Best Outdoor/Wildlife HD setup?
 

Hello to all -
I am new to the forum and fairly new to DV. I have been given an oportunity to establish a new production company focused on filming hunts and wildlife. I am an outdoorsman and hunter, not a seasoned vet when it comes to cameras and equipment. Currently my company is using 4 Canon XHA1 cameras and 1 Sony HDR FX7. I just wondered what all you professionals out there would recomend for equipment (cameras, shotgun mics, lenses/filters, etc.) for outdoor and wildlife filming. Visit our website at Dreampoint Outdoors: Home Page to get a tase of what we are doing. Thanks for the responses.

Hi Justin and welcome.

Firstly, I think it will very advantageous to you to join up with the Wildlife Sound Recording Society - it's only £35 a year for someone in the USA and what you get would be very useful to you.

I can't help with cameras at all, but for microphones look at the Sennheiser MKH series as these are the "industry standard" amongst wildlife recordists as they operate well under nasty climatic conditions (eg: heat, cold, damp and wet, etc..).

You would probably need an MS set-up (MKH 30/40) and a short gun (ideally MKH 60, this can also be used with the MKH 30 for MS if you like).

You may also find a parabolic reflector useful (with MKH 20 or MKH 40) - The WSRS make one which is a very good price.

For a recorder, look at the Nagra VI and the Sound Devices 788T, 744T and 702T (I use the Nagra VI myself).

I hope this helps.

Hi Justin, welcome to DVInfo

Have you checked out the Nature/wildlife section of the forum yet?
Under Water, Over Land Forum at DVinfo.net
You might get some answers there.

I do mostly nature/wildlife video myself with a Canon XM2. (roughly the old "SD" version of the XHA1 you have). I would suggest you invest in a telephoto extender to be able to zoom in more than the 20x zoom can.

Several of the forum members here use the Canon XL-H1 combined with EOS adapter and lenses for wildlife.