Video camera for live use
- Thread starter chadd
- Start date
Kamanda~SD
New member
Re: Video camera for live use
Going to need some more info.
-Budget
-Camera Experience
Going to need some more info.
-Budget
-Camera Experience
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: Video camera for live use
Are you looking for something that has dedicated audio inputs so you can get a controlled live mix into it? Will you be running everything out of a p.a. system? Will it be a well-lit gig?
Most consumer-level cameras don't have audio inputs, and those that do are generally very low powered and have a hard compressor, as they're typically meant for handheld or lapel mics to record regular speaking tones.
As well, most have auto-focus, and can be tripped with stage lights, smoke, or even movement of whatever it's looking at.
Will this be hand-held and carried around the venue or set on a tripod? Walking around limits whether you can get a board mix into it, unless you have a wireless on it.
As well, the auto-focus will go nuts.
HD is the new standard, so you're not going to find anything reliable without it. Used cameras that don't do HD will require magnetic or digital tape, and those are getting harder to find. Those that use SD cards don't hold a lot at a decent resolution, and most cameras have card memory size limits.
If all you want is basic YT teasers, a smart phone will do. Just be aware that stage-level audio is going to sound bad, and will include what is closest to the mic, including whoever's filming it.
My advice would be to record the audio separately and cleanly, and spend some time in a video editor replacing the camera's audio track with that. Even if you get a bit of the room noise in it, that's fine, but look around youtube at cel phone videos and handi-cam videos and you'll see what I mean.
Are you looking for something that has dedicated audio inputs so you can get a controlled live mix into it? Will you be running everything out of a p.a. system? Will it be a well-lit gig?
Most consumer-level cameras don't have audio inputs, and those that do are generally very low powered and have a hard compressor, as they're typically meant for handheld or lapel mics to record regular speaking tones.
As well, most have auto-focus, and can be tripped with stage lights, smoke, or even movement of whatever it's looking at.
Will this be hand-held and carried around the venue or set on a tripod? Walking around limits whether you can get a board mix into it, unless you have a wireless on it.
As well, the auto-focus will go nuts.
HD is the new standard, so you're not going to find anything reliable without it. Used cameras that don't do HD will require magnetic or digital tape, and those are getting harder to find. Those that use SD cards don't hold a lot at a decent resolution, and most cameras have card memory size limits.
If all you want is basic YT teasers, a smart phone will do. Just be aware that stage-level audio is going to sound bad, and will include what is closest to the mic, including whoever's filming it.
My advice would be to record the audio separately and cleanly, and spend some time in a video editor replacing the camera's audio track with that. Even if you get a bit of the room noise in it, that's fine, but look around youtube at cel phone videos and handi-cam videos and you'll see what I mean.
