I've got the camera bug fellas. My first two seasons in the woods have been incredible with some great harvests! I'm ready to advance from hero shot stills to getting my encounters on video. Only problem is that im not fluent in camera language, as stated above I am a total newbie!!! Just a few questions to get me started, I'm sure more will follow. 1. What kind of camera are you experienced guys shooting with? HD camcorder? Or DSLR? I see both do HD videos, which is better in your opinion and why for a beginner filmer? 2. What will I need as far as equipment goes, besides the camera, for self filming and when I have a camerawoman? My wife plans to film me when temperatures are tolerable, but as November winds and temperatures hit Kansas ill likely be on my own. What's it going to take gear wise to be able to do both? 3. Where do you get your camera supplies from and why? Best prices? Best warranty? Reputable customer service? This should be enough to put my mind on overload for a while. Thank you in advance for any replies.
a nice tree arm (muddy outfitter) a good fluid head Manfrotto 701 or 501 depending on the size of your camera? and a camcorder, if your just starting out a dslr would be a little tricky for ya, and has some flaws. Usually for us a camcorder is used on the tree arm and a secondary cam such as a dslr we use for b-roll and other stuff. Don't forget audio, for a good shot you always want good sound! seems like a lot of stuff but you can budget it right and get good gear!
I do not consider my self really experienced in filming but i have been doing it for 3 or four years now, i think i have learned a ton since i first started and i have made a bunch of mistakes that i have learned from. 1. At first i started off with a Sony Handy cam. It was nice because it was so small and easy to transport. The down side of that was that it didn't have a manual focus ring and didn't allow me to film hunts very well. I then switched to a Canon GL2. It was a big camera that was not hd and ran off mini dv tapes. For me it was a pain getting the footage on the computer and i hated that it was not HD. After that i switched to filming with a DSLR. The DSLR was perfect for me because i didnt have 3 thousand dollars to go get a big HD camcorder. The DSLR is tough to film with but I have gotten really used to it and have got pretty god at it. Once you learn to use a DSLR it gets easier. I Like the Quality and the Depth you get from using a DSLR and i liked that if i saw something i wanted to take a picture of i switched right over and took a picture. For the money i do no think you can beat a DSLR. 2. Gear wise you will need a solid camera arm. A Muddy Outfitter Arm is amazing and is rock solid and smooth. You will need a nice fluid head to go one top of that like a 701 or something like that depending on the size of the camera you get. A tripod that you can put the head on as well to get those shots from the ground. A shotgun mic along with wireless mics would help a lot because the audio makes the Video. After you get done with all the filming you are going to need a good computer and editing software to put it all together. I prefer mac for all my pictures and videos but i am not very experienced with many editing softwares. 3. Campbell is always good but i find them to be a bit high on their prices. I Get some stuff from amazon and a few other websites. I do not know much about the warranties. I hope this helps you out a little bit
1. IMO you def. want to go with a HD camera. If you buy new not sure you will have much luck finding anything but. The camera to choose really depends on your budget. I really like Canon's line of camera's but know many guys who love their Sony's. There is no doubt you get what you pay for. As of right now I don't think there is any camera out there better equipped for self filming than the XA10 from Canon. It'll cost you a pretty penny but it's top of the line as far as self filming goes. DSLR take amazing footage as far as color, saturation, and depth. They aren't very easy to use when self filming in comparison to a video camera though. Like Preston has said ideally a DSLR is great for B-roll but not a primary camera, just to much adjustment needed to film and got a shot off at the same time. I would also recommend a shotgun mic, audio is important. Lastly a controller, not needed but makes a huge difference. I would recommend Varizoom. 3. I would recommend BH photo and Campbells 2. I agree with Preston Muddy makes a good arm for the money and would recommend it to all. Manfrotto heads are amazing heads and you will be more than pleased with them. 701 will work fine with any consumer/prosumer camera but they make cheaper models as well. They just aren't quite as smooth and rigid.
Pretty much what others said. 1) I shoot with both HD video cameras and DSLR equipment. Both have their place. Both shoot incredible footage. DSLR is amazing for video work ... BUT ... it comes at a huge price. Mainly it is very very very difficult to self video with. It can be very difficult to shoot quality digital video for a novice as well. In the hands of someone that knows what they are doing ... INCREDIBLE. I would honestly recommend sticking with an actual video camera though. They are so much more user friendly and the learning curve is not as steep. I currently shoot the bulk of my footage on a Canon XH-A1. Great tape based camera. But I am making the move to tapeless and have pre-ordered the new Canon XA-20. You can get the XA-10's at a good price and that price will only get better when the XA-20 starts to ship in the next 2 weeks. But if you can swing a few extra bucks, the XA-20 will be the camera to have. 2) You will need a tree arm ... Muddy all the way. You will need a tri-pod and fluid heads ... for the money ... Manfrotto 701HDV is perfect for most situations. You will need microphones (do not rely on the on camera mics ... they suck), Rode is a good place to start. Lan-C controllers ... Vari-zoom. Quality camera bag or pack ... LowPro among others (do not carry thousands of dollars of gear in a cheap case). Software ... you need to learn to do basic edits using even basic software ... sky is the limit. 3) Don't buy camera equipment from fly by night camera shops. If the price looks too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. Google searches result in tons of scam shops for camera equipment. It is very easy to get sucked in. Stick with reputable places like B&H Photo, Adorama, even Amazon (they stand behind their sales). Campbell is fine, but honestly their prices are inflated for many things that you can get from places like B&H. You can use Ebay to pick up used accessories sometimes for some good deals. Use caution when buying used cameras on Ebay. I've had good and bad results doing that. B&H gets the bulk of my photo/video business anymore. Prices are very fair, delivery is fast, and service is spot on.
Almost everyone has recommended the Manfrotto 701Hdv fluid head. I just picked one up a few weeks ago. They have a $45 rebate on them right now through June 15th. That makes it a great deal. I got mine from B&H but I know several places that have them in stock.
