Camcorder Advice

Kias

I am trying to pick out some camcorders and equipment to set up a small studio that will help me record student presentations and use them to improve their speaking skills at the college where I work. I will also be going to classrooms to record live presentations and create an archive of student presentations. One of the biggest problems we have run in to so far is getting quality sound and I need to order several camcorders, plus equipment like tripods, memory cards, etc, that walk the line between quality and affordable since I am trying to keep this cost efficient.

So I was hoping anyone here who knows more about camcorders or recording in general could give me some pointers on what to look for in a camcorder. Is there certain brands, plugs, or features that are must have? I can't go crazy with spending, maybe $100-$200 per camera, but this is part of a plan that will take several years so I need equipment that won't fall apart.

For the sound problems, I read online that a small shotgun mic might help. Someone at the college also mentioned using lapel mics, though I don't quite understand how that would sync up with the live recording. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

hsu

If you need multiple cameras, to record multiple viewing angles at the same time, your sound problem only has one cheap solution: a dedicated mic, where you sync the audio to the video in post production.

Alternately, if you only need a single viewing angle, you can use one camera, and hook your dedicated mic directly to your camera, as long as your camera has mic inputs.

Notice the commonality is a dedicated microphone. The first solution requires video editing software, while the second solution requires a camera with mic inputs. Although the second solution is still helped tremendously by video editing software.

Why do I say camera, and not camcorder? Because nearly all quality video you see these days are done using cameras, not camcorders.

schuss

shotgun is the easy way to do it for a mic, as you can attach it directly to the camera. Lavalier mics will also work and aren't that hard to synch up. You just need to do a clap on camera early on in the recording if outputting to a separate device. Alternatively, have the receiver for the mics hooked up to the camera.
Since it sounds like you're on a budget, just get a shotgun or hook up a normal mic with a really long cord (to the camera) on a podium.

Kias

hsu wrote: »

If you need multiple cameras, to record multiple viewing angles at the same time, your sound problem only has one cheap solution: a dedicated mic, where you sync the audio to the video in post production.

Alternately, if you only need a single viewing angle, you can use one camera, and hook your dedicated mic directly to your camera, as long as your camera has mic inputs.

Notice the commonality is a dedicated microphone. The first solution requires video editing software, while the second solution requires a camera with mic inputs. Although the second solution is still helped tremendously by video editing software.

Why do I say camera, and not camcorder? Because nearly all quality video you see these days are done using cameras, not camcorders.

Thanks for the feedback! Just to clarify, what do you mean about cameras, not camcorders? Just like, a normal digital camera? Should I be looking for something else?

And it is option two, just a single angle with voice. Really the plan as of now is to go in to the room, put the camera/mic up on a tripod and aim it at students as they do their short presentations.

hsu

Even with a shotgun mic, put the mic right next to the person doing the talking. If that means running a long cord to the camera, so be it.

The problem with a shotgun mic is that it will still pick up background noise. The further away from the speaker the mic is, the louder the background noise in comparison. The only way to prevent excess background noise is to move the mic as close as possible to the speaker.

schuss

Yeah, at this point you can get plenty of digital cameras that will record nice video. Heck, even something like a gopro will do what you need to do from a video perspective.

Spiritfire

I've got a 4 year old Canon Vixia consumer camcorder that's been used for all sorts of projects over the years, including some simple wedding video projects. It has a hotshoe that supports a shotgun mic as well as a jack for an external mic. It doesn't have really fancy features built in, but that wasn't really a factor. It had a remote, but I never used it.

Considering that the planned use is within a classroom and audio is key, I wouldn't really recommend a GoPro unless you're permitted to use it for the more action-worthy uses. You'd also need to get the $10 tripod mount and presumably the mic adapter for $20. Still, I guess combined it is cheaper than some of the HD camcorders I'm seeing out there - many without a jack for an external mic. Depending on the ambient noise and the distance from the subject, you may be able to get away without a mic, but you did say that sound is something that is important.

You might be able to go on the cheap for tripods if you're planning on setting up the camcorder and then leaving it alone. If you're planning on tracking a moving subject, then having a sturdy tripod with smooth panning is much more of a concern. I'd look on Craigslist for any deals on those.