Newbie: advice on first camcorder for specific need:

[Kwitel]

Hello and thanks in advance for reading:

I am an amateur photographer who is about to launch a retail company (retail consumer product) and I want to start shooting video of my product, for both Facebook and Instagram. I am looking for entry-level equipment here, that allows for quick learning, mobility and general ease of use.Considering my lack of experience, I would think that excellent OIS will be very important. I actually think my post-video/editing tools will be most important/impactful considering my needs.

That said, should I consider just using my Nikon D3300 for video or, should I be looking at standalone cams? Assuming, the latter, what should I be considering?

All-in I have about $1K to spend.

My apologies for the limited info above but Im not sure I even know what I need.

Any advice/recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

[Gary3000]

Tough one to answer. as it kind of also depends on what kind of video you plan to shoot - and in what environment (will there be a person talking on screen?)

you'll probably want to take lighting and sound into account.

Dedicated camcorders are great for shooting some things, but you might also want to consider regular camera's (DSLR's and Mirrorless) as well, which are quite popular for shooting short-form video.

 

[Kwitel]

Tough one to answer. as it kind of also depends on what kind of video you plan to shoot - and in what environment (will there be a person talking on screen?)

you'll probably want to take lighting and sound into account.

Dedicated camcorders are great for shooting some things, but you might also want to consider regular camera's (DSLR's and Mirrorless) as well, which are quite popular for shooting short-form video.

Gary-this would be predominantly for outdoor use, and yes-quite a bit of talking on screen.

What do you mean by taking lighting and sound into account? Are you implying I will need to set up external or sound or will a device in my price range be able to handle that?

Thus far, my research has yielded the Panny VX981.

 

[KrisAK]

You're right: tough to answer without more information.

You might consider reverse-engineering your needs, by finding an example on the web...a video advertising a product or service or whatever...the style of which you'd like to emulate, then figure out what you'd need to do the job.

 

[TXDego]

Gary-this would be predominantly for outdoor use, and yes-quite a bit of talking on screen.

You are going to need mic's for sure, good audio is as important as good video. At a bare minimum you will need this

However, this is money better spent or this, but Saramonic is same price and most testing says they are equal in sound quality, distance, etc.

What do you mean by taking lighting and sound into account? Are you implying I will need to set up external or sound or will a device in my price range be able to handle that?

Thus far, my research has yielded the Panny VX981.

I am not a fan of camcorders, but some really like them. I would think a DSLR would be better choice so you could do video and take product photos, but I guess since you already have your Nikon you could use that for photos.

Your in a tough spot with your budget, you will most likely need a couple of these lights or these lights just to use as fill light. Both are fairly cheap but you will need the these batteries to power up the lights.

So even with 2 lights + batteries your @ $100, good mic @ $400, your are at $500 which is half your budget already.

If you were just doing it for fun, that's a different deal, you could go cheap. Since you are trying to launch a product, you don't want to half a$$ your deal and have your product or your business look less than professional and top quality. Perception is half the battle when you are trying to sell a product, especially a new product. For me when I see crappy video, with crappy audio, my assumption is crappy product. If someone is too cheap to make quality video when its fairly cheap now a days to do so, then why would I buy their product?

Good luck!

 

[TXDego]

Another add, just looked up your Nikon camera, while it is old, it does shoot 1080p@60fps and has mic inputs(only mono). Nikon's are awful at video, but you may be able to make your Nikon work if you shoot at highest resolution (1080p@60fps) and limit your movement so the focus doesn't get funky.

When you process your video, if you shoot at 60fps, you can export it @ 30fps (not slow down the video) that should yield you better resolution, you might be able to make it all work. Go shoot some test video with your camera, and see how it processes, you might get lucky and only have to buy lights & mic's.

 

[Bill Donnell]

I would recommend Sony PJ675, Extreme closeups and 30 power zoom. Stabilization so good that tripod not needed. Steady videos even while walking or running. Many functions including manual. This is a 1080 camcorder. Best for most people who do not have 4k monitors. When set to auto the camera will choose automatically mode needed for shot. I have this camcorder and love it. U.S. price $600 or less.

 

[Bill Donnell]

Forgot to mention the PJ675 has excellent sound recording- 2 or 4 channel sound. Unlimited recording time.

 

[Kwitel]

Another add, just looked up your Nikon camera, while it is old, it does shoot 1080p@60fps and has mic inputs(only mono). Nikon's are awful at video, but you may be able to make your Nikon work if you shoot at highest resolution (1080p@60fps) and limit your movement so the focus doesn't get funky.

When you process your video, if you shoot at 60fps, you can export it @ 30fps (not slow down the video) that should yield you better resolution, you might be able to make it all work. Go shoot some test video with your camera, and see how it processes, you might get lucky and only have to buy lights & mic's.

TX-thanks for your replies.

I have tried using my Nikon and the video actually comes out quite nice but the lack of OIS is a game ender.

I am/would be shooting video in circumstances where I would/could not use a tripod.

Im also thinking it might be best to go 4k now and try and future proof myself.

I could squeeze the budget to 1500 if I had to/if it made good business-sense.

 

[Gary3000]

Tough one to answer. as it kind of also depends on what kind of video you plan to shoot - and in what environment (will there be a person talking on screen?)

you'll probably want to take lighting and sound into account.

Dedicated camcorders are great for shooting some things, but you might also want to consider regular camera's (DSLR's and Mirrorless) as well, which are quite popular for shooting short-form video.

Gary-this would be predominantly for outdoor use, and yes-quite a bit of talking on screen.

What do you mean by taking lighting and sound into account? Are you implying I will need to set up external or sound or will a device in my price range be able to handle that?

Thus far, my research has yielded the Panny VX981.

I don't know much about the camcorder market, but yes, proper sound and lighting are definitely important to consider (both indoors and outdoors,.. tho for lighting, outdoors you might want to consider a bounce-reflector. an External microphone can definitely be ideal to isolate the subjects voice.

 

[uncle dunc]

I have tried using my Nikon and the video actually comes out quite nice but the lack of OIS is a game ender.

I am/would be shooting video in circumstances where I would/could not use a tripod.

Im also thinking it might be best to go 4k now and try and future proof myself.

I could squeeze the budget to 1500 if I had to/if it made good business-sense.

Many 4k cameras in your price range reduce or eliminate OIS when in 4k mode.

If you want to rely on autofocus, a smaller sensor camera like the Panny you mentioned or the Sony would be better than a larger sensor camera. On the other hand, if you want to do closeups with two different focus points - say a close focus point and a far focus point, a manual focus option would be helpful - or the ability to set up two focus points via the camera menu, which is an option on newer, more expensive gear. Touch focus could also work, but some cameras rack back and forth before they settle on a new focus point. This looks really bad on video.

If you're recording sound outdoors, you'd probably want a shotgun mic, which works much like a telephoto lens in that it has a narrower pickup pattern with a longer reach. Keep in mind, it will still pick up ambient sound - cars driving by and such. You might need a lapel mic to help isolate the subject from the ambient noise.

Ideally, you'd record into a handheld recorder. Cameras record audio at 16bit. Handheld recorders use 24bit, with is 100 times the resolution of 16bit. Plus, the 4-channel models have a feature that records a duplicate audio track, but at a lower recording level. This helps to eliminate the digital peaks that can occur when the recorder captures an unexpected loud sound. A digital peak will ruin your sound, as will the limiter circuit option found on both cameras and recorders. If you want a pro presentation, you need good sound. Syncing video with externally recorded sound is no problem in today's full featured video editors. The program does it for you be analyzing the audio and aligning it automatically.

You may not need lights for outdoors, but you might want to utilize a reflector if the subject is relatively stationary. Lighting is really important, in that it sets the tone for the piece, making your video look like vacation home movies or scenes from a real movie, depending on how you set it up. Same with the background. A distracting background can totally ruin a piece, something inexperienced shooters don't notice until they're editing. Then they go "oops".