Just wanted to say Gday from Sunny Florida (well sorta sunny today)

Ive been trying to log on all weekend as I have a heap of questions that some of you might be able to point me in the right direction as Im kinda new to all this

My wife and I run a unique business that specializes in classic cars that puts us in a lot of different countries and several people have said we should start filming the everyday runnings of it as its extremely interesting as a kind of reality TV program

I bumped into a guy a few months ago that is currently or has finished doing a reality program that is to air soon and I run this by him and he was all over it like a fatkid on a cup cake...so it may just be a good idea after all

Before I ask my questions, Im basing them on a reality series like American pickers where most of the time its filmed in the car and the rest jumping through peoples barns

So heres a few of my questions

* We need a decent camera for when were out of the car and doing our general day to day stuff. Filming in the office, warehouse, home, airports, international cities and events

* We also need 2 cameras that mount inside the cars for filming the journeys we take (thats quite alot)

* Audio...well, were thinking of getting those units that clip to your belt with mic's but not sure if they transfer the audio direct to the footage your taking or does that have to be edited

Im really trying to get something that is exellent quality footage and audio from the start. As you can tell, Im no pro, so I kinda need some help of what I should buy to get me started. The fella I met that just finished his series, said I would need to spend around $2-$3,000 for a decent camera

Any help would be appreciated to get us on our way

Many thanks

Matt

Hi neighbor,

I would look at the GoPro for the window shots. I have the NX-5 and the FS-100 but those are out of that range you said. I just bought the new Sony HDR-CX760 for $1500 and have to say it is like having a steady cam. The lens is like an eye ball, it moves to keep it rally smooth shots. It might work well for some of your shots that might need a small but very steady shot. There is a pro model but don't know the number of it. It might be small but the footage looks better than my NX-5. By the way I love American pickers but my wife hates it.LOL

Dan

Dan, do you have any idea the name of the pro model of the Sony HDR-CX760? I think I would like to have one to pair with a NanoFlash. That is if the HDMI out is clean.

Ron,

The model is HXR-NX30U it is not out yet. Here is the press release http://pro.sony.com/bbsccms/static/files/micro/Sony_HXR-NX30U_NXCAM_camcorder-NAB_2012.pdf

I don't know about the HDMI if it is clean. But the AVCHD is better than you might think. I have seen were they would compare the two and couldn't tell much of a difference.

Dan

Thank you for taking the time to find that for me. I am very interested in this camera.

Not to throw cold water on your idea, but the "reality" shows you see are not really do-it-yourself projects. Take a look a the behind-the-scenes episodes of the Sons of Guns or the one, I forget the title, about the gold prospectors, and see what goes into making these series.

You have whole production crews with multiple cameas, sound and lighting people, a producer or two who pretty much direct everything...it's not home-movie-simple, if you are going for a real, Discovery-channel type reality show. Nothing wrong with your topic, but it takes a real production effort and a lot of people to put these shows together! Might be worth sending a prospectus to some of the people in your target market and gauge their interest. If Discovery wants you, (and why not? ) they'll put the crew together.....best wishes for your success!