Alex Mercer Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 What is some good equipment to have for a beginner, from what type of camera to have to sound equipment? What camera would be good to shoot with and will also be good for the big screen? Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alvin Pingol Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Hi Alex, >>what type of camera You'll want something that offers as much manual control as possible. Manual focus, aperture, and shutter speed are a must. More professional cameras will offer additional image settings, such as custom white balance, edge enhancement ("detail"), saturation, knee compression, gamma/master black, color matrix, etc. Expect to spend at least $2500 for just the camera - other money going towards necessary accessories like tripod, batteries, filters, etc. Be happy you're not required to buy the camera lens separately. Consider the following "pro-sumer" 3CCD camcorders, in no particular order: Panasonic DVX100, DVX100A JVC DV300 Sony VX2000, VX2100 Sony PD150, PD170 Canon GL2 Canon XL1, XL1S, XL2 Plus any I may have forgotten. Another option to consider is HDV, though it is still an early format. >>sound equipment? Find an inexpensive shotgun mic, (Azden SGM1X, for example). Almost anything is better than a camera's onboard mic. Using an external allows you to practice proper mic placement, and teaches you how to light and compose shots while avoiding shadows or seeing the mic in the frame. External audio recorders really aren't necessary, especially if the camera you choose has XLR inputs to begin with. Eventually you'll want to move on to better audio equipment, but if you are just beginning it'd be overkill to buy a sound package worth more than your camera package. >>What camera would be good to shoot with and will also be good for the big >>screen? That's a tough question because it really depends on how you define "good." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alvin Pingol Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Also consider Super8 film. My apologies to those who would've found this an obvious option! Others here can expand on Super8, for it really isn't my area of expertise. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Nyankori Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 (edited) What about the lights? Look on ebay for a colortran kit. They go cheap and are fairly hardy gear they all but force you to experiment with them to get meaningful lighting. I have lowel gear (not much better,if any) but work on 35mm,16 and dv for a dp that has mix match colortran gear. thats all we get for the low dough gigs and he really makes them work...you'll never love them but they work for cheap. Edited March 20, 2005 by ed2serious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Mercer Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 Thanks guys. Of those cameras mentioned which one would be the best for around $2000-$2500? Would I just plug that mic straight into the camera? Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Downes Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Canon GL-2 is your best bet at that price range, other than going for Super8 or 16mm film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alvin Pingol Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 A Canon GL2 will cost about the same as a JVC DV300, though the JVC has larger CCD's (1/3-inch versus 1/4), better image processing (12-bit A/D versus 10-bit), and two XLR inputs, Phantom powered. I've done hands-on trials with both and found the Canon provided slightly better looking skin tones, but that was its only advantage. I own the JVC. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Andino Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 What is some good equipment to have for a beginner, from what type of camera to have to sound equipment? What camera would be good to shoot with and will also be good for the big screen? Alex <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It'll be difficult to find something that's good for a beginner And also good for the big screen...cause not much exist. But you're best bet for something that can be used for the Big Screen And is very useable for beginners is HDV The PD150 has been used to shoot a few big screen features Pieces of April, Open Water, & Manic to name a few. You can probably find one for $2500 The DVX100 is pretty popular as well Although not many big screen features have been made with it yet. And the XL2 is also very good They've shot a few features with its Predecessor the XL1s 28 days Later & Full Frontal to name a few... But I see HDV becoming very popular to shoot some small indie film A few that might make it to the big screen. If you're a total beginner I recommend you play with all these cameras first Before making any big money down decision...learn what you're getting. Buy a book on video cameras and find out all the features you'll need. If you just want to learn how to frame and light buy an 35mm SLR photo camera Best way to learn visuals. If you're looking to learn how to direct get together with a student DP Who has his own video camera and shoot a short or two. Don't be in a rush to acquire equipment because you think it'll make you a better filmmaker... Acquire the knowledge first and then search for the equipment you'll need. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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