I am looking for a camcorder bundle to use for recording my band's shows. Is this a good choice (battery life, lighting, quality?)
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.
1030735
Only the flash card, which shouldn't be a problem. Generally a pretty good camcorder. The other thing you need to be aware of is that the "accessory shoe" slot is JVC "only". It is some proprietary size that does not accept normal shoe accessories like a light or microphone. (JVC makes it's own shotgun for this camcorder, but no light.) Generally very good quality imaging and a huge advantage of an external mic input and headphones for semi-professional use. I'd love to see it record in plain MPEG4 instead of the AVCHD or iFrame wrappers, but the can be decoded by most nonlinear edit systems. Also be aware it has it's own proprietary charger. It does not accept USB charges like most small camcorders. Pretty good battery life though. Hope this helps.
2211627
Nope. This is a pretty basic camcorder. Does not have that kind of versatility.
1847688
This camcorder is not set up to record concerts or music. It has no external jacks to install high quality microphones. I would say the sound is standard for an entry level camcorder.
1150651
The batteries will last more than long enough for you. But what I do is plug it into the wall, and I can record all day. This camera includes a decently long plug. On the lowest video quality and excellent sound quality, the image is still sharp, and a single 16G card will hold over 5 hours of sessions. I record, go home, and unload the videos onto a secured external hard drive. Playback directly from the device to HDMI is also a great feature for reviewing sessions. The stand included is perfectly fine but very small. To get the best wide angle I use a taller stand. Best insurance investment ever. The batteries will last more than long enough for you. But what I do is plug it into the wall, and I can record all day. This camera includes a decently long plug. On the lowest video quality and excellent sound quality, the image is still sharp, and a single 16G card will hold over 5 hours of sessions. I record, go home, and unload the videos onto a secured external hard drive. Playback directly from the device to HDMI is also a great feature for reviewing sessions. The stand included is perfectly fine but very small. To get the best wide angle I use a taller stand. Best insurance... » Read More The batteries will last more than long enough for you. But what I do is plug it into the wall, and I can record all day. This camera includes a decently long plug. On the lowest video quality and excellent sound quality, the image is still sharp, and a single 16G card will hold over 5 hours of sessions. I record, go home, and unload the videos onto a secured external hard drive. Playback directly from the device to HDMI is also a great feature for reviewing sessions. The stand included is perfectly fine but very small. To get the best wide angle I use a taller stand. Best insurance investment ever. « Show Less
1462244
As far as sound quality goes, its awesome. The part where it lags is on on muliti track recording. I say this because you can't record seperate tracks individually like you can on a digital recorder. You can run 6 drum mics, guitar cab, bass, and vocals and whatever else in simultaneously and be fine but they are all going yo be down to left or right channels. You can go back and add overbubs with no problem but if you everything on its own channel so you can go back in and protools it, its not gonna be so easy. But for what I use it for it is an awesome unit and I highly recommend it for recording practices and shows. If you are trying to make a good HQ demo, get a tascam or something similar. As far as sound quality goes, its awesome. The part where it lags is on on muliti track recording. I say this because you can't record seperate tracks individually like you can on a digital recorder. You can run 6 drum mics, guitar cab, bass, and vocals and whatever else in simultaneously and be fine but they are all going yo be down to left or right channels. You can go back and add overbubs with no problem but if you everything on its own channel so you can go back in and protools it, its not gonna be so easy. But for what I use it for it is an awesome unit and I highly recommend it for... » Read More As far as sound quality goes, its awesome. The part where it lags is on on muliti track recording. I say this because you can't record seperate tracks individually like you can on a digital recorder. You can run 6 drum mics, guitar cab, bass, and vocals and whatever else in simultaneously and be fine but they are all going yo be down to left or right channels. You can go back and add overbubs with no problem but if you everything on its own channel so you can go back in and protools it, its not gonna be so easy. But for what I use it for it is an awesome unit and I highly recommend it for recording practices and shows. If you are trying to make a good HQ demo, get a tascam or something similar. « Show Less
1856452
Roger... The image quality on this is probably the best you can buy for a web cam. If you don't mind spending extra, just get the retail box model with the CDs and whatnot. There other plug and play items out there from Microsoft which will take all the guesswork out of getting a webcam going... just sacrificing a SMALL amount of image quality.
1113301
yes, and quite good one. It is especially good for interviews, recording concerts, musical bands, etc. I recommend to check on youtube.
750385
It's good for simple videos with adequate light and sound. Keep in mind it is not a camcorder. It's fine for living room stuff and casual outdoor stuff, however you cannot zoom once it's recording.The video quality (and sound for video) is actually better than some portable blogging cameras (the ones specifically made for shooting low-res video)
576926
Depends on what you plan to use it for, but in general I would say lots of mini-dv tapes (run through these first or it can pose issues) a backup battery, a good sturdy tripod, an adjustable LED light (like a CN-76) with hotshoe (studio set-up is a different matter), and a video editing program of your choice on your computer (I recommend Corel Video Studio Pro for ease of use if you are just starting out).
1419038
What are you using this for? Mixers are for live performance, not the best way to record. The Alpha is a good VALUE but not the best, You buy this because it is 1/2 the price of the Persons or Focusrite interface
563357
It was much better than I was expecting. I thought it was very good for something so small and inexpensive. It will video continuously for one hour before you have to recharge it. It is a very fun thing to use because nobody had any idea they were being filmed! Hope this helps!
1875199
It comes with everything that it said would come with the camera. I did not have enough parts to be able to record to a DVR. I had to order a micro hdmi to 3 rca plugs cable and a power transformer to power the camera for longer periods of time. I had to talk to Sony before I got the parts I needed. I still have not used the camera for my band. We do not play that much, but when we do I'll use it and see if it does what I want. I want it mainly for sound.
930485
Yes, I am also a youtuber. I got this because the video on it is better than the three, but its best for taking pictures around 5k res, The video and audio sound great, I have had no problems, at all, or any complaints, If I were you, id go on ebay, and get the cheap generic brand 2 pack batteries for this also, becuase it helps a ton when your out some place taking pictures, the one I got was under 20 bucks, and it even came with adapters, and a car charger.
1008329
From my understanding, there were noticeable upgrades from the g15 video compared to the g16. I've never recorded a concert, but I have recorded a jam session in a pub in Glasgow as well as the organ playing at the Kelvingrove museum. The sound quality is better than any compact camera I've ever used. Very clear, crisp and true in my opinion. My main issue is it picks up wind when recording outdoors... But I believe that's common with the built in microphones in most cameras... I am also bummed that the hotshoe does not support microphones because the camera itself does not have an audio import Jack... Which would've made it perfect in my opinion... Other than that, the sound quality is really good when recording indoors and on still days outdoors. A side note, I imagine if you are going to concerts with really loud bass and beats (like rock concerts or the like)... I think most cameras will distort sound in general because of the high decibels going on. You'd probably need a proper camera with a proper microphone connected to it to get clean sound in a loud environment like a rock concert. But for something like an orchestra, I think it will be just fine.
1329555
I am not sure it would be the absolute best for it out of every camera ever made, but I believe it would be the best among cameras in this price range. You would want to read the online manual and determine which of the 'scene' modes would be best suited for night action shots. Additionally, my niece is in marching band, and it was great for taking video of her during competitions, etc. For video, be sure you change the focus to "AF-F Full-time AF" under the video mode menu so that it can change focus as you zoom in and out. And for both video and pictures, I was able to zoom in for a close-up from far back in the stands. I would highly recommend getting a couple extra batteries and a wall/car charger as well.
819459
Daytime photos/video are great. However, night time would be a problem...the quality is not good.... I would not recommend it for that purpose.....hope I helped answer your concerns...