-
best camera with fcp
what is the best camera around the $1000 range to film and edit with final cut studio 5.1?
also, if usingMPEG streamclip to convert from mpeg-2 to dv, how does that effect quality and efficiency?
-
13 Replies
-
Save your money to buy a decent DV or HDV camera. In the meantime, rent.
You truly get what you pay for.
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Director-At-Large
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group -
“Best” is subjective, and depends on what you want to do with it. Also, do you want DV or HDV?
There are a bunch of little cameras from Sony, Canon, Panasonic and others, do a little cruising on the B&H site under Mini DV and HDV cameras, they give complete specs, also just Google the ones that look good to you and read reviews.
Have a wonderful day.
-
i’m just looking to build some projects for a portfolio to show editing skills. don’t know if it’s worth the money to go too high tech, because i’m not a camera person, but editor. once i build my portfolio, i just need it to send in when finding jobs.
-
Get involved with a film group in your area. Offer to edit members work for free or cheap. Buy a cheap dv/hdv deck.
-
Use you camera money to hire a shooter with gear. Come up with a plan for your demo reel and go shoot those specific things.
Offer to trade editing for a day of shooting. “Borrow” some clips from someone. Buy some Art Beats clips.
But, before anything, outline a plan for your finished product and determine who your audience is. Never try to be all things to all people.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
[jennmarie] “i’m just looking to build some projects for a portfolio to show editing skills.”
The people who do the hiring are just like any other viewers, they will impressed as much by the content as by the editing. So, like the others have said, no matter how you have to do it, get some professional quality video with which to exhibit your editing skills.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
-
Six Replies and not one answering her questions (sorry – make that 7 including this one).
Respectfully, instead of editorializing and not answering what she didn’t ask, can’t someone give her a specific answer to her questions about a good $1000 camera and streamclip quality – both answers I’d like to know as well.
FWIW, it might not be suitable broadcast capable, but I would think $1000 would buy a more than decent prosumer/consumer camera.
-
[jennmarie] “what is the best camera around the $1000 range to film and edit with final cut studio 5.1?”
Honestly, there’s isn’t one that I know of.
In a post down below you say you’re just trying to build your editing portfolio then work with some other folks who need some editing, or rent a camera. Low quality cameras are not worth trying to impress someone with a reel.
DVX-100 is the cheapest camera I would recommend for anyone. It’s DV and starts around $2,600.
[jennmarie] “also, if usingMPEG streamclip to convert from mpeg-2 to dv, how does that effect quality and efficiency?”
MPEG-2 is highly, highly compressed video, in the neighborhood of 25:1 compression. When you use MPEG-Streamclip to convert this to DV you end up with something that looks roughly the quality of the original video, though you’ve now added another level of DV compression to the MPEG-2 video.
So you can edit with it, but it’s not going to look any better than the original. It will degrade from the original.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html
Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi
-
A google search brought the following:
https://www.macworld.com/2004/10/reviews/dvcamcorders/index.php
(a bit old)https://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php
https://www.pcworld.com/article/id,121582-page,1/article.html
-
[Les Kaye] “Respectfully, instead of editorializing and not answering what she didn’t ask, can’t someone give her a specific answer to her questions about a good $1000 camera and streamclip quality – both answers I’d like to know as well.
FWIW, it might not be suitable broadcast capable, but I would think $1000 would buy a more than decent prosumer/consumer camera.”
Respectfully Les, this is a professional forum. What you have seen is not editorializing, it’s a reality check. If you want to shoot home movies for your family, then get a sub-$1,000 camera.
If you want to make an edit reel for people to hire you for professional jobs, then you need a professional camera. The DVX-100 is the cheapest camera I would recommend for any professional.
This it not editorializing, this is reality. Right now I’m looking for freelance editors for my shop. If a project looks like a bad home movie, I stop the reel right away.
I’ve looked at your links and I see a bunch of home handicams, not something I would ever recommend to anyone who is looking to build their professional reel. The only use for any of these cameras is for hidden cameras or if you need a disposable camera.
So the question was “What is the best camera under $1,000 for FCP?” The answer from the professional community, none.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html
Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up