Ike Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 I know there have been a load of threads on the subject recently but this is a bit different. I'm looking at buying a camera to feed a projector at trade shows and conferences and due to a number of reasons we have ended up with a fair bit more money than expected. I would quite like to get one I can record a few gigs with, have a play with, learn the basics and won't be worthless in a years time. As a bit of a video novice I want you opinions as to what I should be looking at, which suppliers I should be talking to and what else I should be looking at buying. Price really is no object I just want something fairly industry standard if there is such a thing. God I love business expenses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 The I'd suggest a Sony XDCAM - probably a 350, with a decent lense, tripod and ods and ends. Be realistic - tell us how much you have really, and what exactly would you like it to be able to do? Saying budget is no object is plainly silly in the video world where a remote for a zoom will cost you twice the price of a consumer DV from Currys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 As Paulears says, budget is key. Is your no limits figure closer to £1k or £10k? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 Budget wise I'm still not too sure, when I talked to my boss earlier today we were thinking around 20k but it is quite flexible. He is a still photographer and is really getting into the idea, the problem being I'm not sure I'm going to have as much time with our new toy as I originally thought. For the actual work side of it (trade shows etc) we would like composite out for the projectors, manual focus and a decent tripod. Wow I'm demanding! Remote control of the basic functions would be useful. I'll have to speak to my boss about specific features he'd like to have a play with on Monday. I'd like to have something I can use on stage in low light conditions but can also deal with relatively high contrast and colour saturation. I do a fair bit of parkour (free running) and would like to be able to take it out with me so it should be comfortable for shoulder use and be OK for use in relatively harsh environments. I like the idea of being able to have a play with HD stuff but aren't there still "format wars" going on in that particular area? I'll update you when I've next spoken to my boss. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunk_1984 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 You say 20k .... how about 2k, or 4k? The canon XL range are good quality and there are various accessories available and should be ideal for your needs: http://globalmediapro.com/do/product/1034 - that is the XL2 it is not HD but a very good camera Non the less OR http://globalmediapro.com/do/product/1927 - that's the XL-H1 now that is HD, so depends what you want hope that helped ... and if you scroll down on either it should give you a list of suggested accessories, including shoulder packs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Ike, Have you considered something tapeless? We've used the Panasonic P2 format in post a few times with some success (one plus point is there is no moving cassette!) Try something like the AJ-SPX900 Has options for RCP, SDI out, Composite out, and you would have money left over for a decent tripod, batteries, p2 cards, wet cover, possibly lens remotes. Just a thought, James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnomatron Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 20k will buy you an awful lot of camera. I sure as hell wouldn't want to take it out free running! I'd hesitate to take out a 2.5k canon xl2 for that sort of thing. If you're looking at 20k you can get a decent HD camera, but it sounds like you don't know a lot about cameras, so you'd basically be wasting a lot of money on features and quality that you aren't going to get any real use out of. You can get an excellent camera for under 5 grand, and spend the other 15 on, well, there must be something useful to spend it on, there's always things you need to buy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted January 9, 2007 Author Share Posted January 9, 2007 I do like the idea of going tape-less, we've currently got an XDCAM on hire and intend to have a play with a few different bits of kit before we bite the bullet. I've taken the XDCAM out and about in Manchester with no problems although admittedly a few scary moments. I do feel I've learnt a lot from it. We have £30k to be spent by the end of January on "AV equipment" otherwise we lose the budget. We could also potentially lose a lot of flexibility if, for example, we bought more than one camera or a projector as it would then be harder to claim a hire budget for equipment with added features. You've got to love bureaucracy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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