I know this has been asked a bunch of times and I've searched through a lot of the posts here in this forum and have gotten a lot of great information. I just wanna say this forum is amazing.

I'm in Michigan and am new to the event Videography business. My main focus will be shooting Indian weddings because I'm most familiar with them. Ofcourse I will not be limiting myself to just that type of event.

I'm very good with computers and have used that skill to learn Video Editing software at a very quick pace. I recently got married and am using the Raw footage from my on wedding to put my own presentation together. When I look at the work the guy from my wedding did, I know we went cheap, but I think to myself, I could do that. So I am. I'm using Corel Video Studio X3. I've previewed Adobe Premier and Pinnacle Studio. Although similar, I think Corel is easy to use and has tons of features to allow me to do what I want to do. So I'm going to stick with that.

Now for the Camera, I'm stuck in what to purchase. And I know when I tell you that my budget is 2K, a lot of people will say I'm crazy and won't find anything worthwhile for that price. Well, I have seen used Camcorders that come with an entire package or accessories that I can get for under 2K. For someone who's just starting out, having an HD camera with atleast good sound and lighting, I think I can put together some great videos. And once I start making money, I will surely upgrade. But for starters, I'm looking at either the SONY HVR-A1U, SONY HDR-FX1000, SONY FX7 or the PANASONIC AG-HMC40.

These are all HD cams and have had great reviews overall, ofcourse each has their own drawback. I would reeeeeallly appreciate any feedback. I don't take offense to anyone's comments. I realize I'm a newbie entering into something that isn't easy. But its doable. Everyone here had a beginning and everyone has their stories. I love to hear about them because its inspiring.

Thank you in advance.

welcome Raji...

did u just say you can replicate cheap work? not really sure what u meant by that...seems weird to me

Nevertheless, personally i like the FX1000..a most notable user is the very popular and award winning wedding videographer Jason Magbanua.

Remember;

"A real pro can shine with some pretty basic equipment. That's not to say that they can't do even more with good equipment. The other way around is a different story. Good equipment doesn't fix anything for someone who doesn't know how to use it." - Jim Snow

"did u just say you can replicate cheap work? not really sure what u meant by that...seems weird to me"

My husband and I were on a tight budget when we got married last year and went with a guy who was cheap rather than someone who had HD and high-tech equipment. We needed someone to shoot the wedding/reception and just hand us the RAW footage. So the guy did a nice job, but we only paid for RAW footage and thats what we got. Thats what I meant that we went cheap.

I've been a hobby photographer and videographer for several years and I realize I would love to make it into a profession, part time for now. I'm having so much fun editing my own wedding video, but now I'm stuck with choosing some good equipment to shoot these kind of events.

Thanks for your input. I have narrowed it down to the FX1000 or the HVR-A1U. One doesn't have XLR inputs and the other has a bottom tape loader, for which I can purchase the Cavision Spacer. Decisions, decisions.

The FX1000 is a much newer, better cam, with sharper imagers, better LCD, better low light and better zoom range. No contest. You can buy an XLR adapter box for a couple hundred, or a Rode VideoMic for even less.

I'd go with the three chip FX1000 and add a Beachtek XLR adapter for your mics. The A1 is pretty old (it's based on the HC1, and that has morphed into the HC3, the HC5, the HC7 and the HC9 - that's how old the A1 is). It's done well, but is just about to be replaced by Sony this summer.

The FX will be better in low light, and the manual NDs offer you more in the way of photographic options for a start. Weddings are in essence run 'n' gun situations that are often held in fairly low (romantic) light, and clients won't take kindly to you turning up with a camcorder smaller than Uncle Bill's.

tom.

I just bought my 2nd FX1000 and I have to say the same - the best cam for weddings if you don't have time to think too much about settings, lighting, etc. Just turn it on and run :-)

This is why I love this site.

I didn't realize how old the A1 is. You made me laugh Tom.

Thanks everyone for your input

I'd go with the three chip FX1000 and add a Beachtek XLR adapter for your mics. The A1 is pretty old (it's based on the HC1, and that has morphed into the HC3, the HC5, the HC7 and the HC9 - that's how old the A1 is). It's done well, but is just about to be replaced by Sony this summer.

The FX will be better in low light, and the manual NDs offer you more in the way of photographic options for a start. Weddings are in essence run 'n' gun situations that are often held in fairly low (romantic) light, and clients won't take kindly to you turning up with a camcorder smaller than Uncle Bill's.

tom.

Tom, to clarify, the HVR-A1U has morphed into the HC3 and 5 and 7 and 9? Those are the HC models, I was referring to the HVR. And the A1U is a light cam, but doesn't look like any ol' handycam. Maybe I'm mistaken.

The A1U was the "pro" version of the HC1, with an XLR audio block/mic, fancier hood on the lens and eyepiece, and a few firmware tweaks to add pro features, but it's still pretty long in the tooth as cameras go.

There is a CANON A1 that is more along the lines of the bigger Sonys, perhaps that's what you had run into - sometimes we get mixed up with all the different camera models out there!

No question that the FX1000, IF you can pick it up anywhere close to the $2K mark is a good deal... but you won't find that price from a legit dealer, and going to be tough to find used at that price point - it's around $3K street IIRC. The FX7 is in the $2K street, and a bit less used range... but older and less camera.

Other Equipment that is just as important.

1. Manfrotto Tripod or the Manfrotto Monopod with feet on the bottom.

2. A wireless mic like a Senheisser G2 100

3. On board light. Get the Comer light.


These three things will improve the production that even having the best camera won't be able to achieve.

I would recommend you rent a camera and tripod and buy a few acc. like the wireless mic and light.

You could rent the camera a dozen times and by then you might be able to buy something newer. Unless you know you will have more than 8-12 weddings this year you may never pay that camera off.

I rented before I bought and it was great to try out different cameras to see what I really liked and wanted in the next camera I bought. I ended up getting a Canon 7D and I LOVE IT!

I haven't purchased new cameras in two years, and have not kept up with new camera releases, either.
What I can tell you is you must record in a resolution that matches what you intend to produce on your finished disc.
Beyond that, you must meet photographic criteria. Can you control the camera when capturing video or not? Has to be your choice. Can you adjust exposure to meet changing lighting situations quickly? Can the recorded data be easily exported to your editing system? What quantity and kind of accessories will you need to allow you to record quality footage?

I ask these questions because I started with very expensive cameras (which worked very well) but discovered I could achieve the same results with less expensive cameras, so long as I could easily manage manual controls.

The end result is, I think, one's knowledge of camera operation. The more you know how to manage the camera the easier it is to manage a camera with limited features. My first camera lasted almost 9 years. It taught me so much I was able to invest in less expensive cameras and still achieve the same results.

Add another vote for the fx1000

put of all the cams you listed, its easily the best.

I used to use an FX7, great in daylight, VERY BAD IN LOW LIGHT.

Upgraded to a Z5 (pro version of FX1000) with the MCRK1 CF attatchment, and its a great camera.

I honestly think in terms of HDV, the Z5 (and FX1000 to a certain extent) is the best in the format (HDV)

Then of course there are the canon DLSR cameras to consider.

I use a Canon 7D with my Sony Z5, if I was just starting out, I would seriously consider going all DSLR.


But if you want to keep things as simple as pos, for 2k, i'd go with the fx1000

I see FX1000 is by far the preferred option.

I've also started to look into the Panasonic AG-HMC40

So between the HMC40 or the FX1000 - any thoughts?


Thanks in advance

If you're looking at the FX1000 and HMC40, have you thought about spending an extra couple of hundred dollars and getting an HMC150? Wonderful in low light, great colors, good manual controls, and it's tapless.

I would get the hmc150, but its not just a couple hundred bucks more, the best I've seen it is for about a $1000 more. Just can't get myself to pay that much just yet. But hey, I will upgrade once I make some return on my investment.

The HMC40 is tapeless and from all the reviews I've read it's pretty good in low-light. I saw some videos someone here posted that were shot with the HMC40.

Another vote for the FX1000.

The AVCHD footage from the HMC-40 will require alot more horsepower to edit than the HDV cameras.

The FX1000 will completely outshine the HMC-40 in lowlight situations, and it's controls are a bit easier to access. It's got a really great lens that starts fairly wide and has a 20x zoom range.

Remember the other essesntials:

- a DECENT tripod; check out the Libec TH-650 as the absolute bare minimum
- XLR adaptor; either a Juicedlink or Beachtec
- A shotgun mic
- Wireless lavalier mics (a cheaper but less convenient option is an external audio recorder and a wired lav mic. With this you will need to sync the audio while editing)
- An external light for receptions.
- Plenty of spare batteries.

I've been reading a lot of great things about the FX1000 after everyone pretty much voted for it. Sadly its a little out of my budget at this point. I think I'll stick with the same family though and go for the Sony FX1. I know its been around for a while, but with an external XLR Box, HD Resolution, 3CCDs, and for the price, I think it'll be great to get me started. And I would love to upgrade to the FX1000 or even better cam once I get my feet wet.

Thanks everyone...and if I'm making the wrong choice, I guess I will have to live and learn through my mistakes. I appreciate everyone's input.

Aw shucks...just realized, the FX1 is a Tape Only Camcorder. No Memory Slot compatibility!!! Darn, I was all set to buy this. I don't want to be limited to Only Tapes.

If only the FX1000 would come down in price a lil

Sorry to keep bugging everyone.

Anyone have experience with the Sony HDR-FX7?

Seems like a great buy for the price and the capabilites of this camcorder.

Aw shucks...just realized, the FX1 is a Tape Only Camcorder. No Memory Slot compatibility!In this regard it is identical to the FX1000. Both will take an external card or HDD recorder via FW -- you mount it to the accessory shoe in either case. Anyone have experience with the Sony HDR-FX7?

Seems like a great buy for the price and the capabilites of this camcorder.It's a fine cam and quite possibly the best value for features vs. price out there. But it isn't great in low light, if that's important to you. May not be the best choice for weddings -- better suited to outdoor sports due to its very long tele lens. Otherwise, a very good performer.

Raji, if you're feeling adventurous and self-confident you can also try the DSLR route. I still prefer to have DSLR for specific things, but many people seem to prefer the DSLR only solution. Maybe the Canon 550D along with a couple of lenses, mics and tripod is a good solution. Quality-wise it blows every same priced camcorder out of the water. But it's much harder to work with than with a normal camcorder.

In this regard it is identical to the FX1000. Both will take an external card or HDD recorder via FW -- you mount it to the accessory shoe in either case.It's a fine cam and quite possibly the best value for features vs. price out there. But it isn't great in low light, if that's important to you. May not be the best choice for weddings -- better suited to outdoor sports due to its very long tele lens. Otherwise, a very good performer.

As much as the HDD recorders cost, I might as well buy the FX1000. That seems to be the perfect camera for what I'm looking for.

In my price range, the FX7 is not good in low light. The HMC40 might be too much of a horse for editing. The FX1 is Tape Only which I don't like. The A1U is small and looks amatuer. Sony HVR-HD1000U , kind of heavy from what I hear. Sony HVR-A1U?? Geez, whats a girl to do?

:-)

The FX1 is Tape Only which I don't like.Again, every Sony you've mentioned is Tape Only, natively. All could take an external recorder in exactly the same way. So I don't see how that disqualifies the FX1 and not the others.

But I agree the FX1000 is the best choice if you can afford it. But again, it is a tape cam that would need to have the external recorder (extra $$) mounted on the accessory shoe, just as with the others. The FX1000 does not include the card or disk recorder and it does not integrate seamlessly with the unit (as it does with the Z5 and Z7 [Z5 optional, Z7 included]).

If you want to go completely tapeless, you should be looking at the AX2000 or NX5.

Keep in mind you also will need a reasonable BACKUP camera if you're charging $$ for your services (not to mention the advantage of having a second cutaway angle from that second cam). SO your budget just doubled, sorry...

I'll be the total heretic here and suggest that for your first couple jobs (which probably should be freebies or low cost, to get yourself some experience/demo reel material), you may want to consider seriously looking at a couple of high end consumer models, like the Sony CX550V (which apparently will be sold in a "tricked out" "pro" version - not much info on it other than a "euro" model shown at NAB, but looks like it will replace the A1U). Panasonic and Canon have some similarly excellent tapeless cameras this year. If you're really trying to stretch the budget, you can buy last years (or a year or two earlier) models used...

The small cams aren't going to "look" impressive, but you can add a few accessories that will help, and these cameras will give you a great image, albeit with limited manual control. You'll still be spending a couple grand by the time you add audio and all the extras you will HAVE to have for a complete kit (extra batteries, lights, filters, tripod, monopod, wireless mic or digital recorder, etc...) so in theory you'll have more "kit" than "uncle Bob" can muster up.

You'll find many guys here using these small cams for extra angle cams for those who shoot multcam, so it would give you a nice start... get some good footage and decide whether you REALLY want to do this crazy gig. If you do, you'll have a show reel and can book a couple jobs and go buy a "big cam" like an AX2000 or NX5, or HMC150, or whatever, if you find you really need it.

Frankly you have to spend an awful lot to get any noticeable improvement in image quality over the current crop of top of the line consumer cams, and for the sort of "artistic" shooting that usually would benefit from a bigger camera, I think you could add in a Canon T2i... My next "big cam" will likely be whatever Sony Alpha body with video finally shows up on the market - if I didn't have all the accessories/lenses, I'd prolly go with the T2i.

Perhaps this might be a good combo: buy a T2i, and a top end "consumer" video cam, learn what they can and can't do image wise, and worst case you decide you hate doing this, you've got good "family cameras". I think it's safe to say you'd be able to effectively acquire images that will impress most people with a kit like that - then it's down to your "eye" and your camera skills (OK, editing is important too), which are more important than what camera you're shooting approximately 100% of the time.

Remember... it's not the camera, it's the nut behind the LCD/viewfinder. While we discuss cameras here, it's pretty much the same way a woodworker would talk table saws (personally I like my Ryobi 10"). In the end it comes down to skills, creativity, and talent of the "operator" more than some inherent shortcoming or another of a particular piece of equipment. A knowledgeable operator can probably overcome most if not all "shortcomings" of the equipment once they know the way a camera operates.

I used to shoot on an FX7, in daylight, or a VERY well lit room, its pretty darn good, as soon as its slightly dark, its bad, VERY bad.

I Upgraded from the FX7 to the Z5 with card unit,

BEST

DECISION

I

EVER

MADE


Sold my FX7 and bought a 7D, if memory serves the 7D is a similar price to the FX7, in that case 7D wins hands down. Sure, its got its limitations and you'll eventually spend more on lenses, but 7D>FX7 any day of the week and twice on Sundays!

So If you can afford the FX1000, def get it.

If you can only afford the FX7, seriously consider the 7d

I woudnt spend money on the FX1 either, its slightly better than the FX7 in low light, and is slightly bigger, but PQ terms, not much in it. FX1 is old model too, but doesnt suffer from rolling shutter (which the FX7, etc do, but its no big deal, not to me anyway)

my 2 pennies

I'd have to agree with Dave that a consumer camera may be the way to go. Something like the Panasonic TM-300 or Canon HFS11 would be suitable. The imporatant thing if you decide to go this route is to ensure you find a camera that will integrate with standard accessories. I don't like the Sony's for this reason - they mostly only work with propriety mics and media.

Once you have chosen your camera, spend the rest of the budget on GOOD accessories. XLR adaptors, good mics, a solid tripod, etc will all work with the next camera you get and are just as critical as the camera to getting good quality overall.

If you decide you like it and start earning some money then you can get an FX1000 or something similar and still use all your accessories. Then the smaller cam can be used as your b-camera/backup.

All the Sony camera's you've mentioned are tape only unless you buy the extra recorder. Also it should be mentioned that any camera in your price range that isn't natively tape-only will be AVCHD which will probably require a computer upgrade for editing.

Make no mistake, Digital Video is an expensive hobby, and an even more expensive profession. I often find myself looking at photographers and wishing I too only needed to invest in 2 bodies, some decent glass (which holds it's value well, unlike video cameras) and a Core 2 Duo laptop for editing.

HF-S11 and TM300 are last years models, meaning maybe available on closeout if you shop... but...

The new TM700 actually looks to be quite an upgrade, and the HF-S21 has a few nice touches like LANC. This year the Sony XR550 and CX550 actually added compatibility with SDHC media, and they've got the standard 1/8" stereo mic input (as do Canon and Panasonic). The top of the line models this year are probably closer on performance and features than ever before. I doubt you could go too far wrong with any of the three brands.

The main reason I lean toward the Sony is the low light performance of the "R" CMOS, and the excellent stabilization when handheld - Canon and Panasonic have made some good improvements so they may be a bit closer this year, but in those two respects Sony is hard to beat. Plus the "look" might match up better if an FX1000 or other Sony camera was the "future" upgrade.

EVERY manufacturer is proprietary to some extent (batteries), and as long as you've got 1/8" mic inputs, that's universal, you can always add an adapter or bracket for a shoe mount. Tripods will fit anything, and beyond that, lenses and such will be cam specific. Sony has stuck to a 37mm thread for a long time, so their accessories often will pass between generations.

The CX550 has 64G flash built in, should be enough for most shoots (Indian weddings might hit the wall on that, from what I've heard?), and SDHC or MS Duo memory is cheap enough to add on. I noticed Sony had it on special for $1050 yesterday on their site, so it's a decent deal.right now.

To be "comfortable" editing AVCHD, you will want to have a reasonably current computer, but i3/i5/i7 quad core CPU machines are becoming pretty reasonable - main thing is that ALL the hardware should be fairly current, and "video" optimized.

Again, every Sony you've mentioned is Tape Only, natively. All could take an external recorder in exactly the same way. So I don't see how that disqualifies the FX1 and not the others.

But I agree the FX1000 is the best choice if you can afford it. But again, it is a tape cam that would need to have the external recorder (extra $$) mounted on the accessory shoe, just as with the others. The FX1000 does not include the card or disk recorder and it does not integrate seamlessly with the unit (as it does with the Z5 and Z7 [Z5 optional, Z7 included]).

If you want to go completely tapeless, you should be looking at the AX2000 or NX5.

Sorry Adam, maybe I'm reading it wrong, but I'm looking at the bhphotvideo.com and the specs say that the FX7 does have a Memory Stick Pro Slot; and the FX1000 and the A1U say that it has the Memory Stick Duo Slot.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it does seem to have the memory stick slot and not just tape.

The memory stick slots on the fx7, fx1000 etc are only for taking stills and storing pic profiles, you cant record video to them.

Wow, thats amazing. I was just reading that on the Sony Website. So anyone recording events with some of the above mentioned cameras, unless they use an external hd or recorder, they just record to Tape?

So what I would need is a camera that has a Compact Flash slot as well? The Panasonic HMC40 does record directly to flash cards. I see the Z5u rsays it has a Compact Flash for Video Recording, Requires Optional Addon. Anyone know what kind of Add-On they mean?

Yes.

Sony | HVR-MRC1 Memory Recording Unit | HVR-MRC1K | B&H Photo

And you can use that unit with any cam that has firewire and an available standard accessory shoe. But with the Z5 and Z7, it snaps directly onto the back of the cam via a special connector, so you don't need either the shoe or a firewire cable.

So between the HMC40 or the FX1000 - any thoughts?

You know the spec of the Sony, so take a look at the HMC40:

No ND filters - only auto, so you have far less aperture choice.
¼" chips
12x zoom, that starts out at 41mm wide-angle. Wide-angle??
No zoom ring (or focus ring - you decide).
1 card slot
side- not top screen
No slow movie shutter speeds
More compact and lighter.

tom.

So now I'm looking at the Canons. Ive seen the Canon XH-A1 for about $2300 on Ebay and that includes a bunch of vital accessories. I've read about that as well and even with some of the downfalls of that camera, still seems like a great deal for what this Canon can do.

Anyone have experience with this one?

The XHA1 is indeed an excellent camera, and made even better when it was face-lifted to the S model. The top screen is slightly small but that's about the only downer.

Raji if you decide on going canon way and buying an XH, get the S version. It's a great camera for the price. You always have the option of sticking a nano if you decide going solid state as well... Just my $0.02.

Thank you everyone who has responded. I read all comments and appreciate every one of them.

Just an update. Although I really wanted a tapeless camera, for the price and quality, I couldn't find what I needed. So I decided to buy the Canon XH-A1 . I just received it in the mail today. Can't wait to dig in. I've been watching some work produced on these and man, they're amazing.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Congrats on your new camera. You got yourself a great piece of gadget!