Gear / Technical Help > Photo / Video Recording
Breaking into video?
rigpimp:
First let me preface this with the caveat that I really dont know squat about video.
I have had two video cameras that I think are reasonably decent (comments welcome) cameras, Canon XA10's for a few months and have never used them. (They were free) Does anyone use this model? Are they dated?
I am considering breaking into video and am looking for some pointers on how to set up, what stands to use, etc. I am guessing one fixed, forward view and another side stage or hand held. ???
Any pointers on how to get over the hump and take these things out would be great.
xjsb125:
Can you be a little more specific on what you are wanting to record? That makes a big difference in equipment, angles, techniques, etc. If you are serious about quality, video is an expensive hobby to get into. Are you interested in recording concerts? If so, what types of shows and venues? Weddings, parties, sports? All of those matter because their are cameras out there that may be better suited for one or the other.
rigpimp:
My gig for nearly 30 years is as an obsessed concert taper. I mostly do bluegrass shows and festivals, americana, acoustic stuff in small venues, etc. Nothing else. Just music but probably a lot of low light indoor stuff.
xjsb125:
It really involves a lot of research. I am a Canon fanboy, and thus I love their products. I won't deny Panasonic's contributions though, as they have some excellent products. I would suggest maybe browsing the cameras within your budget, and reading user reviews from B&H, or another reputable site so you can see what experiences people had in a variety of settings. The XA10's are a good in-between from Canon's professional models, and the Vixia series of camcorders. They are compact, have a lot of manual control, and they have XLR audio inputs (with phantom power) if you wanted to run audio directly to the camera, rather than syncing external audio in post. If you are recording video solo and want to do video with more than one angle, you are going to need a camcorder for a static shot. DSLR cameras will give you a limited amount of run time, and that can be very dependent upon what it is recording. They can be excellent tools because of the variety of lenses you can use, and work great for handheld shots. The image sensor on a camcorder can make a huge difference in video quality as well. Smaller sensors accept less light, degrading your image. The XA10's have Canon's CMOS sensors in them, fair ok in low light situations. If you have two of them, you should have the ability to make some really good videos. I would recommend getting comfortable and familiar with the manual controls of them, and perhaps look at some tutorials about them online. Those manual controls can really make a great deal of difference in your video. The cameras retail for about $1200 new. If you got them for free, I'm jealous!
As for stands, I like Manfrotto. They are sturdy and durable, and you can swap out the heads on them for ones that are better suited for pan/zoom, or just a straight on static shot. I'd avoid the cheap ones you can get at Walmart, Target, or Best Buy. I think one camera shooting a straight ahead shot, and another that is handheld will work just fine.
I hope some of that helps. I'm by no means a professional, but maybe some of that will get you going.
rigpimp:
--- Quote from: xjsb125 on September 09, 2016, 10:11:51 PM ---It really involves a lot of research. I am a Canon fanboy, and thus I love their products. I won't deny Panasonic's contributions though, as they have some excellent products. I would suggest maybe browsing the cameras within your budget, and reading user reviews from B&H, or another reputable site so you can see what experiences people had in a variety of settings. The XA10's are a good in-between from Canon's professional models, and the Vixia series of camcorders. They are compact, have a lot of manual control, and they have XLR audio inputs (with phantom power) if you wanted to run audio directly to the camera, rather than syncing external audio in post. If you are recording video solo and want to do video with more than one angle, you are going to need a camcorder for a static shot. DSLR cameras will give you a limited amount of run time, and that can be very dependent upon what it is recording. They can be excellent tools because of the variety of lenses you can use, and work great for handheld shots. The image sensor on a camcorder can make a huge difference in video quality as well. Smaller sensors accept less light, degrading your image. The XA10's have Canon's CMOS sensors in them, fair ok in low light situations. If you have two of them, you should have the ability to make some really good videos. I would recommend getting comfortable and familiar with the manual controls of them, and perhaps look at some tutorials about them online. Those manual controls can really make a great deal of difference in your video. The cameras retail for about $1200 new. If you got them for free, I'm jealous!
As for stands, I like Manfrotto. They are sturdy and durable, and you can swap out the heads on them for ones that are better suited for pan/zoom, or just a straight on static shot. I'd avoid the cheap ones you can get at Walmart, Target, or Best Buy. I think one camera shooting a straight ahead shot, and another that is handheld will work just fine.
I hope some of that helps. I'm by no means a professional, but maybe some of that will get you going.
--- End quote ---
This is all great info, thank you! So to break in I want to just use the XA10's that I have. These are used and I think that I may need to source a couple of parts. I think that I need a wall wart for one and I only have one of the XLR modules. I will also need a tripod for my static shot. Do people also clamp a god's eye for a static shot? That might be easier without having to go source a tripod...
I found the tutorial below on these models and will watch it to see if it walks me through setting up the manual features.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTKHUMJCvac
I'll try to report progress as I move through my curiosity.
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