My Video Production Equipment Store: Video Cameras
By Internet Video Gal in Video Camcorders, Video Equipment, Video Production Tips
VIDEO CAMERAS: Features and Benefits
Anyone who reads this blog knows I adore video cameras of all shapes, sizes and capabilities. Digital video cameras are m “toys of choice” you might say.
Some people go for cars. Others love hunting or golf.
I like video. Video cameras, lights, video editing…and all the doo-dads that go along with video production.
So when I picked out the inventory for my video equipment store recently, I wanted to select my favorites that I knew you would love too.
WHAT KIND OF VIDEO CAMERA SHOULD I BUY?
I hear that question a lot. The long and short of it is I can not point to one specific camera that is best.
What kind of video camera you buy depends entirely on how you want to use it. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you want super-simple operation or are you willing to get involved to achieve a more professional quality?
- Do you want to edit your video after you shoot it on a computer in a video editing program like Windows Movie maker or iMovie? Or, do you just want to upload to the web or share with family and friends on a home DVD player?
- Do you want everything to be simple and automatic or do you want to have manual control over things like focus and exposure?
- Will clear-sounding audio be important for your video productions? If you have someone speaking on camera then you need quality audio.
Answering those questions along with standard questions concerning budget, you can decide what video camera is best for you.
Here is a list of the cameras I picked out for my video equipment store. Each one is perfect for particular applications and depending on personal preferences. Click on each for an in-depth article explaining the features and benefits.
If you have personal questions or needs about researching, selecting and purchasing a video camera, please leave a comment below and I will answer.
The cameras are listed in order of price ascendency. (Cheapest first!)
1. Aiptek A-HD 720P HD Camcorder
2. Canon ZR-950 MiniDV Camcorder kit
3. Panasonic HDC-HS100 60 GB Hybrid
4. Canon Vixia HF S100 SDHC Memory Card-
5. Panasonic AG-DVX 100BQ kit-
6. Canon GL2 MiniDV camcorder kit
7. Sony DSR PD170 3-CCD chip camcorder with Sony UWP-V1 wireless lavalier microphone package.
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2 Comment(s)
By Jenny on | Reply
Hi – be really helpful if you could advise what video camera make and model with an external mic jack would you kindly recommend….I just want to mostly upload brief talks to the web do both outdoors and indoor filming having fairly nice quality also would you suggest HD capabilities camera even for the web?
And what about mini dv tapes or flash drive what are pros and cons?
By Internet Video Gal on | Reply
Hi Jenny.
Thanks for the comment. I can not recommend specific cameras because people’s needs and budgets are so different. Sounds like you need something simple. If you want to do HD, check to see if your video editing software can handle HD. That is, if you are going to edit. HD on the web can create some big files, but if you compress them adequately they are small enough and can look great. Mini dv is one of the best all time formats if you ask me, but it will probably be obsolete in a few years because manufactures are leaving behind all tape formats. I think that is the only downside to mini dv. Flash drives are going to be very common for years. I hope this helps.
Lorraine