've shut off the digital zoom and will probably never have a
reason to turn it on again. Don't get swayed by fancy features that are
there simply to attract you and get you to spend more money.

You mention that your output will mostly be web and CD. That means
you'll probably be encoding at reduced bit rates and this will degrade
the quality of the image more than any other factor. My 12 year old beat
up VHS camcorder with the bad capstan (it survived falling out of a
canoe) will shoot a better video signal than what you will end up with
after encoding at 1132Mbps. Most any modern camcorder will record
better video than your finished result will allow for.

Save your money and learn with what you have now. When the big
projects come along later, you'll be in a much better position to decide
what's best to buy for upgrading.
Caruso wrote on 9/22/2001, 1:05 PM
From another professional musician, I echo the previous posters. As a musician, you probably (not necessarily, but probably) have an advantage in having a creative feel for production . . . what makes a show interesting to the viewer. I'd definitely concentrate on that aspect of your videographic development, and only move to more expensive equipment when it becomes obvious to you that you are being hindered (because you can't achieve some definable, desired result) because of some limitation of your equipment.

You are embarking on this "second career" at a time when unbelievably capable tools are within reach of just about anybody. The last year or so has seen a remarkable leap in systems and software programs that make the basic technical side of video something that most of us can now attempt with expectations of results that, from a technical point of view, can look as good as what a pro could have achieved using the sort of equipment you might have observed at weddings, etc just a few years ago (no put-down intended to you video pros . . . I know you've also taken advantage of the improved technology and are still miles ahead of us wannabe's).

The availability of all this gee-whiz stuff is a two-edged sword. While you will enjoy the inherently better results that are available, some of the stuff that might have impressed your clients a few years ago will now be within their reach (or the reach of your competition), and may already have become pedestrian by now . . . all the more reason, I say, to concentrate on the content of your video, its message and intended effect on your target audience, rather than bog yourself down technically/financially with a lot of expensive equipment.

Sorry to be so wordy.

Sometimes I get going and it's tuff (oops, tough) to stop.

Good luck.

Caruso