Beginner's Questions
 

Hello.

I'm the New Media Communications Specialist at a company in Austin; we're wanting to branch out from text and podcasts into video-casting, but we'd like the stuff we produce to look professional. I'm using a consumer camera (a crap Canon ZR80) and I've managed to make some internal "proof of concept" videos but they still look like dung, worse still, they sound like dung because the ZR80 has no mic inputs. I might be able to record additional audio away from the camera but you all know the difficulties in getting audio to sync up to video.

So, at the bare minimum, we're looking for a DV camera with a microphone input - preferably for a lavelier mic. (And I could use some advice for getting a lavelier mic as well.)

But we might also want to branch out into providing HD video to basically "futureproof" our investment, if we ever need to shoot HD.

That's the main problem.

The other problem I'm having is how to transfer DV to DVD in Linux for a side-project. Has to be Linux (I'm writing a freelance article on the OS)

-- Brian

If you're on a budget get a Canon ZR500. It has a 3.5mm jack for an external mic.

For a lavalier, i suggest using a Audio Technica Omnidirectional Microphone (ATR35S)

i used this combo when i first started with DV. hope this helps.

Hi Brian, the big question is, how much can you spend on the new camcorder?