Camera Help

[kbishop6422]

I'm brand new to this forum, so first off Hi to everyone. I'm needing some advice on choosing a suitible camera. I've been shooting video at an outdoor sporting event for the last couple of years. I'm currently using a Pan PV-GS31 mini DV. I capture the DV output and do some editing with Adobe Premier before burning to a DVD. I've noticed during playback that the picture is somewhat fuzzy, especially on larger screens. I wanted to upgrade to a better cam, without spending a small fortune. Ive looked at the Cannon LX series, but even used they are out of my current budget. Someone suggested getting one of the older brodcast cameras off ebay. Somewhere around $300.00. I have a standalone DVD burner Sony VC20 that I could feed the svideo directly into. Would I be gaining anything by doing this? If so is there a particular camera that I should look for. I'm shooting mostly outdoors in moderate to brite light, and the equipmet needs to be somewhat portable.
Thanks for any help or advice.
Ken

[MJA]

$300 will not even get a lins for the XL . since your budget is only $300 and all your shooting is outdoor check the Canon ZR model like the ZR500, or the new ZR850

video quality ZR500 (52MB)
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/t131848.html

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&category_id=6059&~ck=bt&p=1

wait for edDV to give you a Lecture about Cameras

[thecoalman]

You really haven't said what your budget is. Frankly the XL is overkill for a most people unless they can utilize the features it has and that requires experience. Having a boatload of lenses to swap out doesn't hurt either.. They make a lot of cams in the $1000-$2000 range. I have a Canon GL2 and am quite pleased with it. That will run you about $2k.

www.camcorderinfo.com has a lot of reviews .

[kbishop6422]

Since we are talking about Canon, what about a L1 Hi8. I run across a used one for about 350. Do I get any better picture quality (definition) using a larger lens. Bigger than the 30.5 on most hand sized camcorders?

[kbishop6422]

Current budget is about $450.00. This includes having to buy any cords, batteries or media other than mini DV.

[kbishop6422]

Any other advice?

[DereX888]

I'm brand new to this forum, so first off Hi to everyone. I'm needing some advice on choosing a suitible camera. I've been shooting video at an outdoor sporting event for the last couple of years. I'm currently using a Pan PV-GS31 mini DV. I capture the DV output and do some editing with Adobe Premier before burning to a DVD. I've noticed during playback that the picture is somewhat fuzzy, especially on larger screens. I wanted to upgrade to a better cam, without spending a small fortune. Ive looked at the Cannon LX series, but even used they are out of my current budget. Someone suggested getting one of the older brodcast cameras off ebay. Somewhere around $300.00. I have a standalone DVD burner Sony VC20 that I could feed the svideo directly into. Would I be gaining anything by doing this? If so is there a particular camera that I should look for. I'm shooting mostly outdoors in moderate to brite light, and the equipmet needs to be somewhat portable.
Thanks for any help or advice.
Ken

If I understand you correctly, here is your "fuzzy" problem right there : you capture your DV using your standalone dvd recorder, then edit the captured file...

[thecoalman]

If I understand you correctly, here is your "fuzzy" problem right there : you capture your DV using your standalone dvd recorder, then edit the captured file...

That is incorrect, for best results DV should be transferred to your computer as DV, edited as DV and converted once and only once to MPEG as a final step before importing into an authoring application. His fuzziness is most likely due to the limitations of the cam, that's a consumer model with a single 1/6 CCD. By comparison the Canon GL2 I mentioned has three 1/4 CCD's.

[kbishop6422]

I'm capturing from the DV camera straight to my computer. Then I'm editing before burning to DVD.
Ive used the stand alone DVD burner to record straight from a cameras composite output. It did OK but only on a small screen, picture was distorted on a big screen TV. I believe it was mainly due to the camera size

[Richard_G]

Are you capturing or transferring using Firewire? If you are doing an analogue capture that is where your problem lies. Transfer as DVavi using Firewire and the quality on your file will be the same as on your camcorder. If it still isn't good enough (or that is how you are doing it anyway), you do need to upgrade the camcorder. However, you won't get a lot with your budget.

About the only thing I can think of that you may just be able to get that will show a noticable improvement and still be in budget, would be a second hand Sony VX700. It is the baby brother to the VX1000 but the quality, despite being a single CCD unit, is very good. Unfortunately, it wasn't popular (too big and bulky for the consumer and not quite good enough for the prosumer) so they are a bit rare. I use a pair of VX700s along with a VX2000 and, for a lot of the time, there isn't much to choose.

[DereX888]

If I understand you correctly, here is your "fuzzy" problem right there : you capture your DV using your standalone dvd recorder, then edit the captured file...

That is incorrect, for best results DV should be transferred to your computer as DV, edited as DV and converted once and only once to MPEG as a final step before importing into an authoring application. His fuzziness is most likely due to the limitations of the cam, that's a consumer model with a single 1/6 CCD. By comparison the Canon GL2 I mentioned has three 1/4 CCD's.

What is incorrect?
Again:
I suspect his problem is in capturing video first (encoding avi to mpeg) and editing it second (reencoding mpeg>mpeg)
You repeat same what i said, just using more words...

[thecoalman]

Sounds to me like you're telling him to capture him to capture to aDVD recorder, guess it can be interpreted both ways but he never mentioned he was capturing to a DVD recoreder.

[DereX888]

Sounds to me like you're telling him to capture him to capture to aDVD recorder, guess it can be interpreted both ways but he never mentioned he was capturing to a DVD recoreder.

I capture the DV output and do some editing with Adobe Premier before burning to a DVD.

I have a standalone DVD burner Sony VC20 that I could feed the svideo directly into.

I don't know, based on the above quotes I assumed he capture on standalone recorder, thats why I said "If I understand you (him) correctly, here is your "fuzzy" problem right there..."

[kbishop6422]

To clarify: I have used the DVD burner out in the field to record video from a stand alone camera using the svideo link. I can then load it straight into the computer.

The video that I take with the mini DV, I capture to the computer via firewire to a firewire PCI card. I then use Adobe Premier to edit these together.

I would love to have a Canon LX or GL series, but don't have the budget. I have seen some canon L1 Hi8 and a L2 Digital8 that were within my price range. Would I gain anything over my current video quality (Pan PV-GS35 mini DV)using a older format? My camera(Pan PV-GS35 mini DV) has a 1/6 ccd and a 30.5 mm lens, I've read that it only produces a little over 400 lines of res. Some of the older Hi8 and Digital 8 cameras have 1/2 and 1/3 ccd, some even 3ccds. They have much bigger lenses 43mm to50mm. Ive seen them sell on ebay for $200 to $400. Would they produce a better quality picture? I would have to capture the Hi8 to the stand alone Sony(VC20)dvd burner. The Digital8 sould have some type of digital output, maybe firewire I'm not sure.

I have even thought of getting a older studio camera (camera only) and running its output straight into my VC20 dvd burner. One I've looked at was a Sony DXC 3000. It has 3ccd and compsite or y/c output. I can send either into my burner.

Any thoughts on which would be the better solution.

[Scorpion King]

I've noticed during playback that the picture is somewhat fuzzy, especially on larger screens.

If the playback of the original DV video looks fuzzy then this could mean you are not shooting in SP mode (80 minutes I think) and might be using the cameras LP mode (120 minutes). This would lower the video quality quite a bit and would be more noticeable when viewed on a large screen.

Other things might be:

A dirty camera lens

The camera not auto focusing properly due to low light condition or other effects

Maybe you are not manually focusing properly if the camera is set to manual

It might also be from using digital zoom, which I can't recommend, which does a crop/resize function on the video which lowers the quality somewhat. Shooting sports activities requires using lots of zoom. I would try to stay out of the digital zoom if possible.

If the playback of your encoded mpeg2 files is what's fuzzy - then maybe you're not using a high enough bitrate when encoding. If you want high quality files then I would stick to the 1 hour dvd specs if at all possible. This will give you the best playback quality. Also you might consider using filters and sharpening the video a little.

As for the question on quality using a standalone recorder I say to get the best quality possible is to capture to minidv tape, transfer to computer, then filter-edit-encode with quality programs and proper techniques. You capture to that standalone you get what you get.... lol

Good luck.

[kbishop6422]

On the miniDV camera, I do have to zoom for alot of the shots, but I stay out of the digital zoom. I record on the high quality mode, not the extended. When I transfer to the computer, I'm prompted as to which transfer rate to use. I use the slow tranfer / high quality mode.
All this gives me great looking video on the computer screen and even 32 inch tube tv. When played on larger screens the colors seem to smear and the picture isn't as crisp. I tried this on a couple of differnt screens. I took a disc I made in to a local Circuit city and played it on several new systems and found the same results

[Scorpion King]

SD video displayed on HD TVs? I been having some of those same problems here this week. I just upgraded my monitor from a 19" CRT to a 22" LCD widescreen and i'm seeing garbage in my captured files I didn't see before and it's freaking me out!!!!

And I've been wanting a 72" TV. I'm going to get a 13" black and white and hook it up to a coat-hanger instead I think, and quit all this stuff.

[kbishop6422]

I found a couple of Sony cameras at a local studio. The owner said he hadn't used them in years but he would test them and make sure everything was in working order. One is a 3CCD EVW300 with a Fuji TV lens. The other is a TRV730 Digital8 handheld. He told me I could use the digital camera to transfer the hi 8 video to the computer. Although the video from the EVW300 wont be digital the 3ccds and tv lens should give me a great picture comparable if not better than my Panasonic PV-GS35

I can get both cameras and a carry case for $425.00

What do you think?

[thecoalman]

The Digital8 sould have some type of digital output, maybe firewire I'm not sure.

I can't give you nay advice on the cams you mentioned but digital8 and mini-DV use the same exact format, they only differ by the size of the tapes. Digital 8 will have a firewire port.

If the playback of the original DV video looks fuzzy then this could mean you are not shooting in SP mode (80 minutes I think) and might be using the cameras LP mode (120 minutes). This would lower the video quality quite a bit and would be more noticeable when viewed on a large screen.

He has a mini-DV cam, SP is 60 minutes on a standard tape. Using LP has no affect on the quality of the video because it's still the same amount of data, however it should not be used if you value the footage. There's less room for error correction and the video may be unplayable in other machines or even the machine it was recorded on.