Hey guys, I hope you don't mind me asking a couple questions... I've checked through the forums and you definitely get this question all the time, but unfortunately not too many of those threads really apply to me as I've already done a little research and have a little bigger budget.
What my budget is:
$2500-$3000 for the camera and any ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY accessories
I know people are going to tell me to invest in a tripod, etc., instead, but for right now I'm fine with borrowing tripods or even using crappy ones for a couple months until I get enough money to buy something better. I'd rather get a camera I really like now that I can couple with a great tripod later than an okay camera I only kind of like and a great tripod now. If I buy something that needs cards to store the data though, that's a vital accessory I'll have to shell out for.
Sound and lighting, etc., aren't a problem at the moment.
What I'm using it for:
I want to learn the art of filmmaking. But I don't want to buy another camera soon. I want to have something that, when I feel confident and proud of my work, I'll be able to send my films to festivals and have them projected and look good and maybe, someday, sell some dvds. I'll mostly be doing shorts but definitely want to do an occasional feature. Narratives only, no documentaries or weddings or concerts or any of that jazz.
Now, I've heard recommendations of both the Canon D7 and the XH-A1, and indeed they both fit into my price range. Right now I'm leaning towards the XH-A1. The D7 just seems to unconventional for me, and it seems a little iffy. Everything I can see on it looks okay, except the fact that it has a very limited amount of time to shoot before I have to switch cards... but it just seems like there's no way I'll actually be able to produce such good work with an SLR. Plus, the fact that it's WAY cheaper than other cameras I've been looking at makes me very wary, as though I'm missing something very obvious. I've heard it looks great in low light and natural light though, which is really going to help me out a lot. I've been told sound can be a problem though, and it sounds like I'd have to go out and buy a recording deck which is gonna hurt my budget. So maybe it's not so worth it?
The XH-A1 on the other hand, seems like it'd work perfectly for what I want, buying tapes shouldn't be too much of an issue, etc. Only problem I've seen is that it runs at the very edge of my budget so I won't really have any money to beef it up with accessories and I won't really have contingency money. Do I need contingency money right now? No, but it'd be nice to have.
If I plug either of these cameras directly into my computer, am I going to be able to solve any problems about where the footage is getting recorded to? Such as, will the D7 be able to bypass that short recording time? Will I get to not worry about tapes for the XH-A1?
One last thing, I'm almost definitely going to be buying used here... how is this going to affect my decision? Is there anything in particular I need to look for in a used camera, any questions I should be specifically asking? Dead pixels, I'll look for. Scratches, dings, cracks, I'll look for. Anything else?
Thanks a ton guys.
Six is half of twelve.
Six is half of twelve.
First: If you're buying used, you won't be buying the 7D. The 7D has not yet shipped, so it's just not possible to buy it pre-owned.
I've got my eye on the 7D right now as a camera for myself once I graduate and can't use my school's equipment anymore, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is just starting in film. The video-capable DSLR as a concept is still in its infancy and so anything you learn how to do on the 7D would be difficult to apply to other, more standard production cameras. In that respect, the XH-A1 is probably your better option.
I would assume that it's a relatively easy process to run an XH-A1 into a computer and capture straight to your hard drive. This is a good option for long, fixed-camera studio shoots (interviews and such), but if you do much field production you'll find that $6 a tape (or whatever they cost these days) is a small price to pay for not needing to cart around a laptop with you wherever you go and tether your camera to it whenever you want to shoot anything. Not sure whether the 7D can do tethered video shooting, but it's possible.
If you buy used, buy from a reputable dealer, or maybe from a production house that handles their equipment kindly. A video camera is exactly the sort of thing you don't want to buy through ebay, even if everyone gives the seller an "A++++++++! :)" rating, the reason being that there are a LOT of things that can break, and they may not be noticeable at first. It can take weeks or months for an underlying tape transport problem, for instance, to rear its ugly head.
No matter what model of camera you end up buying, get an extra battery.
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Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
and my reel at http://portfolio.exgfilms.com
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Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
and my reel at http://portfolio.exgfilms.com
I own an XHA1 and have used it a lot over the past few years. I have used it for events, short films, and feature films. It's an absolutely wonderful camera that has served me very well. I really can't say enough good things about it. Wonderful controls, great picture, fantastic color representation, 20X zoom, and very dependable. I would definitely buy it again. At the time I bought it, I was trying to choose between it and the Sony Z1. I am so so glad I went with Canon. I have nothing against Sony and the Z1 is a pretty good camera, but the AXH1 beats it.
The camera's main drawback is that it is bad in low light, as all cameras in it's class tend to be. That said, Canon's previous models (XL-1, GL-2, etc.) were particularly bad in low light. They were great for studio or narrative work, with a lighting kit. For live events they were virtually useless. Canon solved this problem when they released the XHA1 and it's big brother, the XL-H1. They easily compete with what Panasonic and Sony have to offer. In fact, the XHA1 is better in low light than the Z1. However, it is still very lacking compared to larger, shoulder mounted cameras.
If you buy one, buy Canon's 5 hour battery. It actually lasts that long. It's amazing, best battery I ever bought.
Now ironically, I found this thread because I'm thinking of upgrading to the D7. I've seen the kind of video that camera can take and I'm amazed. If I do I'll let you know.
Perhaps a Panasonic HMC? If you can push it to HMC150, you'll get a very popular model that captures to SDHC cards in AVCHD (full 1920x1080, not 1440x1080 HDV). If I were you, I would likely save a few bucks and go with HMC40, even though it has smaller sensors and they're CMOS (not CCDs). It still has a lot of advanced manual controls (white balance, focus, exposure, etc...). It can be had for less than $2k (actually, less than $1700), and the rest of the money can go a long way towards supplying additional accessories.
