and work up. Thank you for acknowledging that some of us are rolling our eyes - won't get into the details of that as you already know. 1,500€ budget.
Tripod: Fluid head. Not "fluid-head like" or any other "almost" unit. Davis & Sanford or Magnus in the states. These are low-end, but can do the job. Budget $150-$170. (I know, $ not € - I don't know what you may have available in Germany, so just providing budgetary numbers).
Mic: Your budget does not allow for decent wireless lavs. Since you said the "talent" will be in close quarters, a shotgun mic will work, but decent shotgun mics use XLR connectors and the consumer grade camcorders you are probably looking at will have a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo audio input. You have choices. RODE makes some camcorder/dSLR mics that use a 3.5mm connector. Or you can put a XLR adapter between the mic's XLR connector and the camcorder's 3.5mm audio input. Audio Technica for the AT-875R (needs phantom power, so be sure the juicedLink or BeachTek XLR audio adapter can provide that). Third option is to use an external audio recorder. I just got a Zoom H5 (replaced a H2). Synch the externally captured video in post.
Just because there is only a single 3.5mm connector does not mean only one mic can be used, but the XLR adapters are not inexpensive (and they cost more when phantom power is part of the feature set). They provide more functionality than just multiple audio inputs (including audio gain control knobs so you're not having to search through a menu to use that control). The "M"ono/"S"tereo switch is very useful, too...
Mic stand: Mounting a shotgun mic (or external audio recorder) to a mic stand will allow you to decouple the audio pickup pattern from the video framing. There is no need to camera-mount the mic and limit yourself there. The H5 comes with a stereo mic or you can use XLR mics or a single 3.5mm connector based mic... There is a screw-on adapter that allows the H5 (and H2, etc) to use a mic clip on the mic stand. $20 for the mic stand. $30 with a boom. Maybe a local music store has used gear for less.
Lighting: A couple of tripod mounted LED work lights from the hardware store should work. $100. Based on your background, you know lighting is a big deal. You also know that still image cameras and video capture devices behave very differently, so "working well with natural lighting" when comparing the two is not too useful.
We have 400€ to 700€ for the camcorder. Get the one with the largest lens diameter and imaging chip you can find. Probably the PAL version of the Canon HF R52. If the sequences are scripted/planned a dSLR (Canon, Nikon, Sony - with a kit lens) setup can work and you may not need the workarounds normally required related to overheating and file size.
You might have some leftover for a case or two...
For what it is worth, the least expensive camera or camcorder with built-in XLR connectors is the Sony NEX-EA50M (replaced the EA-50UH), so we know we can't get there.
You can get a slider later.
Hi,
I came across this forum doing a web search and it seems good so thought I could ask some advice.
I am an American living in Germany; I have a video background and have recently been contacted by a local health clinic about creating short videos for them (4-7 min). The thing is, my background goes way back and I'm not so up on the latest equipment - I shot in the late 80s & early 90s on professional equipment (i.e. Ikegami 55L camera) and spent many years as a broadcast TV video editor in NY (Grass Valley switchers, Sony 9000 editor, Abakus, Chyron, etc).
I've taught myself non-linear editing and because of my background that's really no problem (I'll probably use Premiere).
When it comes to the camera, tripod, mic(s), lights, etc, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage. My prospective client has a small budget (looks like 5000 EUR each for 3 videos) and they want me to buy the equipment with that budget. A lot of the videos will consist of animations and stock footage which need to be licensed (I'll need to license some music as well); I'll also shoot some mock discussions (real discussions between staff posing as clients) and show some of the location. I can do VOs myself. So here are some specific questions and I'm very open to concerns I may have left out:
For the camera itself, as much as I'd love to go pro or semi-pro, I'm thinking of going high-end prosumer because A) it's coming out of the budget that pays me and B) I don't think the highest quality is really necessary as the videos will mainly live on the client's website and youtube channel. (they've talked about offering them to local TV stations as a PR tool when related topics are in the news, and for this I'd render the highest quality possible, but that's really a secondary concern). I've heard that nowadays the quality has improved so much that these top-level prosumer camcorders look pretty damn good especially as the finished product will be seen on the web - am I really off on this?
For audio, I will need to shoot some conversations but never more than two people at a time. Can I get away with an externally connected shotgun mic on the camera or do I need to go with two Lavs (clip-ons) and have a separate mixer and recording medium (I assume the prosumer camera won't have more than 1 mic input, though it would be great if there were two). RE: voice-overs, could I use the shotgun mic for that (if the shotgun makes sense as I wrote above) or do I need a separate USB mic? I have mic stands already.
I want to make sure to get a good tripod as nothing bugs me more than fighting the tripod to get a smooth pan/tilt. I'll be shooting in pretty tight spaces so I don't think I need a dolly or sliders. Am I wrong on that?
Their lighting is pretty good so I was hoping to go without external lights. Saving the money is a concern, but also transportability. They told me that recently they started having a photographer who shoots in natural light and it's been working well. I also feel like as I'll be using staff and not real actors, they'll probably relax more without external lights on them. I've heard that the prosumer cameras adjust well to low light. True?
I have a decent pair of Audio-Technica headphones that are very comfortable and already have a mini/1/4" jack adapter, so I think that should be ok there.
I very much welcome feedback and gear suggestions, i.e. what camera (I was thinking panasonic, JVC or Sony), tripod and mic(s)/audio equipment to purchase. I would really like to keep the price for the gear under 1500 EUR (I realize many reading this may be rolling their eyes at this, but at much more the job just isn't worth it). I figure I'll make very little on the first one but more on the 2nd & 3rd and any subsequent videos that come along (they said there is a very good chance for more if these do well for their marketing department).
Thanks in advance for any opinions.
Erik

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