Some advice maybe for all of you camera shoppers!

Video-maniac
Member

IÂ’m seeing more and more people posting the big question,Â”What camera should I buy?Â” IÂ’m sure that a lot of us people that frequent this post will agree that this is a loaded and tough question to answer only because there are so many variables that exist not to mention the many different makes and models available out there. With that said I guess all of you out there that are looking for that special camera need to sit back and ask yourself a few questions. Maybe even start by writing down what youÂ’re after for this will help determine which way to go.

IMO, The first thing you have to ask yourself is how serious am I going to get? Then in the next breath how much am I willing to spend? Beginner cameras can run anywhere from $250.00 to $500.00. Prosumer cameras can range from $750.00 to $6000.00. And of course there are the big boy cameras that you can get for a mere $55,000.00 or even $80,000.00 for the new Sony Cinealta 24p HDCAM. Evaluating your goals and your pocket book will automatically narrow your choices down. Like anything else out thereÂ… you get what you pay for.

Next would be what type of quality and format are you looking for in the end. If you want to keep things simple and are just looking for a quick point and shoot camera for around the house then you donÂ’t need to spend a lot of money. Usually cost is related to available features. DonÂ’t kid yourself as to how easy it is to use the higher end camera features. Unless you are willing to educate yourself, practice and really learn what everything does, donÂ’t waste the money on features you arenÂ’t going to use.

Lastly and probably the most important aspect in making your decision is what are you going to do with this camera? Business or pleasure? If itÂ’s a business then what type of business? Events & weddings? Documentaries & commercials? News gathering? Movie making? All of these will dictate what type of camera you should be looking at.

I guess to make a short story long, itÂ’s really difficult for anyone to come out and just tell a person what camera to get. There are a few of us that will maybe voice our opinion (keep that in mind BTW) but a lot of us will probably have a hard time answering this question because we donÂ’t want to lead you down the wrong trail and then be blamed later.

Your best bet is to do the research on your own so that in the end you are 100% convinced that this is the camera you want. If youÂ’re not careful, youÂ’ll even learn something along the way. This thing we call the Â“InternetÂ” is probably the best source for gathering all the information there is to know. Let's not dis the host of this forum "Videomaker" either for they have GREAT articles and reviews on cameras. Take the time and do the research because after all, in the end youÂ’re spending YOUR hard earn money. Not us! 8)

RAM

Posted 5 years ago #
steveandbelinda
Member

Very well put, but some of us like myself are asking questions about cameras, that others have experience using. I want to know the pitfalls that others have had after they have bought one type/brand/model, so I don't make the same mistake. I had aked a question to which I just looked at, and there have been 76 users read it, and no replies. Sometimes it is nice to hear the experiences of others, ask questions, hear their opinions, then make my final decision. In the end, I only have myself to blame. I will have checked with others that have made right or wrong decisions on their way, listened to their opinions (from their experiences), and eventually made my decision. I have always been one to like to ask alot of questions before I make a major decision, especially a large financial one. And there is nothing wrong with that. But you are absolutely right about knowing what your intentions are going to be with your purchase, Home/Business. Thanks for your post, cause I see that there are a lot of posts where there are people asking these questions, and people are reading their posts, but nobody is replying, and that is frustating to someone coming to this forum for answers. 8)

Posted 5 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

OH! Don't get me wrong... asking about a camera or maybe comparing two cameras is fine. It's just that lately I've noticed that there are a lot of people asking about cameras and which one to buy and so fourth and I was observing as you were that no one was responding. I felt bad so I guess I thought I would just throw this out there to let people know who weren't getting answers that the most likley reason was that it was hard to come up with a perfect fit. In other words I didn't want everyone (especially the new people) to think that we were jerks for not answering and didn't care.

For the most part it is easier if a poster just asks opnions about one camera or maybe even the differece between two. That usually means that they have done their homework and they are out looking for that last little tidbit of info that will solve their issue of choice. It's the people that list 5 or more cameras or worse yet, the ones that just come out and ask, "which camera should I buy?" that are the tough ones to deal with.

On that note I did see your post regarding possible wedding cameras. I do this on the side too. I have (2) GL2's and a lessor expensive Sony. Here's my take on what I did. This is pretty much fact too. My GL2's give me a great picture and have all of the features I need for weddings and other events. I got these cameras because I do more outdoor projects and I needed a better optical zoom range, which these GL2's have. Unfortunatly there is a trade off. They are not very good in low light. I'm usually OK and boarderline at the most before I have to bust out the lights so I can record what I'm seeing. I guess if you are really interested in weddings, IMO I would go with the Sony VX2100 hands down. It's a great value for what you get. If this camera had a 20X zoom I would own 3 of them right now. Don't get me wrong however for the GL2 will match the Sony in all cases except for low light situations.

RAM

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

I agree with RAM on everything except his prized GL-2s coming close to the VX-2100 in low light. Long after the GL-2 begins to lose saturation and clarity, the VX2100 is still crisp and beautiful. A telephoto lens attachment (rarely needed for weddings) can help make up for the optical zoom difference.

And "thank you", RAM for posting a generic topic covering all these "what camera?" questions!!! You've hit the nail on the head. In fact, I was just about to post something similiar when I saw this.

Look people, first decide what you want to do with the camera. No one can tell you what you need until they know what you want to do. It's like saying, "I want to buy a saw." Well, what are you going to be cutting? How do you know whether to get a hacksaw, chainsaw, circle saw or jig saw, etc. until you know what you want to cut???

It's the same with camcorders. If you'll be doing event type stuff, you'll want to look at low-light performance (3 - 1 Lux), portability, sturdiness, etc. If you want to produce a movie, you need 24p, and...well, heck, how would I know - I do event video!

I see people listing possible camera choices that run the gamit from GL-2, the DVC30 and the VX-2100. These people obviously haven't even done elementary research like reading descriptions on the BHPhotovideo.com website.

If you know what you want to do with the camera, you'll have some features that are important and that will filter the field of choices down to two or three. At that point, it may be appropriate to ask whether people here have experience with any that are on your final list.

But, if I haven't convinced you, I do have a Samsung Hi-8 camera that is PERFECT for ALL video uses and I'll let you have it for cheap - just $350 !!

Posted 5 years ago #
matt01992k5
Member

Yeah i listed 5 different cameras. 5 different comparable cameras. I also asked a specific question about an HD camera. I also gave specific information about my purpose and requirements of the camera.

I also came to a video forum for HELP. If you dont want to help people, why are you posting here?

This is a video forum, the only one i have ever gone to, but some of the attitudes here are just pretentious. Is this how the entire video community is, or just this site?

The point of belonging to a forum is to help and communicate with people with similar interests ask, and answer questions, and provide a cornerstone for a community.

That being said, is this the only video forum on the internet, or is there another one, with more open, more eager to help members.

We are all here for the same reasons, we all love video and filmmaking in some way, we all have that in common. We would all like to be successful and we would all like to be able to say that our peers help and support eachother.

Posted 5 years ago #
matt01992k5
Member

I dont mean to sound condescending or anything, but I have been on this forum for about 8 months. Some members have helped me in so many ways, but other members act like this is an exclusive club and that people dont deserve their advice.

I belong to MANY other forums, and questions get answered. that is the point of a forum. a community meeting point to gather info, ask quetions, and get answers from professioals and other persons with concrete, tangible, hands on experience.

That is all most people want.

It takes more time to type a 5 paragraph rebuttal about why you wont answer questions, than it takes to type 5 sentences answering someones questions. Think about it.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Yeah, well, when you calm down, read our posts again. I think you may see some real "help" in them. If a helpful tone didn't shine through, that's sorta the nature of the written message. I guess we should have thrown in some smilies. :)

As for the time it takes, if you'll check these forums, you'll see this question gets asked several times each month, maybe several times each week. Now multiply THAT times five paragraphs.

Seriously, list out your needs, then search B&H (they have a good website full of equipment and descriptions) and start learning and narrowing your list.

Posted 5 years ago #
matt01992k5
Member

its not my fault if this question gets asked.

its not a problem either.

this is the "camcorder" sub forum on the "videomaker" forum

if you dont want to answer the question, dont answer it- let someone else who actually wants to help, answer it-- but dont post another thread detailing WHY you arent going to answer it.

like i said, it takes so much less time to answer someones question, than it takes to write a 5 paragraph rebuttal of why you are refusing to help. i know im not going to get my questions answered now that i have brought this issue up, but just think about that next time somebody wants help.

wouldnt you rather prove your expertise and knowledge to a novice than just be another non-helpful member on some random forum?

Posted 5 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

Â“compulolverÂ”: I just wanted to clarify in my post regarding my opinion comparing the GL2 and the VX-2100. I mentioned that the GL2 was a very close match EXCEPT in low light situations like you have mentioned. I know we have discussed this before with each other and I very much agree with you. My only wish was that either the VX-2100 came with a 20X optical zoom or the GL2 came with a lower LUX rating.

Â“matt01992k5Â”: I can sympathize with the frustration youÂ’re going through regarding trying to get some answers to your questions. The one thing I would do is try not to get to hostile with all of us because we really are trying to help. Personally, IÂ’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that youÂ’re a nice person and that youÂ’re just frustrated because youÂ’re not getting that golden answer at a place were you think you should. One thing however that you have to keep in mind is that there could be a chance that no one on this forum owns that particular camera youÂ’re asking about so maybe thatÂ’s why you donÂ’t get any responses. I donÂ’t own a Panasonic AG-DVC30 so why would I want to respond to questions regarding it. Another thing is that itÂ’s hard to compare cameras because they are all so different and every one of us out here will have different opinions, standards, and preferences which may or may not be the same as yours. ThatÂ’s what Â“compÂ” and I are trying to get across.

Enough said on that. I guess I can give you my two cents worth with regards to that Canon GL2. I currently own two of them. I also want to mention up front that I donÂ’t do videography for a living. IÂ’m an engineer at a manufacturing company up here in Wisconsin. I do videography on the side because I enjoy it immensely. I have taken the time to educate myself only because I love doing this and IÂ’m always out to get better and better at it. I even gave up golfing because of it because I donÂ’t get all upset like I did when I played. BTW: Do you want to buy some clubs? X-D

IMO, the GL2 is a great bargain for what you get. You have all of the manual controls and features that you would probably need to shoot normal SD video. The picture is VERY clear and the color is very impressive in well lit situations. I use mine for a lot of sporting events which is my first love so usually light isnÂ’t a concern. The main reason I went with this camera was because of the 20X optical zoom. IÂ’m not sure what you all know but optical zoom is WAY better than digital zoom so keep that in mind. The camera is light weight and the learning curve on it isnÂ’t all that bad. The standard Â“No BrainerÂ” default settings are nice but the camera really shines when you know how to use the different settings to enhance your picture. That goes with any camera for that matter. This camera also has real good battery life too. Especially when you get the oversize batteries.

I also use these for weddings on the side too. They do a very nice job but there is a weakness. They are not the best camera in low light environments. 99% of the time this usually comes into play at the receptions. They only have a LUX rating of 6 where as the Sony VX-2100 has a rating of 1. IÂ’m usually up front with couples and I tell them that if it gets too dark that I will have to use an onboard light. Luckily, I havenÂ’t had anyone complain about that to this day but that doesnÂ’t mean that someone in the future will. ThatÂ’s why IÂ’m up front so if this bothered them then they can get someone else to do it. I think what saves me half the time is when they see samples of my editing skills. This is where you can make or break a project.

There is a know problem with the deck transport system too. Whether itÂ’s because I take care of them or itÂ’s just luckÂ… I do not know. You will see a lot of people complaining about this but keep in mind that this is a popular camera so with the more users out there, the more possible complaints. To this day IÂ’m not sure if this has been remedied or not. As far as the rest of the features, you can look those up for yourself.

In conclusion, IMO if you are looking to do events and weddings more than anything else, I would go with the Sony VX-2100 because of the low light capabilities. If you are looking to do more documentary work than either camera would work. The XL2 would be even a better choice for that though. That camera has the interchangable lens you were asking about. As far as HI-DEFÂ… thatÂ’s a whole other issue. It is what it is. The thing that is still an issue today is editing it and coming up with a means of delivery. Right now when you play back your finished work, most people have to use their camera connected to a TV. The HD/Blu-Ray DVDÂ’s and burners are just now coming into the market but you will need your wallet. To edit HD you also need a very well decked out PC. ItÂ’s all about horsepower and the correct hardware.

Hope this is a start anyway. I know Â“compusolverÂ” is a professional VX man who does do this for a living so hopefully if you didnÂ’t get him too upset he might help out with the skinny on that camera along with other topics. There are other guys (and gals) here too and maybe one of those people have the other cameras youÂ’re looking at.

RAM

8)

BTW: Welcome!

Posted 5 years ago #