Topic: A few digital video questions

[phishmarisol]

I am looking to get a digital video cam but I know that for some or even most of the shows I will do it will be from a balcony say 100+ feet from the stage.  I have read a little about zoom but I don't really know how good of an optical zoom I will need to get a tight shot.  My other question is about audio.  I will be taping SBD or getting a good AUD at least so there is no reason for me to settle on the camera's mic.  So is there a way to not get the cam to record audio or later when I sync the external audio to the footage can I just pull the footage only?  I just don't want to end up with crappy camera audio mixed with good external audio and trying to figure out how to avoid that.  I am also very much up for camera suggestions.  Thanks!!!

[firmdragon]

So is there a way to not get the cam to record audio or later when I sync the external audio to the footage can I just pull the footage only?  I just don't want to end up with crappy camera audio mixed with good external audio and trying to figure out how to avoid that.  I am also very much up for camera suggestions.  Thanks!!!

i'm not really sure what you mean by the first part of the first sentence. if you don't want to record audio, what do you want it to record instead silence? 

when you transfer the video from your comp, you can put it in a video editor and pull the audio then.  likewise you could seperate the video from the audio and do what you will with the audio.  camera suggestions, we'll you're gonna have to make a few decisions on whether you want a small camera, big camera, large zoom, small zoom, spend a lot of cash, spend not so much cash.

[dklein]

The camera audio will be throwaway but it's still good to have.  Makes synching in post much easier and you never know when your audio recording may screw up.  Any video editing software will let you replace the audio for your video/DVD (you don't have to mix the 2 audio sources).

100 feet is pretty far back - you will have issues with the low light when zooming that much, as well as potential for sound vibrations shaking the camera at extreme zoom.

I've only tried a few cameras - not even pro-sumer level stuff.  I found Panasonic and Canon both very noisy (grainy) in low light (don't know which models - borrowed from friends).  I have a Sony TRV-18 which seems quite good in low light.  It's not a real hi end camera or anything - I just got lucky when I purchased.  I did not know how much better it was than the others in low light.

Don't trust the 'Lux' ratings the manufacturers give - go to a store and take it into a dark place.