AC130: 130 Accessories

T

Tom Adams

Member
I am about to pull the trigger and purchase the AC130 from B&H.


I'm a relative newbie to cameras but I want something pretty special out of the gate.


I've been in front of the camera a lot more than behind it so not unfamiliar with the environment. I'm getting the new camera equipment to do lots of training videos with my business - myself and clients - talking head stuff, plus interviews when I can. Most happen indoors... but I also do some out doors. I also speak a lot, so I also want the camera to be able to capture my speeches.


I'm adding a teleprompter to the mix, Likely an 11 inch from Prompter People for my home studio.


My question is about other camera specific requirements and extras.


1. Whats best tripod for the 130 if I use a teleprompter. I don't plan on doing any run and gun stuff. So not too concerned about extra light. But I'm willing to get a lower end tripod so that I can afford the 130. I'd prefer somethign under $1000. Any suggestions?


2. Best media to purchase? The Panasonic cards are more than double the prioce of the SanDisks. Should I get 2 x 32GB SDXC's?


3. Should I get more than the accompanying battery that comes with the camera? or is one enough for now?


4. How critical is the additional warranty? B& H charges $350 for 3 years. Is this really necessary?


5. Is there anything else you would strongly recommend?


Thanks for you advice in advance. Much appreciated.

tom
 
Tom Adams said:
1. Whats best tripod for the 130 if I use a teleprompter. I don't plan on doing any run and gun stuff. So not too concerned about extra light. But I'm willing to get a lower end tripod so that I can afford the 130. I'd prefer somethign under $1000. Any suggestions?


2. Best media to purchase? The Panasonic cards are more than double the prioce of the SanDisks. Should I get 2 x 32GB SDXC's?


3. Should I get more than the accompanying battery that comes with the camera? or is one enough for now?


4. How critical is the additional warranty? B& H charges $350 for 3 years. Is this really necessary?


5. Is there anything else you would strongly recommend?


Thanks for you advice in advance. Much appreciated.

tom
Click to expand...

(**sounds like you plan to shoot mostly in your home studio-- so my answers are based on that)

1) Look on flee bay for a used 3066 head with big sturdy legs. Look at previously won bids to see going rate.
It might be over kill but I find a large tripod is fine if you don't plan to take it on the road every day.
2) I picked up some Maxell 32GB class 10 SDHC for mid $40s. Works fine!! I heard Sony makes a similar card for us, which is a tad more expensive.
If you plan to dual record, for safety, you might want to use two different brands just in case one brand turns out to have problems.
3) It comes with a mega battery. Lasts around 3+ hours. If you plan to shoot inside then just plug into the wall and forget you own a battery.
4) No, it comes with a 3 year warranty if you register it.
5) Own a light kit and a backdrop for those talking heads, etc...
Microphone will be the difficult decision-- Lav or boom mic. (camera mounted mic is worthless unless you want to only catch ambient noise.)

my 2 cents

PS that is a lot of camera to be starting out as a newbie.
 
Great advice. Thanks.

Yes, the 130 is a lot of camera for a newbie.

My thinking is this... like a computer, I always try to get the very best one I can within my budget.

Do you have a different camera suggestion for me as a newbie?
 
I don't have any different model suggestions, but if you do enough things you'll quickly learn what kind of camera suits you best.
I need a 12-14x lens for depositions since I zoom in on things but at the same time I might be in a tight small room. Plus, it must be decent in existing lighting since I rarely want to setup a light.
I needed a 18x or higher lens for shooting outside events which are at far distances and lighting is not an issue.
If I man-on-the-street type interviews I need an 8x-10x lens so I can be up-close and not a mile away in order to shoot the whole face and not just the nostrils.

I need 4:3 standard definition for depositions since HD shows too much on the side.
I need the 16:9 HD framing for dance recitals so it includes everyone on stage better.
(granted AC130 does do both)

HD footage transcodes better for final destinations to be web.
SD transcodes better for DVD.

People that produce films and similar items including TV commercials may go for the AF100 so they can pick their lens. A nice prime lens will give you a nice sharp image without the f-stop issues, or perhaps the right kind of bokeh you're looking for which no one piece camcorder can give you.

Perhaps you need a camera that has flash compensation if you purchase an HD camera with CMOS chips.

Now that I have confused you, if you can afford the AC130 go for it.

FYI I failed to mention in my prior post. This board has a market place for used stuff. Check it out.
 
Tom Adams said:
Great advice. Thanks.

Yes, the 130 is a lot of camera for a newbie.

My thinking is this... like a computer, I always try to get the very best one I can within my budget.

Do you have a different camera suggestion for me as a newbie?
Click to expand...

Tom:

If you want a camcorder in this class, then the AC130 is probably the best value that is currently on the market. Especially if you want the outstanding 22x zoom range it has and full manual controls.

With Canon, you could look at the Vixia XF G10 ( $1,400 ) or the XA10 HD ( $2,000 ), which is pretty much the same as the G10 except it also has XLR audio inputs. These are compact, small camcorders, though, that lack external manual controls. Instead, one has to go through the menus on the 3.5 inch touchscreen to make changes. So they really are a totally different class of camcorder.

The Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM would be a viable alternative. It is currently on sale for only $2,600 at B&H But even with it, you still don't get full manual controls, and still only have a 10x zoom range to work with.

The suggestion to look for used equipment is a good one. You could check your local Craigslist to see if anything interesting is posted there.

As for gear, one really does not have to spend a lot of money for a decent tripod and head. I got the Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod ( only $135 with rebate at B&H ) and the Manfrotto 501HDV video head ( $196 at B&H ). The brand new Manfrotto 502HD head just came out this month ( $225 ) and there is also the 503HDV for $290, if you want a higher quality head. Or even the 504HD for $390 ) One certainly does not have to spend $1,000 for a decent tripod/head combo. You can stay under $500, and still get decent new gear.

And of course you could still save even more money buying used.

As far as SDHC cards go, I bought the Sandisk Extreme SDHC Class 10 ( 30MB/s ) 32 GB, and it is working fine with my AC130 They are good quality cards, and only cost $53 at B&H. With the AC130 set to its highest resolution and quality levels, the card still gives over 3 hours of recording time.

The battery that comes with the camcorder is rated to last 3 hours and 15 minutes. You can also buy an extra Pansonic VW-VGG6 battery for $129. They will charge to 3 hours and 45 minutes. So with buying just one extra battery, you basically then have 7 total hours of power. Of course, if you are shooting in a studio environment, then just plug the AC adapter into the camcorder, and you don't have to worry about batteries at all.

The camcorder comes with a 1 year warranty. However, all you have to do is to register the camcorder online with Panasonic, and the warranty immediately gets extended to 3 years. There are instructions on both the camcorder and in the documentation explaining how to do that. I would see no value in buying an additional warranty, unless it went past 3 years.

The other major needed accessory, as has already been noted, is getting additional microphones to use with the camera. One good brand to check out is audio-technica.
 
Last edited:
Lance

Thanks for the advice. I think getting the best camera I can afford seems to make sense to me. I have the advantage of having a great business year, and want to reward myself with a great camera. And based on all I've read, it looks sweet.

Looks like you yourself have a 130?

I'll look into the cheaper tripod and head in the "used ' category. I like that idea.

I have some solid studio mics like the Heil PR40 and the Shure SM7... but I think I'll get a Sennheiser wireless G3 system for my interview and field stuff.

I will get the SanDisk Extreme cards. Thanks for the advice.
 
Tom,

If you check the specs of the Pansonic cards you will find they have several advantages for videographers over Sandiscs.

Panasonic

16GB SDHC-UHS-I Memory Card
  • Class 10
  • Up to 90MB/s Transfer Rates
  • Power Failure Protection ................
  • Long Archival Life
  • Smart Data Writing ..................This features may, or may not be important to you, but at least check them out before making the purchase. Lets face it, they will last you years!
Cheers,

Vaughan
 
Tom Adams said:
1. Whats best tripod for the 130 if I use a teleprompter. I don't plan on doing any run and gun stuff. So not too concerned about extra light. But I'm willing to get a lower end tripod so that I can afford the 130. I'd prefer somethign under $1000. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Hard to tell from your plans if you have need of a very smooth tripod head, or if all your shots will pretty much be locked down... that makes a big difference... also, do you have any height requirements for the tripod?

2. Best media to purchase? The Panasonic cards are more than double the prioce of the SanDisks. Should I get 2 x 32GB SDXC's?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't skimp on media... either in price or quantity. More important than the brand is WHERE YOU BUY IT... counterfeits and factory rejects are rife on the web. Whatever cards you buy... test them (each one) before critical use... load 'em up with data and offload them a few times. Always write-protect the card before you put it in the computer. Make sure the write protect switch is firmly engaged or disengaged when you switch it.

I have many (about 23) Transcend Class 6 16GB cards bought from Amazon (NOT other sellers via Amazon) and none have had problems. I have 2 Panasonic class 6 16GB that have also been problem free, and feel a bit better-built. I've had good cards from Delkin and PNY. The only cards I have had trouble with are the SanDisk cards sold specifically for video in Best Buy - type stores. 2 of 2 failed.

I'd say buy more than 2 cards, even if that means smaller capacities. You don't ever want to be in a rush to offload things and make a mistake. The great benefit of the 130/160 is that they bring great features and image quality to low-cost media... take advantage of the low-cost media!

3. Should I get more than the accompanying battery that comes with the camera? or is one enough for now?
Click to expand...
This is pretty straightforward... as has been said, if you'll be indoors, plug it in. If you'll be shooting outdoors or away from power for more than 2 hours or so... get another battery... or, enough for twice as much shooting time as you think you'll need.
4. How critical is the additional warranty? B& H charges $350 for 3 years. Is this really necessary?
Click to expand...
The cam has a great warranty... I don't see the need for another... but I don't believe in extended warranties in general... some people seem to like 'em.

5. Is there anything else you would strongly recommend?
Click to expand...
As has been said, pay attention to the mics. A good quality UV filter will protect your lens, and help a bit outdoors. Nice cases for the SDHC cards 'cause they are easily lost or damaged. Nice case for the camera and accessories if you'll be outdoors. There have been some reports about glare issues with the LCD, so a Hoodman or something like it will help outdoors. External audio recorder may be very beneficial if you are focused on sound, because the AC130 only records compressed audio... not too bad UNLESS you need to raise levels in post. An audio mixer will improve sound quality AND provide better controls. A lot of gaffers tape. And of course Barry Green's DVDs on sound and lighting - essential if you're new to all this, and entertaining to boot!



As for the camera choice... the AC130 is a great choice, and may be "a lot of camera for a newb", but is not particularly difficult to use and fits your plan well... it will do you well with basics and give you great image quality immediately, while leaving you plenty of room to grow with it.
 
Last edited:
DVXUsers rock. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to learn from all of you.

Great advice on media Ullanta and Vaughan. Thanks.

Also, hadn't thought about the UV filter. Added a Hoya UV to the list. Check!

Almost ready to do my order with B&H
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top