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OT.... camcorder recommendations

TFPace

Stainless
Joined
Oct 11, 2003
Location
Pinnacle, NC USA
Guys,

I have never owned a camcorder and my young daughter is wanting to play around with videos, etc. I like the Sony Handycam and especially being able to control it via WiFi.
What can you folks suggest as one for her/us to get started? The Sony HDR-CX455 is catching my eye. Sony HDR-CX455/B Full HD Handycam Camcorder with Exmor R CMOS Sensor | BeachCamera.com

I see the YouTuber folks are using the DSLR cameras and this is too much to get started with. Apparently sounds quality is poor when using camcorders so the use of an external mic is a must have too.

As always, I appreciate everyone's help and guidance.

Kindly,

Tom
 
Add to that a TRIPOD !

Damn videos these days.....like they strapped a GoPro to an over caffeinated Squirrel.
YouTube (FF to 1:38 for squirrel)

When following action (like a ball game) ZOOM OUT some.
 
1/2 a lifetime ago, I sold consumer electronics for hhgregg before they spectacularly failed. My personal favorite was Panasonic. Great image quality, good battery life, good optical zoom, with stabilization... All around, the best bang for the buck. I just took a quick look at their website, and I think this oneFull HD Camcorder with 50x Stabilized Optical Zoom and Touch-Enabled LCD - HC-V180K - Panasonic US would probably fit your needs. Don't forget to account for accessories like a spare battery or two, a UHS Class 1 or 3 SDHC memory card (you can get away with a Class 1 until you get into 4K video), a bag to carry everything in, a card reader for the memory card if your computer doesn't already have one, etc.
 
I echo the tripod suggestion above. Look for one for video cameras with a semi fluid head for making smooth movements. Rule of thumb in making videos or movies is the subject moves, not the camera. Tracking race cars or airplanes is something else.

This place can give you an idea of what is available, with quality and price up to the stratosphere. B&H Photo Video Digital Cameras, Photography, Camcorders Their paper catalog is full of information. In the past have been good honest people to buy from.

Paul, retired photographer, & 16mm film maker.
 
I'd grab something off Craigslist or from a place that sells used, first. And not be too concerned about the finer points .... she may like it, in which case hands-on use will show her what features she likes, or it may just drop by the wayside, so cheaper is better.
 
The only downside to SONY is that their stuff, is only compatible with their stuff. So you end up buying all SONY accessories that wont work with any other brand.
 
The only downside to SONY is that their stuff, is only compatible with their stuff. So you end up buying all SONY accessories that wont work with any other brand.


Not sure if this is still the case, but back in the day, you had to buy Sony Memory Stick media instead of the standard SDHC cards, and the Sony always sold at a 20-30% premium for comparable sizes.
 
As mentioned, a tripod is a MUST if she plans on making videos with any kind of decent quality.
As far as cameras go, there's nothing wrong with using a phone camera as most modern phones from the last few years have pretty good cameras and better mic quality than most DSLR cameras would at the price range you want.
I'm not sure how old she is or how you feel about giving her a phone, but I'm sure you could find an old phone like a Samsung Galaxy s6 for a pretty good price that's in decent shape, and just take out the SIM card and maybe enable some parental locks if you feel that's necessary. I used to have an s6 and it took some pretty impressive videos and photos, especially for its age.
I'm sure you can find something, old phone or otherwise, for a decent price on craigslist or something.
Good luck!
 
If you buy off Craigslist, make sure the seller can produce a receipt for the original purchase. You don't want to be part of the thievery chain...
I read a lot of bad stuff about craigslist but have personally bought quite a few things and only been burnt once or twice. Even in those cases I knew I was taking a risk but what the heck, it's only twenty bucks ... I don't see them as being any worse than any other person-to-person deal.
 
I read a lot of bad stuff about craigslist but have personally bought quite a few things and only been burnt once or twice. Even in those cases I knew I was taking a risk but what the heck, it's only twenty bucks ... I don't see them as being any worse than any other person-to-person deal.
Well....You could have bought this chainsaw:
Union City Man Dies After An Officer Involved Shooting - Erie News Now | WICU and WSEE in Erie, PA
Man gets prison for Union City robbery that led to shooting - News - GoErie.com - Erie, PA
 
Lighting and camera movements are far more important than the camera, go for the phone ( even without a SIM card ) because editing will be easy on the phone and it's what all the other aspiring video makers are using so there's loads of tutorials out there. An iPhone, a Røde video mic, a gorilla pod and a Godox LED light of some description are pretty much standard issue.
 
The only downside to SONY is that their stuff, is only compatible with their stuff. So you end up buying all SONY accessories that wont work with any other brand.
That's not the only downside. Just try getting something repaired under warranty! The last Sony product I bought (about 25 years ago) failed and I had to call them on the phone to get a return authorization. I spent about 6 hours over several days before I got them to answer, then had to pay shipping both ways.

I never even considered another Sony product again.
 
Further to the used and maybe a phone suggestions. Although all singing - all dancing or a reasonable approximation thereof makes the nicest present its far better to get something that only does the basics properly out of the box but can do much more if she is willing to work at it a bit.

Using an all singing - all dancing device is, for normal people, just pushing the button and the device does the rest. Which gets boring fast. Working with the device to get what she wants, rather than what it tries to give you, is far more engaging and more likely to lead to serious interest. Even if eventually not that. Igniting the "I can make it ... (do).." flame in young people is always worthwhile.

But obviously don't make the equivalent of my piano tuning brothers bete noir "only want a cheap banger to learn on". Has to be good enough to be rewarding when she starts pushing its envelope.

Clive
 
Lighting and camera movements are far more important than the camera, go for the phone ( even without a SIM card ) because editing will be easy on the phone and it's what all the other aspiring video makers are using so there's loads of tutorials out there. An iPhone, a Røde video mic, a gorilla pod and a Godox LED light of some description are pretty much standard issue.

But then...wouldn't you just be producing the same crap-ola videos that are sooo prevalent online these days ?
YouTube
 
Further to the used and maybe a phone suggestions. Although all singing - all dancing or a reasonable approximation thereof makes the nicest present its far better to get something that only does the basics properly out of the box but can do much more if she is willing to work at it a bit.

Using an all singing - all dancing device is, for normal people, just pushing the button and the device does the rest. Which gets boring fast. Working with the device to get what she wants, rather than what it tries to give you, is far more engaging and more likely to lead to serious interest. Even if eventually not that. Igniting the "I can make it ... (do).." flame in young people is always worthwhile.

But obviously don't make the equivalent of my piano tuning brothers bete noir "only want a cheap banger to learn on". Has to be good enough to be rewarding when she starts pushing its envelope.

Clive
Clive,

This is definitely a learning experience for us both. Editing has proved a challenge too. Thank you all for your guidance.

Tom

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
 
Depending on what she wants to do, even low end dSLRs can do decent video these days, and the learning curve may not be at bad as you think. Where camcorders usually fall flat is close-ups. With a dSLR and the right lens, you can show highly detailed shots of just about anything. A used dSLR from somebody like KEH won't set you back much.
 
Depending on what she wants to do, even low end dSLRs can do decent video these days, and the learning curve may not be at bad as you think. Where camcorders usually fall flat is close-ups. With a dSLR and the right lens, you can show highly detailed shots of just about anything. A used dSLR from somebody like KEH won't set you back much.
Conrad,

Thanks for touching on the shortcomings of a camcorder. I'm don't think camcorders and youtubers have much in common. [emoji3]

Tom

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
 
Lighting and camera movements are far more important than the camera, go for the phone ...
Different perspective here - even with a still camera, I can't stand trying to look at that dumb lcd display. I want an eyepiece to actually see what I am doing. In any kind of sunshine that little flat panel display sucks the big one.

Another option would be Super 8 or even 16mm. You can find good ones for amazingly cheap prices these days. Back to basics ... and better quality, too :D
 
Another option would be Super 8 or even 16mm. You can find good ones for amazingly cheap prices these days. Back to basics ... and better quality, too :D

...not to mention the 30p a foot to process and the same again to get a folder of DPX files you won't have a clue how to view, sounds great ;)

But then...wouldn't you just be producing the same crap-ola videos that are sooo prevalent online these days ?
YouTube

Doesn't have to be and there's way more digestible content on how to use a phone for video than there is on anything else for beginners, story telling is hard enough as it is without adding technical complexity too!
 








 
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