Buying a video camera?

Mike Danger

So, I landed a job tonight recording video for the Student Council meetings here. I don't actually start until this coming spring. The thing is that I am expected to supply my own camera.

I don't own one, and I am currently in the midst of researching my options here on campus for borrowing one every week. I have a pretty good relationship with the guy who runs Media Services (the department that manages all of the video cameras, laptop carts, etc.--he is technically under the same branch of ITS as me, and lets me grab stuff for free), but I am worried about straining it by asking him to borrow a camera every week. Furthermore, while I was under the impression that the cameras they let you borrow from the arts department were reasonably good, it seems I've been informed this is not the case.

I'd really rather not blow the bank on this one, so all I need is a reasonably good camera that I can connect to my Mac. One thing is that it has to be able to record 3-4 continuous hours of video (student council meetings are LONG).

Does anything like this exist in the $100-$200 price range?

Fatty McBeardo

3 to 4 hours of video in that price range is going to be tough.

You could probably score an older minidv camera off of your local craigslist for close to that.

But the thing is this logging, capturing, editing, and encoding/compressing 3 to 4 hours of video is going to be tedious work, at best. How much of those videos will be retained? If you can save some highlights then cool, but if they want the entire thing that's going to be pretty intensive work.

Mike Danger

Yeah, they want the whole enchilada to be played back on the campus TV station/a TV in the University Center every week. It's one of those due diligence, informing-the-public type of things.

Seeks

You might try buying an HD Flip (or whatever works) to get closeups or whatever, and have something you borrow from campus running in the background on a different tripod, or from another angle, the entire time. Just edit stuff together later.

I can't see how you'd get 3-4 continuous hours of decent quality footage for $200 or less, though, unless miniDV is acceptable quality. Or unless you're relying on campus equipment, which honestly worked out pretty well for a friend of mine.

For another hundred or two hundred dollars, you might be able to get something that can record onto SD cards, and then a giant SD card. You might also see if there are any breaks or intermissions during these meetings, and swap out cards during one if there are.

Djeet

3-4 hours continuos video for $100-200 is going to be tough. Besides storage is the power issue, you'll need either multiple batteries or shoot off of AC power. Given what you're recording, good audio is likely more important then good video and it's unlikely you'll find a mic jack in that price range unless you go used. I think you're going to want to get something flash-based.

Check out this. You may even want to purchase from a local place with a good return policy and test it out to make sure it'll work for you (audio and power-wise). Then return it and source it for cheap online if it suits the task.

Hand-holding that fucker for 3-4 hours is going to be a bitch.

Mike Danger

Yeah, getting AC power is not a problem (the room is a fairly standard conference room).

I'm going to be shooting from one wide, static angle for the entire thing--I'm not concerned about getting closeups, and I don't think that the student council is, either. The only thing they specifically mentioned to me about changing was that they are concerned about sound, as their current situation (just using whatever is onboard the camcorder) is not working for them.

I went to Media Services today but no one was around; I'll try again tomorrow and see what goes down. (Hopefully, he high-fives me and hands me a camera and a tripod and doesn't make me pay.)

ToyD

Go borrow one from the lab. Do not strain to buy a camera for this gig. It's a student function, borrowing an item from Media Services to record this student function should, in no way, strain a relationship. Explain what it's for, why you need it, work out a check-in/out process, and save yourself the money.

nexuscrawler

Get a mic. Even if it's a shotgun mic mounted on top of the camera. Built in mic's are horrid and will sound terrible.

Mike Danger

I went and talked to the guy today, and he basically said that he's cool with everything--camera, microphone (I have a tripod at home I can use), etc.

However, he did comment that there's no guarantee the camera will be available every week--i.e. if all of the cameras are taken out come meeting night, I'm up shit creek.

So, I'm still going to be looking for something for a backup.

Seeks

You might consider waiting until closer to whenever the meeting actually happens. See what comes down in price, etc.