best 2k first time video
- Thread starter rjdm
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Depends on what features you're looking for.
Want to shoot in HDV?
It's in your price range if you go with a lower priced housing. Might have to give up manual white balance control or some of the higher end features on the camcorder but it's possible.
Sony is selling the HDR-HC5 on sonystyle.com. They're currently in stock at $1099. It's a 1080I HDV camcorder. That also can record/playback in SD for compatiblity with standard computer systems/DVD burners for editing and DVD creation - the hardware requirements to edit in HD are pretty substantial.
It should fit into a TopDawg II housing, the HC1/HC3 do and they're built on the same case as the HC5. It sells online for $899. It's a depth and slightly feature limited(flat port instead of full zoomthru) L&M Stingray so it's a solid housing for the money.
I'm relatively certain that the HC5 would also fit into a Ocean Images Dolphin Pro. They're $849.
Either way you're looking at just under $2K total. For HDV...
Either housing will also work with most of Sony's HC series MiniDV camcorders. Some of them start at under $300. Personally I'd spend the money for HDV, the picture quality on an HDTV is unreal...
Since I've never held an HC5, you should verify these assumptions with the housing mfr's.
Want to shoot in HDV?
It's in your price range if you go with a lower priced housing. Might have to give up manual white balance control or some of the higher end features on the camcorder but it's possible.
Sony is selling the HDR-HC5 on sonystyle.com. They're currently in stock at $1099. It's a 1080I HDV camcorder. That also can record/playback in SD for compatiblity with standard computer systems/DVD burners for editing and DVD creation - the hardware requirements to edit in HD are pretty substantial.
It should fit into a TopDawg II housing, the HC1/HC3 do and they're built on the same case as the HC5. It sells online for $899. It's a depth and slightly feature limited(flat port instead of full zoomthru) L&M Stingray so it's a solid housing for the money.
I'm relatively certain that the HC5 would also fit into a Ocean Images Dolphin Pro. They're $849.
Either way you're looking at just under $2K total. For HDV...
Either housing will also work with most of Sony's HC series MiniDV camcorders. Some of them start at under $300. Personally I'd spend the money for HDV, the picture quality on an HDTV is unreal...
Since I've never held an HC5, you should verify these assumptions with the housing mfr's.
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Lights cost more. HID lights cost more still. I don't use them so I'm not current on what's available. If you're trying for lights also within your budget you'll have to drop the HDV idea for a less expensive MiniDV camcorder.
And a w/a lens is more still. And the matching w/a port for your housing. Depending on the housing you choose this can be a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Sometimes(not always) if that's what you want it's cheaper to buy it new on the housing.
I still see some Sony HC3's being sold occasionally - mostly on eBay. But for not much less than you can buy a new HC5. There is no such thing as an HC2, Sony seems to be doing just odd numbers now (HC1,HC3,HC5,HC7)
You can watch eBay for a housing also. I've occasionally seen good stuff there. The last good deal I saw was an O/I Dolphin housing with 2 dives on it that sold for $450 last fall. I see TopDawg housings on there pretty often also. There's also the occasional Ikelite housing but unless the seller can confirm the model# you don't want it as most of the Ikelite's are built on two different housings, just the controls are customized for the particular model. Unfortunately on most of them it's not stamped on the housing. And they're not interchangeable without a $$retrofit from Ikelite.
There's also a lot of old crap on eBay that people misrepresent so be sure of what you're buying. Anything from Quest, Aquatech, Hypertech or Phoenix should be avoided as they're old HI8 models from companies no longer in business.
Personally I wouldn't buy a used camcorder or housing unless I could return it. If it was flooded it won't show up in pictures.
And a w/a lens is more still. And the matching w/a port for your housing. Depending on the housing you choose this can be a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Sometimes(not always) if that's what you want it's cheaper to buy it new on the housing.
I still see some Sony HC3's being sold occasionally - mostly on eBay. But for not much less than you can buy a new HC5. There is no such thing as an HC2, Sony seems to be doing just odd numbers now (HC1,HC3,HC5,HC7)
You can watch eBay for a housing also. I've occasionally seen good stuff there. The last good deal I saw was an O/I Dolphin housing with 2 dives on it that sold for $450 last fall. I see TopDawg housings on there pretty often also. There's also the occasional Ikelite housing but unless the seller can confirm the model# you don't want it as most of the Ikelite's are built on two different housings, just the controls are customized for the particular model. Unfortunately on most of them it's not stamped on the housing. And they're not interchangeable without a $$retrofit from Ikelite.
There's also a lot of old crap on eBay that people misrepresent so be sure of what you're buying. Anything from Quest, Aquatech, Hypertech or Phoenix should be avoided as they're old HI8 models from companies no longer in business.
Personally I wouldn't buy a used camcorder or housing unless I could return it. If it was flooded it won't show up in pictures.
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