Essential Accessories for HG10

[Peter Hui]

Hi Everyone,

I just received my HG10 today and am looking to find out what accessories I need to buy.

I plan on using the camcorder primarily for family and vacation videos. As I get better and my interest evolves, I hope to expand it to other things. I will be editing on a Macbook Pro 2.4Ghz 256mb video laptop using iMovie.

I would appreciate your recommendations on what to get and what brand. I've started a small list but any help would be appreciated.

1. Additional battery. What brand and size?

2. Carrying case. Brand you guys like. I've used Tamrac and Lowe for my digital cameras but am open to suggestions.

3. External HD.

4. MiniSD card.

What else am I missing?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[John Stakes]

search search search! One thing i learned is that no matter what everyone says about each brand, you have to make the ultimate decision because you will be the one using it, with your setup, under your conditions. use the handy search box and just start plugging in brand names. or go to www.bhphoto.com and use there category search for tripods, accessories, etc...

popular brands...
bogen
miller
kata
lacie
panasonic

but you have a smaller sized camera, so accessories should be a little easier to find and carry less weight as far as compromises. all you need is good tape and a good tripod IMO.

welcome!

[Leopold Hamulczyk]

External mic - Rode Videomic would be a good starting point.
Lens hood - sunlight gets in there pretty easily.
Several batteries - cheap brands from the internet or ebay and maybe a dual charger.

[Sean McCormick]

I have a UV/Polarizer/Warm kit, bigger spare battery, SD card, VideoMic and the Canon wide angle. I also got the little vid light (cant remember the model offhand). The wide angle's great, but you can't use the HG10's onboard light with it on. :)

I'm intrigued with the DOF stuff that folks are trying with the HV20.

[Peter Hui]

Originally Posted by John Stakes

search search search! One thing i learned is that no matter what everyone says about each brand, you have to make the ultimate decision because you will be the one using it, with your setup, under your conditions. use the handy search box and just start plugging in brand names. or go to www.bhphoto.com and use there category search for tripods, accessories, etc...

popular brands...
bogen
miller
kata
lacie
panasonic

but you have a smaller sized camera, so accessories should be a little easier to find and carry less weight as far as compromises. all you need is good tape and a good tripod IMO.

welcome!

Thanks John! I've done a lot of searching and researching. The problem with that is that I generally find more conflicting opinions than consensus on specific items. For example, I was tempted to buy a generic spare battery from BHPhoto but the opinions were inconclusive. Thus I was hoping to tap the actual experiences of the people on this forum to see what worked for them and what's not.

Originally Posted by Leopold Hamulczyk

External mic - Rode Videomic would be a good starting point.
Lens hood - sunlight gets in there pretty easily.
Several batteries - cheap brands from the internet or ebay and maybe a dual charger.

Thanks Leopold! I've read a number people recommending the Rode. Would it be too heavy or overkill for a small camcorder like the HG10? I was also thinking about getting a clipped on mic. Is that recommended? Finally, any specific brand recommendations on batteries?

Originally Posted by Sean McCormick

I have a UV/Polarizer/Warm kit, bigger spare battery, SD card, VideoMic and the Canon wide angle. I also got the little vid light (cant remember the model offhand). The wide angle's great, but you can't use the HG10's onboard light with it on. :)

I'm intrigued with the DOF stuff that folks are trying with the HV20.

Thanks Sean! Would you mind sharing the brand of battery and video mic you use? I can certainly appreciate the wide angle but probably a little early in the game for me. I'll just pan!

[Leopold Hamulczyk]

Originally Posted by Peter Hui

Thanks Leopold! I've read a number people recommending the Rode. Would it be too heavy or overkill for a small camcorder like the HG10? I was also thinking about getting a clipped on mic. Is that recommended? Finally, any specific brand recommendations on batteries?

The Rode isn't very heavy, it's just longer than the HG10. If you get the Dead Cat (windshield) for it you would need to trim some of the hair otherwise it will appear in the top of the picture when the mic is mounted on camera. I also bought an Azden wireless mic kit consiting of handheld and clip on mic and a 3-mic mixer. As for batteries, I can't remember but I bought them online, from different suppliers.

[Sean McCormick]

I went with the 2400 mah Canon battery. I'm using the Rode Videomic. It's not heavy, has rolloff and can be attenuated (inside the battery compartment).