ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

6 years, 11 months ago - John Lubran

Budget ?
Format?
4K?
HD?
Specific purpose/aspiration ?
Broadcast standard?
How small?

6 years, 11 months ago - Maria Argueta

Hello John, 4k would be nice, HD is enough. My aspiration is not to attract attention. Not necessarily broadcast quality but as close if possible (?) And didn't want to pay more than £600...Thanks

6 years, 11 months ago - Nathan Hannawin

Hi Maria,

If you are completely new to this you can probably get a Canon 4Dmk2 or 7D for really cheap. They are both probably close to 10 years old but many people on here would have started off using them and they will definitely teach you the basics. You could probably get a Blackmagic Cinema or Pocket camera for less than £600 too, but they are both quite ergonomically impractical and will cost a bit more with other equipment you need to get the best use out of them, but the picture quality will be far superior to anything else in that price range. Maybe even a Sony A7s which is very small and compact.

You will also need to consider lenses which can cost a bit more than the camera, but if you are willing to look you can find some bargains in camera shops/eBay from old/defunct camera companies

Hope that helps

6 years, 11 months ago - John Lubran

I'm not up to date on the many 'palmcorders' currently on offer but I imagine that there's a few on the market, even at 4K, that are easy to use, lower profile and easier to be descrete with, than any stills camera derived movie mode thing with a clunky, expensive detachable lens. There's a couple of Sony palmcorders from their consumer range that share the essentials of their professional counterparts but with out the balanced line mic XLR's. Nevertheless they do have the 3.5 audio mini jack that provides for a range of mics that'll give good audio for most practical purposes. The fixed zoom lenses are also good enough for a wide range of purposes. Such small run and gun cameras encourage the sort of free-form production that I imagine you're planning.

6 years, 11 months ago - Vinca .

Hi Maria,
Look on https://www.bblist.co.uk/search.php?category=Video+Cameras+-+HD Also consider if you want to get a camcorder or a DSLR. As Nathan suggested an old Canon is a solid choice, as is a Sony A7 however Panasonic have some great cameras. Good luck!

6 years, 11 months ago - Glyn Carter

I think John makes good points, and if you're not experienced you should probably look at the consumer market more than semi-pro equipment.

Maybe look at a GoPro and its competitors (Sony, Canon and others do similar cameras). They give a distinctive wide-angle "action camera" look, and no zoom, so may not be what you want. But they are tiny, 4k or HD, very tough and waterproof (will you be outside?). Easy to fix to clothes or bags so your hands are free (to hold a palmcorder, maybe?), and common enough to not draw too much attention.
Good luck!

6 years, 11 months ago - Tony Franks

You've got one already. Your smartphone. Just buy some good filmmaking accessories (sound, tripod, etc.) and Google "movies made on an iPhone".

6 years, 11 months ago - Maria Argueta

Thank you so much all of you!
I am not entirely new to this (I think I joined SP back in 2004, only I didn't change my pic all this time! ). Let's say I have been "absent" for way too long. I used to rely on professional cameramen plus my own equipment has gone rusty and outdated. I will study your recommendations for cameras and websites. Not sure about my Sony Xperia phone, though! : )

Thank you very much!