Need some advice please....
 

Hi Everybody,
I'm not a big camera person, but I could use some advice. I'll be shooting video for a TV show and need a couple of decent cameras. It's a fishing show, so I'l be in bright sun, wind, rain, overcast, and all kinds of other conditions except night-time/low light. I'm going to have cameras in fixed positions, running continuously as we fish, no cameramen. So I'm looking for some models in the $2000-3000 range that can perform adequately on AUTO mode, in a variety constantly changing outdoor light conditions, especially bright sun. This spring I rigged the boat with 4 cameras in the $500 range just to test my theories, and find out which positions worked best. The results were better than expected, but in bright sun the colors look a little smeary, and with the bright sun reflecting off the water a few shots had exposure problems. Over all, the video thus far has been on par with most fishing shows I see on TV. But I'd like it to look better. Keep in mind that I'm a fisherman, not a cameraman, so I just want to push a "Record" button and start fishing, while the AUTO mode takes care of the rest. I know the better cameras can make much better video in the hands of a cameraman, but will they make a difference in the hands of a hack like me, using only auto ?? Any input will be much appreciated. Thanks.

Are you sure you got the right forum?
This forum is for the JVC HDV cams and from your post, they are probably not ideal for your shooting situation.
Ken

I would suspect the Sony PD150/170 to work well.
Ken

If the High Def cameras can be used in an AUTO mode, and will give a good picture in bright sun, then I'd use them. Thanks for the info.

"perform adequately on AUTO mode, in a variety constantly changing outdoor light conditions, especially bright sun."

If it was just bright sun, with filters you could set it up nice.
This cam is awsome for quite a few things. Running in auto mode in contantly changing lighting conditions is not one of them.
Ken

Thanks.

Kevin,

Would you like me to move this thread to another camera forum?

heath