Camcorder or DSLR/ mirrorless

[Aereldor]

2 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

Not much I can add, I looked on B&H to see if there are camcorders with 1" sensors for under $1000.  The cheapest one, as far as B&H is listing, costs around $1200-1300.  There may be something in the used market, however it's not like there is a good centralized online store that lists all available used stuff.  Perhaps look in local classifieds or camera stores that carry used products.

 

The only thing I would contribute now:

• Is the OP ( @another random person ) going to be doing this as part of a paid gig?
• Will it become a regular thing that could sort of provide some return of investment if he/she invests in a more "advanced/professional" looking camera setup?

Because if the answers to both questions are either a definite Yes or high probability Maybe, then perhaps the OP can consider putting together a more appropriate rig that may be costly in the initial investment but pays back on the long run.

I've been looking for cheap camcorders with large sensors for the better part of five years, and I haven't found anything.

Edit: I was wrong about the constant aperture. Goes down to f4.5. Yuck.

[another random person]

1 hour ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

Not much I can add, I looked on B&H to see if there are camcorders with 1" sensors for under $1000.  The cheapest one, as far as B&H is listing, costs around $1200-1300.  There may be something in the used market, however it's not like there is a good centralized online store that lists all available used stuff.  Perhaps look in local classifieds or camera stores that carry used products.

 

The only thing I would contribute now:

• Is the OP ( @another random person ) going to be doing this as part of a paid gig?
• Will it become a regular thing that could sort of provide some return of investment if he/she invests in a more "advanced/professional" looking camera setup?

Because if the answers to both questions are either a definite Yes or high probability Maybe, then perhaps the OP can consider putting together a more appropriate rig that may be costly in the initial investment but pays back on the long run.

 

My budget is as fixed as a budget can be unfortunately, and I will not be getting paid to do the filming. 

[AkiraDaarkst]

3 hours ago, another random person said:

My budget is as fixed as a budget can be unfortunately, and I will not be getting paid to do the filming. 

Understandable that you might not have a flexible budget but damn, it's too bad that you will be investing in a camera kit but won't be getting any money back for the work.

[dizmo]

12 hours ago, another random person said:

How did the camera perform in dark places like a suburban street at night?

It worked pretty decently in the forest during dusk. We never used it at night.

[iamMINT]

Whoa whoa- okay. So I do this kind of work a few times every week at different places and, well, its REALLY something you don't want to be doing with either a dslr or mirrorless, but I'd go with a mirrorless if you really can't afford a real production grade camera.

 

A entry level camera/lens for something like this would be around $20,000. Without a real production camera you're gonna get huge overheating problems, noise problems, and the thing won't even broadcast or stream most of the time without it recording constantly. I recommend, if this is just a one-time paid gig, that you go and rent some equipment and add it to what you're charging. 

 

For a one camera concert gig you're going to need different things depending on what you'd be willing to buy or rent, depending on if this was a one time deal or not. I'm talking a real expensive tripod with handle controls, a viewfinder graded for 1080p video, a switcher to control your feed and convert the output from the camera into something that you can actually use, a control unit for the camera, and of course- the camera and the lens. 

 

To rent all this I'm not sure how much it would be but, it wouldn't be cheap. I can't really recommend that you do concert streaming and recording without at least entry-level equipment for that kind of thing. 

 

The lowest end camera I've seen for this camera would be something like one of these http://www.atsrentals.com/sony-nx5u-rental.html. Thats the cheapest thing that I can recommend for this use, as someone who uses these things all the time. Though, you're going to need more than just that to do what you're wanting.

[another random person]

39 minutes ago, JohnBRoark said:

snip

 

Thanks for your reply, I have however decided to purchase a Sony HDR-CX625 Camcorder, plainly because of its low cost and acceptable performance. Also, I am not getting paid nor paying for the camera equipment, I just volunteered to run cameras for a private performance so any camera I get is acceptable. I used it yesterday and so far the features are more than what I needed and what was expected, as before the new camcorder, they were shooting in 720p/30fps. Which is now 1080p/60fps.

 

I have a DSLR which I can use for filming where I am closer to the subject/s meant to be in the video. But thanks again for your contribution.