Need Help with Recording Setup (NOVICE!!)

I like the idea of the HDMI, problem is funds... The less money the better. I'm typing an email up now to send to the boss with several of the options that you all have presented.


Im thinking that recommending a direct line to the computer using our current camera and advising them on the cost of a wireless system would be the way to start, and if that doesn't suffice, we can revert to finding a camera that would allow us to record to a hdd or sd card so we can then re-dub it later into a better format (size and quality wise)

As for audio, we will stick with hard wired unless they *must* have a wireless setup.


I understand Grant. I really appreciate all of the help that you all have provided and I'm sure I'll have more questions.
 
Just so I can have some cost ideas. Would something like this handycam work for recording to a hard drive within the camera and the external or good quality audio?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830179290

Im unfamiliar with "zoom mic" but I can only presume that the mic somehow "zooms" with the camera to pick up sounds from in front of the camera viewpoint and tries to reduce noise that is not within the picture. Is that correct?

Are there any recommended models of camera that would have the external input that we are looking for with the hard drive or SDHC or similar digital format to record to?
 
There is no such thing as zoom audio. Sound waves are subject to the inverse square law regarding strength vs distance. Anyone who says different is in marketing, a liar, or lacks a physics course. More than one may apply. They maybe applying some in cam filters and boosting the gain to try and disguise the reality of being too far away.

Some mics, like hyper-cardioid condensers will reject sounds from the side, but we are talking close distances, not across a 50ft span.

Last opinion from me. You are going to the trouble to buy a audio interface to feed your CPU. Take advantage of that by taking a feed from that into your cam. Why not get the better audio you have gone to the trouble to obtain instead of the dismal audio from a consumer cam at 50ft away?

Sorry, I am not much help on consumer cams, but remember you still need a place to backup the cam offloads.

Best Luck
Grant
 
Good point on the audio. I didn't think about that but that's an excellent idea. I'll be sure to look for a compatible interface.
 
Ok, so Im going to go crazy...

They seem to want something that is more "mobile" than a setup with the computer (which is what I would have preferred)

Here's what they want me to look into now:

A camera that records to hard drive and/or SDHC
With Optical Zoom
And External Audio Input
And a shotgun Microphone (Or the ability to add one as an accessory, mounted on top of the camera)

Any suggestions?
 
Wow, is there anything under $1k that would suffice?

The optical zoom doesnt have to be much, like 4X+
 
In that price range, think Canon HF series. As was mentioned earlier, less expensive vid cams will usually have audio limitations, and until you get up around $2000, like the HMC40 w/ audio interface, you will have issues to solve. There are adapter boxes like the Juiced Link which will interface a phantom powered mic (shotgun) to a 1/8" plug input. The cam audio boxes run around $400. This is exactly the same problem faced by folks who use DSLR for video. You need phantom power, and control over your input. Does that sound familiar?

READ: A quality shotgun mic mounted on your cam isn't going to produce good sound at 50ft. And a shotgun mic, in most cases is the wrong mic for indoor use.

I can vouch for the HMC40. I own one for a B-cam, and it is a great great cam, unless you are in low light conditions. Though, any other dinky cam will have the same issues, so as I mentioned previously, you need a lit podium.

It may be about time for you to have a "come to Jesus meeting" with your supervisory folks. First, if they want anything approaching a professional product, a real budget is in order, unless you want to shoot home movies. The budget doesn't have to be huge, but it does need to be realistic. Otherwise, this will be a hokey-pokey product you don't want to show to anyone, or hang YOUR name on. The second thing would be for you, or an outside source or consultant, develop that realistic solution and present it in terms of this is what we need to do to have a product which won't embarrass us as a company. Twisting in the wind with kludgy solutions and less than adequate equipment is just going to make you look bad when they don't get good results.

Grant
 
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