Video recommendation for nature filming

[jackfalbey]

Ken, I'm not trying to dump on the HV20 & HV30. They are phenomenal camcorders and are vastly superior to anything else under $2000 US. I love mine for its abilities under the right conditions... I even use it as a back-up camera for beach weddings. My personal experience with it is that the low-light performance (and I'm referring just to the low-light performance) is acceptable for family videos & home movies but isn't acceptable for professional work, especially if the video may be broadcast on television. For what Robyn plans to use it for (nature videos, some of which will be shot at dawn/twilight and at some degree of zoom) I think the HV20 will prove inadequate. Considering that she is doing this as part of her college research program and that her videos will likely be shown to other students and professors and may be broadcast at some point, I think she really needs to go with a prosumer camcorder.

Robyn, I forgot to mention the Panasonic DVX-100, which is another excellent SD prosumer camcorder, comparably priced to the XL2 and PD170. If you're having trouble finding models to test in person, you can go to www.youtube.com and search for "XL2", "PD170", and "DVX-100". You'll get lots of samples of video shot with each of those camcorders. Also, http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/ is another excellent place to read reports from professional videographers about their experiences with various cameras & conditions.

[rolawren]

Thanks will do some more hunting around tomorrow or on the weekend. The dvinfo.net site looks really interesting.

I would like to have a new camera soonish, as the wombats that I am trying to film only come out in twilight in winter and possibly early spring. They are nocturnal animals unless it is very cold. Getting some film of wombats and possibly platypus in warmer months (at twilight also) are the couple of reasons I was hoping for a good low-light camera. However most of my filming is during the day, it was just for these two animals that I hoped to be able to improve on my efforts so far. My partner keeps thinking I am focussing too much on the low-light abilities, as 1. we don't always find the animals to film anyway 2. we imagine the HV-30 would be better than what I have for low-light anyway. He also keeps talking about the weight of the camera, as for instance finding the wombats we have to walk a few kilometres to get to their site. So I am still pondering ....

Here is the sort of footage that I got with my Panasonic shown at the top of this post. It shows a wombat that I video really late in the day.
http://muvipix.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=3309&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p28389

This one was slightly earlier
[quicktime]http://muvipix.com/cpg/albums/userpics/11022/wombat_qbn.mov[/quicktime]

These films could possibly to be used to enter into two national science student film competitions (there are two that I know of in Australia), for next year. I have entered my wombat and snakes exhibition into these competitions this year and made the finals of one - the snakes exhibition. My snakes exhibition film is to be screened in late August at a theatre here in Canberra, along with the other finalists. I don't think I will win, as my video is more promotional than scientific.

Also the potential extra video footage of the wombats, would be a way to showcase what I have been producing this year, but I do have a fair bit already, for looking for new work more in this area. However I am more likely to try use what I have been doing to try to get into a New Media course, focussing on video editing and animation, next year, as I have really been enjoying this side of my studies more than the actual science communication.

Got to go for the day, see you.

Robyn

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

As a Sony HVR-A1 user you could say that I am biased but the camera does everything that I need.

It is relatively small and compact but produces brilliant pictures. As far the low light/graininess issue from a single chip is concerned, this has not presented any great problems for me as I use the Neat Video plug in to help correction.

The camera is HD but the in camera down-convert produces stunningly good results. The XLR microphone attachment allows professional mics to be easily attached. I use Sony UWP-C1 lavaliers and Rode shotguns, BUT (and I think that this is a nice advantage) I can de-mount the XLR attachment and I have a much more portable HD camera for use on holidays and other stuff.

[rolawren]

When my studies get to be a bit less hectic in a couple of weeks, I will go back over these recommendations and check them all out. I have looked into Canons and tried to find the Sony mentioned by Jack, but could not find it on the Sony Australia site or on online web-purchasing. I will when I get a chance, or want a break on the weekend, look to see if I can find the price for these components.

Thanks,

Robyn

[jackfalbey]

Here's the Sony Australia page for the PD170:
http://www.sony.com.au/production/catal ... ryId=22920

and here's the Panasonic Australia page for the DVX-100 I mentioned earlier (it's called the DVX-102 down under):
http://panasonic.com.au/products/detail ... ectID=4141

Another alternative is the Sony VX2100 (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/so ... eview.htm#)... it's the consumer version of the PD170, but it retains all of excellent the video capabilities of its professional brother. The only significant differences are that the VX2100 loses the XLR microphone inputs (it still has a mini-stereo mic input), doesn't come with a wide-angle adaptor, and can't record in the professional-spec DVCAM format. The lens and imaging sensors are identical between the 2 camcorders.

I was able to find some online retailer listings for Australia for both Sonys...

the PD170
http://www.myshopping.com.au/PR--202860 ... _Camcorder

and VX2100
http://au.shopping.com/xPO-Sony-Sony-21317134
http://www.myshopping.com.au/PR--5462_S ... _Camcorder

[rolawren]

Thanks Jack, about to go for the day, but thought I would thank you for looking up those sites.

I think what the problem was I kept looking for Sony PD170, not the full name of DSRPD170P. I was going to ask if they were the one and the same, as they were mini-DV and ask what you thought about these ones as well. As I could find these mentioned, and saw them on sale on some of the online places as well.

So sorry, about being a dill. I did think a week or two ago when I was looking into it, it might be the same, but then I thought it might be a superceded model and now the new Sony's that I could find on the Sony Australia site are out. This does look like a good camera, especially due to the ability to add a different external mic etc. I knew I was going to do some more investigation into it before I asked about the Sony's, but then yesterday I thought I would just answer Two-sheds quickly to say I was have some trouble with the Sony's. I found the Canons alright, and have read up and priced them. And I did look at this one DSRPD170P as well, but not to so much detail as I was trying to find the other recommended one.

Thanks again, got to go. Will look it up on the weekend when I have more time, pretty flat out until then.

Robyn

[jackfalbey]

Sorry, Robyn, I sometimes refer to cameras by their short names (I got used to this from reading industry forums) and it doesn't help that camera manufacturers use different model numbers for different markets, like the Panasonic DVX-100 (USA) and DVX-102 (AUS) or Canon GL2 (USA) and XM2 (AUS). Same cameras, different names.

[rolawren]

Thanks Jack, took me a while to realise the Canon differences as well. I think I should have just said last weekend that I was a bit confused about the Sony's.

By the way just been out (after study all day) and saw the wild Wombats again just before twilight. Have not looked at the footage yet, but thought again at the time, this is what I want to improve on - camera-wise. Will look on the weekend at the recommendations. It would be good to get a camera soon, as the wombats only come out in winter at this time and will soon be changing their habits to totally nocturnal.

Regards,
Robyn