Audio quality is at least as important as the video quality.
For recording decent audio inside the camera, the model chosen really needs external mic jack, AND MANUAL REC level audio with at least clip if not full VU indication feature. Having High/Low mic input sensitivity settings is also a valuable most feature for pop/rock music recording. With NO VU recording level indication, but with headphone monitoring jack feature, it is possible to monitor live audio quality against overload distortion, or maybe too low a REC level with SEALED IN-EAR phones, but these really need to be fully noise isolating and work best with custom ear molds that fit you perfectly. Phones like this are several hundred dollars when fully outfitted like suggested.
Cameras with some or all needed mic input/monitoring features used to start at ~$2000, but times are changing and maybe possible to find new models for less. I haven't done research for several years so maybe lower costing models are now available? General discussion about video audio camera features at:
www.sonicstudios.com/videomic.htmProblem with Sony/Canon, and maybe Samsung(?) is as they start to supply prosumer or high end consumer models with these needed audio features, the audio quality of low distortion, low noise, and flat extended 20-20,000 cycle bandwidth requirement is mostly lacking, except for Panasonic models that at least in the past have treated audio quality with the most respect.
The tact most people have found most workable with video audio is to purchase cameras with most affordable/desirable video quality/features, and leave the audio to a dedicated audio deck.
This allows buying a smaller size, far less expensive camera with excellent video features of any make, later adding the audio deck recorded audio as resource in the first rough edit that syncs the lousy camera-mic'd audio to the high quality deck recorded audio into the timeline. The camera mic audio is then removed from the timeline leaving the high quality audio sync'd to the raw video.
Separate video/audio decks also allows for the audio track to be continuous even if camera footage/views are altered or not continuous for artistic reasons.
Also allows the audio mic/deck to be placed at the best sound reception position inside the venue, and frees the camera perspective to be optimized for getting the best practical visuals as requirements for most interesting video and quality live mic'd audio are often not the same.
Your choice of camera model needs be researched for having adequate video features, but suggest for audio using the R-09 SD flash deck at 16/24bit, 48K wav with external preamplifier. My company makes high quality stereo-surround mic+preamp configurations for R-09 reviewed at:
www.sonicstudios.com/r-09revw.htm
Topic: New Guy!!! Need advice!!! (Read 6173 times)