Sony DCR-VX2100

[Dazza]

Hi guys I'm looking at possibly purchasing a Sony DCR-VX2100 for £1200 brand new. Has anyone had any experience using them and would this be a good choice for upgading to my first DECENT video camera. It will be used for short film making but hopefully to a much better standard than my earlier films.

Any advice, guidance appreciated.

[Dazza]

Other possible option could be a Canon XM2 or Sony HDR-FX7E or a Sony HVR-A1P

[wiggy]

hi dazza, do some research on this site, it's full of great advice
www.dvinfo.net/conf/

[wiggy]

at a glance i'd say hvr a1p as it shoots in hd and also has pro audio inputs (xlr)
have a browse on here, it is where i bought my hvr v1e, they do buy now pay later as well.
www.videokit.co.uk/cgi-bin/store1/commerce.cgi

[Dazza]

Thanks a lot Wiggy I'll have a look at the sites

[Dazza]

Hi Wiggy a quick question you might be able to help on, talking about the HVR A1P and HD format in general. I currently edit my footage through Sony Vegas on my laptop, do you think I would still be able to do this with HD footage???

[wiggy]

if it has decent specs then yes, i haven't noticed any difference in editing hdv and dv, as hdv isn't as processor hungry as say pro hd then there really isn't much difference apart from rendering may take a little longer if you have added complex transitions or effects. another good tried and tested camera is the panasonic dvx 100, it isn't hd but a lot of indie film makers swear by them.
if your going to spend a fair wedge then take a little time and read some forum reviews and such, like on dvinfo
cheers and good luck

[Gareth]

yeah dazza if your looking at just over £1000 I'd go for the sony hvr A1, Shane recomended a second hand canon xh-a1 abit ago shanemeadows.proboards39.com/index.cgi?board=donk&action=display&thread=1191621420 but in the end I decided to go all out and sell literally everything I owned to buy a Z1 and a decent shotgun mike

but also remember that it doesn't matter how nice your image looks if your sounds shit! infact I'd rate sound quality over image quality anyday, you should maybe look at getting a decent shotgun mike, dunno what your budgets like but don't spend a grand on a camera and then go and shoot your shorts using the onboard mike!

I used these lot for my equipment and got it the next day with a discount, get intouch with them and they'll give you a quote on a package;

www.digibroadcast.com

this mike looks pretty good
SENNHEISER > Sennheiser K6/ME66 Super Saver Package

[Dazza]

Thanks for the link Gareth its a good site I'll read through it, I've been reading lots of different reviews on many different cameras, my uncle works for canon see he's finding out what deals he can get from there as well. I'm gonna have a good look around and do some research. I understand what your saying about the mike and sound as well I am hoping to sort that out but may have to do that in a few months (finances) lol.

[wiggy]

i got the rode ntg2 for mine and it's ok for a £100 mic!

[Dazza]

Hi guys thanks for all your help so far, may seem a dumb question but I will ask, talking of the mike side of things am I right in thinking that you plug the external mike into the pro audio inputs on the camera and then the camera records what the mike captures along side the video footage as it would if you were using the built in mike and when you upload to the pc the sound is in sync with the video??? Thanks in advance

[PatrickCoyle]

Yeah, that's right Dazza, there's normally a switch or menu option to tell the camera to "listen" to the external mic rather than the inbuilt one.

[NewYorkDoll]

All these links etc. are so helpful. I have been thinking about getting a nice camera for a while but haven't had any idea of what to get...time to start saving!

Love Calum xx.