New Teacher, best place to order from? What to order.

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TeachNotPreach

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Some questions:

What camera would you recommend for high school video classes?

Where would you order from? Are there places that give teacher/student discounts?

My funding will take care of it so it isn't out of pocket, so price isn't necessary a huge deal overall.
 
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TeachNotPreach said:
As the post says, I'm a new teacher, currently teaching photography and videography. The school has several DSLR (t4i-t6i) but nothing I find suitable for video. I'm use to using the GH2 and GH4, but I'm not opposed to 5dmiii so I can use the same lenses across the board. I'm probably just partial with the Panasonic cameras because of my familiarity with them.

Some questions:

What camera would you recommend for high school video classes?

Where would you order from? Are there places that give teacher/student discounts?

My funding will take care of it so it isn't out of pocket, so price isn't necessary a huge deal overall.
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Since you say the school already has a couple of low end Canons, I'd focus on a 'digital motion picture' camera option.

I'd say the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera, and with a $995 list price, one could then buy some 'nice' lenses.

I make a distinction about 'digital film' vs 'video', and as such the BMPCC is essentially equvalent to a 16mm Bolex or similar, with major improvements due to being 'digital'. I know there's a lot of whinging about 'film' and the wonders of such... but for a class, for students, for those who look for a potential career path... digital is it.

With a Tascam DR-70 and a reasonable mic + boom + blimp, you'd have 99.99% of what most people fail at for short films... good image quality to work with, and a reasonable sound capture system.

Of course some will suggest the Canon series with Magic Lantern, but my attitude is why not by a camera were the manufacturer provides a reasonable bit dept for both Raw capture and Pro Res, rather than having to look to a firmware hack to provide such.

As for where to buy, I've had good experiences ordering from Adorama. Whether they have teacher's discounts I don't know...
 
High school or college?
With both - the simpler and more robust the camera = the better. Things get lost/damaged so easily when people don't know what they are doing that i could steer clear of anything hat requires multiple parts to make it work.
 
TeachNotPreach said:
The school has several DSLR (t4i-t6i) but nothing I find suitable for video. I'm use to using the GH2 and GH4, but I'm not opposed to 5dmiii so I can use the same lenses across the board. I'm probably just partial with the Panasonic cameras because of my familiarity with them.

What camera would you recommend for high school video classes?
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Please don't take this the wrong way, but what's wrong with the cameras the school already has?

I know you are use to using a GH2 and GH4, but this isn't about you. It's about teaching Photography and Videography to high school kids. While the cameras the school currently has may not be up to your standards for video production, they are certainly good enough for you to teach the basics these kids should be learning at this point.

All the best!

Dave
 
I agree with Dave. The Canon Rebel line produces OK HD video. Not the best, but OK.

And if you have access to more money, maybe invest in better audio, lighting, and editing equipment. Or maybe some more glass. Or more inexpensive Canon DSLRs. And maybe a nice projector or big screen TV to show off your students' work in style... That's my take, anyway.

As for where to buy, maybe check with Canon Educational Sales if you're at a K-12 school:
https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/contactus/where-to-buy/k-12-higher-education

Lots of other vendors have similar programs, some direct and some run through dealers...

Jim "married to a high-school teacher" Feeley
 
What's the focus of the class? Filmmaking, news, events? That will definitely give you an idea of the tool for the job.
 
HorseFilms said:
What's the focus of the class? Filmmaking, news, events? That will definitely give you an idea of the tool for the job.
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That's the real crux of it. Is this a class to learn about the technical side, or is it about the creative side? Do you want them to learn about shooting narrative stories, documentaries, art pieces? Will they be learning about editing, lighting, sound, art direction, writing, organizing? In those various areas, will the emphasis be on the nuts & bolts how to functionality or will it be about training the brain to conceptualize and appreciate the different crafts?

Honestly, a camera is a sensor in a box with a lens stuck on the front. If you want to get into the technical niceties of that part then great, get as much camera as you can handle. But if you want to teach the other stuff as well, don't bog them down with this part. It's not a vocational shop class where kids tear apart a car engine to learn how to be mechanics. I'd give them a camcorder with built in zoom, NOT a DSLR, and get them past the basics of the camera in one lesson so that they can have time to think about all the other stuff. Too many fish to fry.

Let us know more of what the class is and we can be more specific.
 
I work for a district the serves over 50,000 students. I work in the district's media production services department. Our best results (purchasing) have come from B & H. They have education discounts- there is a tab on their web page just for that purpose. As for types of cameras, there are so many good choices out there. I tend to go with Panasonic, we've had good service life from their products. Canon makes great gear, too.
 
I would consider buying the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera and the Panasonic GX85 camera. Both cameras are affordable and use the same lens mount, so the same lenses work on both cameras.

The BMPCC is harder to use than the GX85, but it produces a very cine-like image right out of the camera.

The GX85 shoots 4K video, has built-in 5-axis stabilization ( great for handheld work ), and has an EVF which makes it easier to shoot in daylight conditions.

Both of these cameras will require a separate audio recorder for sound, so something like a Tascam DR-40 or a Zoom H5 recorder matched with either a shotgun mic ( for outdoor shooting ) or a small condenser mic ( for indoor shooting ) would allow your students to record high quality audio. This way they could take turns learning how to boom a mic for audio while another person handles the camera.

I would also consider getting a camera "cage" for both of these cameras to protect them from getting beaten up by your students.
 
TeachNotPreach said:
... My funding will take care of it so it isn't out of pocket, so price isn't necessary a huge deal overall.
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Well, then several Amiras for docs, a few F65's for narratives, maybe a Phantom or two for the high fps clips. And don't forget about your Cook primes and Fujinon zooms either.

What? When the price is no object, why not go for the best.
 
For students, I think you should stick with an all in one camera like the Panasonic HC-X1000K. It would be more robust than a DSLR and you don't have to deal with different lenses and a whole bunch of extra add ons to make it usable. You can just pick it up and shoot.
 
For people just getting to know video, a one-piece solution might be the best thing to learn the basics. Plus, you have built-in XLR so that they can learn the audio side of it, as well. I'm with Batutta on this.
 
I agree with using an all-in-one type camcorder with XLR.
From what I hear from rental houses, panasonic tends to be fairly tough.
If you go with interchangeable lens dslrs or the like, you will have to deal with students dropping lenses, dirt in sensors and stolen lenses.
If they learn on eng type cameras sure they will have to learn to work for DOF but they can still learn how to shoot and probably focus more on the craft than dealing with workarounds and external gear :)
 
Agreed! You can always adapt to swapping lenses and external audio. You need to crawl before you walk. They're in high school.
 
If price is no object there's still criteria in place. These are among some of the worst options if people are using them on their own.

As a teacher and fan of the medium you should make sound important. Teach the students anyone can create a compilation of pretty images and throw some music underneath. Help them realise these videos are, by and large, garbage. Understanding how difficult it is to make engaging movies - documentary or otherwise is very important. Strong works come from spending an inordinate amount of time on the movie - more importantly than shooting they're developing their communication skills - interview questioning, directing talent, cooperating with team members, dealing with gatekeepers i.e. convincing reluctant subject to agree to an interview, security guard gives access to believable location etc.

There's already been some great advice here re self contained cameras with few add-ons - keep them small, with XLRs and a fixed lens. "It's a rental don't be gentle". If it were me, image quality (within reason) isn't even on the list. My criteria would be something like durability, size/ease of use, price. Think of the least athletic person in the class. They still need to carry the camera, tripod and lighting kit. Students have all sorts of crap in their already small cars and the gear needs to fit. Students don't care what camera they're using, they're among the few that still have fun making videos. Use the rebels for stills.

Wait what was the question?
 
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