Seeking Help In Search For Camera, Edit System

[NewsGeek85]

I'm a reporter who is looking to do some fun one-man band type stories in my free time.

I'm looking for 2 things: a camera and an edit system I could get for a Windows-based system.

I'd like good quality products that are user friendly and affordable.

Any suggestions, or ideas where I should look?

Any help is MUCH APPRECIATED!

[Dirge]

Man this post reeks of a fake but…

Your best bet is to borrow gear from the station. Otherwise, you’ll be spending the equivalent cost of a new car on stuff that isn’t even close to professional quality.

Unless of course you really aren’t concerned with money and you don’t care that your product looks like the neighbor kid’s fart noise video on YouTube.

[Run 'n' Get 'em]

For an editor, There is always the free Avid FreeDV... http://www.avid.com/freedv (Hopefully you have a pretty beefy systen though!)

You could pickup a DVX100 off of ebay for a couple grand...

[2000lux]

What is your budget? Can you borrow mic's and such from the station? Could you do your editing at the station and thus save your self some cash? What is your station shooting on now (DVC-Pro, SX, HD, etc)? Have you contacted Michael Rosenblum yet?...

There are a number of popular 3 chip DV camcorders out there. The Sony PD-170, the Panasonic DVX-100B, The Canon XL-2... and their smaller cheaper counterparts. That sounds like the sort of thing you're looking for. Go to a camera store that has some of these, try them out, and see which one feels right for you. The top three are pretty much the same qualitywise. Its more imprtant to find one that works best ergonomicly for you. I'd go with one that has XLR audio inputs. The ones that don't could lead you down a road of frustration in the future.

[canuckcam]

Yeowch.. FreeDV sucks. Unless you're trying to learn the Avid interface, I'd say stay away from it - it doesn't use the file system that all the other Avids use, nor can you import BINs/OMF files from any other Avid. You're stuck within FreeDV.

If you have a Mac, iMovie is quite powerful, and allows you to import items that Quicktime understands (and that's a lot.) ... plus it's incredibly user friendly (Avid would be on the opposite end of that spectrum, IMO.)

But that aside, check out Sony Vegas. A very powerful and versatile NLE. (Sony didn't make it, just bought them out, which is why the software works well. :) )

If you're a shooter, you'll know that the camera and editor is half the battle. You'd spend more on accessories/mics/cables/etc than the cost of the camera and NLE.

[Canonman]

But that aside, check out Sony Vegas. A very powerful and versatile NLE. (Sony didn't make it, just bought them out, which is why the software works well.

And Version 7 is expected to debut around the same time as IBC Amsterdam in September. Among other things, it supposed to offer a 'very robust' XDCAM workflow. But I suspect XDCAM isn't what the original poster wanted.

As for cameras, the Sony PD170 is considered the king of low light performance in its class of 1/3 imagers and is the weapon of choice for many wedding videographers.

The Canon XL2 caters more to the indie film maker on a budget since it offers true 24P recording with its native progressive ccds that are also true 16:9. It offers XLR inputs that are mic level only but does provide phantom power. A plethora of image adjustments for in camera looks. Interchangable lenses, and can use an optional Ikegami made for Canon high res bw viewfinder with peaking. I owned a couple of these awhile back, doing low budget corporate projects and they performed admirably.

The Panasonic DVX100 started the whole budget film maker thing with 24P and cinegamma settings.

FWIW, one of the local stations has a 'mojo' (mobile journalist) who is shooting on the Sony Z1 HDV camera.

[pre-set]

Why are you asking for help on OMB assignments in forum, on a site, dedicated to NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS?!?!?

To us, your question sounds like this:

"Excuse me fellas, I was thinking about getting into the business of putting guys like YOU OUT of business. Could you possibly give me some advice on how to get started doing that?"

Go find a VJ forum somewhere, pal. If you wanna report, be a reporter. If you wanna shoot, be a photographer.

Don't offer to do two jobs for less than the price of one.

First, you'll suck at it anyway. They all do.

Second, you're helping in putting the squeeze on the rest of us. Not all of us relish the idea of being forced to be a VJ or leave the business because VJ's are popping up here and there.


Go away.