Hey, I am a new director and was wondering if this would be a good beginners Camcorder?
2044188
This would be a nice camcorder for beginners, it's main flaw is it's lack of a fully manual operation, which is a must if you're learning how to shoot video in general, as most professional shoots are done using custome settings in manual mode of the camera.I would recommend getting a video optimised DSLR, becuase it has a big sensoras it would give you a more "cinematic" feel to the video
2044189
I bought it 5 years ago. I believe there are more choices now, cheaper and powerful. I still enjoy it.
2044190
I'm no producer or anything, but this camera does take great video. It's got a decent warmth to the video also. If you're going amateur and would like a decent start up camera, I woul suggest this camera. Just keep in mind that you can use it only with a high powered computer. A regular computer won't be able to handle this thing... I am thinking of selling mine. My old MacBook Pro doesn't handle the files too well...
1080515
I guess the real question is what sort of recording are you doing and in what light. The sound quality on this unit is surprisingly good, and the video quality is good in most lights. I've used it to record orchestras in low light with good results. With the included SD card at medium quality you can record about 3 hours of video. My experience with the battery is that it will go about 2 hours on a full charge. If you're going to record more than 2 hours, bring both batteries and charge them both fully before you start. This unit will record off the AC as well, so you can remove the battery and use that, which will give you as much "battery" life as you need. Video recording quality is HD, so it is very good. Obviously, you can get better with a better camera (i.e., professional quality cameras starting from $800), but this camera has been surprisingly good on all levels and if you're submitting auditions or just want to see what you look like, this will not disappoint.
1721288
I'd have to agree with J.W Kennedy, it is very quirky. I'd suggest the Fisheye or La Sardina cameras for a true beginner. Even the Holga would be a bit easier (although that uses 120 film).
197752
It's a great camcorder though. It has more features than any other pocket camcorder. See my review on Amazon for details. http://www.amazon.com/review/R1EVMDDEHU0WG0/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN;=B003ZYEKJ0&linkCode;=&nodeID;=&tag;=#wasThisHelpful
780551
I think it is ok for a beginner, because he can use it immediately, as a point and shoot camera. The difference is that this camera will permit the gradual discovery of a lot of new possibilities, to beginners really interested in photography. .
1934525
Yes it is very user friendly even for a beginner. I haven't had any problems with this camera. The manual is ready to understand and got should play with it to see all the different settings that it can do.
192594
I apologize for taking so long to respond to this - it got lost in my Inbox. Yes, I would highly recommend this as a great beginner camera. Spend a bit of time and study the manual and practice with the different settings, and you will be amazed at the pictures you take!
1003728
It's perfect for the beginner. That is if you want to grow as a photographer, and not just use a point and click camera. It has enough "Auto" stuff to help you learn, but also offers the pro abilities that will make you stand out. I like crop sensor cameras cause I do a lot of wild life it feels like I get more bang for the buck out of my FX lenses, but if you are a serious Portrait photog, or don't want to sacrifice a little quality, then it's the wrong camera. But for a beginner... Heck yes.. Get it. I've been shooting nikon since 1973. Yep thats right 41 years. This is my go to camera. Not because it is hard to use, but because it can also be easy. It's perfect for the beginner. That is if you want to grow as a photographer, and not just use a point and click camera. It has enough "Auto" stuff to help you learn, but also offers the pro abilities that will make you stand out. I like crop sensor cameras cause I do a lot of wild life it feels like I get more bang for the buck out of my FX lenses, but if you are a serious Portrait photog, or don't want to sacrifice a little quality, then it's the wrong camera. But for a beginner... Heck yes.. Get it. I've been shooting nikon since 1973. Yep thats right 41 years. This is my go to... » Read More It's perfect for the beginner. That is if you want to grow as a photographer, and not just use a point and click camera. It has enough "Auto" stuff to help you learn, but also offers the pro abilities that will make you stand out. I like crop sensor cameras cause I do a lot of wild life it feels like I get more bang for the buck out of my FX lenses, but if you are a serious Portrait photog, or don't want to sacrifice a little quality, then it's the wrong camera. But for a beginner... Heck yes.. Get it. I've been shooting nikon since 1973. Yep thats right 41 years. This is my go to camera. Not because it is hard to use, but because it can also be easy. « Show Less
476823
I believe in keeping it simple. If it has a mic input, you can't go wrong. I shoot with a Nikon and the audio quality of my videos is great. As the saying goes: "I never leave home without it!"
474599
I have a question about this also...Is this a one-time use camcorder or can it be re-used?I am thinking the latter, just by virrtue of the selling price...Many thanks in advance!
1448330
I did not do anything special. Of course the manual only gives a hint.Send the manual through Google Translate helps a bit.I have used it for more about 6 months or so without problems.The cam has lots of features that can be accessed via the menu. Two issues: The manual is cryptic but one can experiment to figure it out.The record file format is mov which may work well for some users but I would prefer a different format.
611819
It will take beautiful video. You may be better off with a less expensive camera if you are just learning. iMovie or Final Cut works like magic.
1721900
The front camera shoots acceptable video. They call it HD but it sure doesn't look HD. The bottom camera is really bad. Looks like less than 1.3MP no matter what they claim. As far as still pictures go, you can snap them but they quality is low. I have an interest in video and photography myself. This unit is a nice starter but consider it to be a learner unit. You WILL crash many times. You WILL break it. The batteries WILL overheat and swell. You WILL have the unit take off and be uncontrollable. But it's relatively inexpensive for a drone so you WILL learn a lot. And for that, it's worth it.
2162653
The camera outputs 1080p, but no camcorder in this segment gets close to that in effective resolution. I find the picture reasonably good, but in terms of sharpness, an entry level canon dslr with movie mode will knock its socks off. But,and there is a big but, that comes at the expense of all the other issues you will have in terms of doing the filming with a dslr, like manual focusing (most models), audio recording (poor mic and level adjustments), panning (rolling shutter), ++.For home video, shooting kids in action, this camera is as good as it gets for the price in my opinion.
69008
Couldn't disagree more. First of all, this is a still camera. Your first two complaints are about video, which is frosting on the cake. If you want video, buy a video camera. My video camera takes crappy stills, but my T1i takes AMAZING video under many circumstances (better than my camcorder at least 60% of the time). Regarding autofocus, it's a truly amazing system. You probably haven't learned how to use it. Have you noticed how many positive reviews mention the great autofocus?
1089794
Yes it is. And you will grow into it as you get better one of the best cams on the market today
730064
If you are a beginner it's a really easy camara to start with, the flash is super fast if your using the automatic function.