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bkatran · Jul 18, 2003, 12:40 PM

I'm about to buy a new camera, and its between the two of these. Price wise its not a big deal, the sony is a little bit more, i can get both for around 2 grand. Which one should i get and why.

Axo1ot1 · Jul 18, 2003, 01:04 PM

What are you going to use it for? If you're going to spend 2 Gs there are other, better cameras in that range depending on your planned usage.

bkatran · Jul 18, 2003, 01:08 PM

Home movies, my aunts a professional singer so I would film her performances, etc. I appreciate your help.

Axo1ot1 · Jul 18, 2003, 02:13 PM

Well they are both very good cameras. I tend to prefer Canon over Sony, but that is just a matter of personal preference. If you are recording audio you might look into a slightly more 'pro' camera like the PD 150 (the pro variant of the vx2000) which has a very decent shotgun mic. The trouble with hard-mounted mics like on the GL2 and VX2000 is that they have a tendency to pick up hum from the servos in the camera and any rattling of the case. If you are interested in shooting in widescreen, you also might look into the Sony PDX10, it has the same mic as the PD150 but does naitive 16:9 which is very cool.

Also keep in mind the incedental costs of buying a camera. A camera that caosts $2k will likely end up costing you more like $2.5k by the time you have finished adding necessary accessories such as a tripod, a carrying case, tapes and possibly lens filters and adaptors.

wilsonX · Jul 21, 2003, 08:56 AM

I have the canon gl2. It's been great for my needs, but I'm not a pro user. I'm trying to build a small side business to supplement my income. So the gl2 has been used to make a couple of marketing videos for work. The footage is excellent. Frame movie mode creates very beautiful shots of athletic events, spotlight mode helps you to shoot school plays with great results.

Axo is right though, I did not anticipate having to buy all the needed accessories. If you shop around on the internet, you'll find some good deals. I bought lense filters: uv, flourescent, and a warming filter; An xlr adapter from studio one; a samson wireless lavalier mic; extra battery; and a hard case to put all this stuff into. That was a lot more than I bargained for. Fortunately, being a beginner meant that I did this slowly over time...'cause it took me awhile to figure out that I needed this stuff to do a good job.

wilsonX · Jul 21, 2003, 05:43 PM

bkatran, to respond to your email...these are the people I bought my Canon GL2 from. I HIGHLY recommend them. My camera was shipped next day (I didn't pay for that...they just did it.) and the camera was double boxed for extra care and safety. Their price is very competitive. They weren't the cheapest but they can be counted on. No scams, no bait and switch, no trying to get me to buy extra accessories...just excellent service and delivery. Here's the link http://www.bestpriceaudiovideo.com/p...Inventory=1873

I don't know much about sound issues so check with your aunt on what microphone she uses. Maybe she can help you with those questions. You probably will need some type of beachtek adapter (xlr adapter) for the professional microphones your aunt most likely uses. I bought mine from http://www.studio1productions.com/xlr-menu.htm
whether this is a good adapter or not, I don't know. It meets my purposes just fine. I use it to catch people speaking into a lavalier mic not people like your aunt singing. So good luck with that. You probably want to tap into the "house" system where ever she is singing. If not, then you could get a shotgun mic (the one on the camera is okay but your aunt probably would want better sound quality). Check out the websites for Azden, Sennheiser, Samson, etc... to see what they offer. Good luck. And take this advice with a grain of salt cause, I'm still a relative beginner too.

bkatran · Jul 21, 2003, 08:24 PM

cool thanks
what do you use your gl2 for?

bkatran · Jul 21, 2003, 08:27 PM

did you buy all your accesories fromt hat site as wlel?

wilsonX · Jul 21, 2003, 08:39 PM

Originally posted by bkatran:
cool thanks
what do you use your gl2 for?

I do the marketing video for a high school and I also use it for filming my kids. I bought the lense filters from a small outfit in California I think...I don't remember their name. The topic of lense filters took me a long time to research. The case I bought from a Ritz camera shop. It was $50.00 There are much more expensive cases out there...don't be fooled. Try doing a search in the camera equipment section of ebay then look for the same bags and cases in luggage...You'll see the same stuff for a lot less under luggage. It as though if the item has "camera accessory" attached to it, then the item costs a ton more. Go figure.

bkatran · Jul 21, 2003, 09:00 PM

i might just buy it from there...with a canon soft back they have a 250 dollar rebate on the gl2 right now

and then im buying the canon hard case and accesories from macmall

bkatran · Jul 21, 2003, 09:05 PM

www.royalcamera.com

what do you think?
they have it for 1628.99 shipped

wilsonX · Jul 22, 2003, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by bkatran:
www.royalcamera.com

what do you think?
they have it for 1628.99 shipped

check out their feedback on pricegrabber
http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_g...14d140c5bea043

wilsonX · 10:34 AM

Originally posted by bkatran:
i might just buy it from there...with a canon soft back they have a 250 dollar rebate on the gl2 right now

and then im buying the canon hard case and accesories from macmall

wow...

Although you could go [/url]
http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs...p;cat2=1001741 and save about $200.00 (this is what I have).

wulf · Jul 24, 2003, 09:45 AM

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
PD 150 ... has a very decent shotgun mic

Well the one we got could only be considered 'decent' compared to the omnidirectional mics hardwired on the cheaper cameras. It's actually pretty crap as shotgun mics go, as the pickup falls off dramatically after just a few inches. Works quite well as a nearfield condenser mic though, so I actually do use it for voiceovers. But I would never use it in the field.

If you want a decent shotgun mic, I would highly recommend the Sennheiser K6/ME66 combo, which is what we use

Also, wilsonx, I've had other pros recommend the Studio 1 over the Beachtek, so, yes I think it is a good XLR adapter. Though I've not used it myself

FWIW, I also like the Canon cameras - I used to have an XM1 (Euro version of GL1). But for straight shooting (no 16:9, no frame mode, etc.) I still think the VX2000 beats the GL2. Not by much, but it's just that bit cleaner an image, IMHO.

bkatran · Jul 24, 2003, 01:20 PM

just bought myself a gl2

bkatran · Jul 25, 2003, 12:17 AM

hey wilson so what kind of filters did you get?
and recommendations?

jatala · Jul 26, 2003, 04:19 PM

if you are going to film your family members sing, you better have a camcorder w/ a XLR plug, or get an adapter for that (they suck)...so my suggestion is to go for the SOny pd-150...it features XLR (balanced) and its quality summits both the vx2000 and the canon one. but, on the other hand, if youre short on cash, save some more and buy yourself a good camcorder, thus quality is an important factor on your movies. consider gettin a mic w/ that too. the pd 150 has a decent one (as somebody up there said) . you can browse the BH store online, and also use it to purchase your stuff. I shop w/ them and ill tell ya, the guys are professional.

www.bhphoto.com