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Re: What's the sharpest camera to buy for the web? June 13, 2009 02:01PM |
Do you mean "sharpest" literally, as in the camera with the best resolving power? Or "sharpest" as slang for "just generally good?"
I think the price-quality tipping point is probably the Canon HV40. Shoots HDV at 1080p24 for under a thousand bucks. Not a great format, crappy glass and truly unacceptable built-in audio, but those are the trade-offs you make at the consumer level. It's possible to do outstanding work with this series of cameras. Google "White Red Panic."
In the under-$10,000 range, you've got the XL H1 series, the Sony EX1 and the HVX200, all excellent cameras. The XL H1s have much better glass than either of the other two, but shoot HDV. The HVX200 is the camera of choice for indie filmmakers everywhere, not least because it can shoot off-speed, but DVCPRO HD is a slightly lower-resolution format than either XDCAM or HDV, and you might have a preference on that one way or the other.
Whatever you do, if you're shooting for the Web, don't shoot any other format than 1080p24. Just don't even think about 1080i60, or God forbid 480i60. The 720p24 format is pretty meh, in my opinion; frankly I just find it all-around easier to work in 1080p24.
If you're on Intel ? and honestly, you have no excuse if you're not ? then you can consider AVCHD, but choose extremely carefully. Final Cut Pro's support for AVCHD is limited at this time.
EDIT: You know what? I love this little film so much I'm gonna save you the trouble of Googling it.
But if you watch it in that crappy little window, I will personally come to your house and beat your ass. Log in and look on the right ? it's down the page a bit ? for the "download Quicktime" link. That gives you a 720p24 Quicktime version to watch full-screen or wherever. This short film deserves it.
I think the price-quality tipping point is probably the Canon HV40. Shoots HDV at 1080p24 for under a thousand bucks. Not a great format, crappy glass and truly unacceptable built-in audio, but those are the trade-offs you make at the consumer level. It's possible to do outstanding work with this series of cameras. Google "White Red Panic."
In the under-$10,000 range, you've got the XL H1 series, the Sony EX1 and the HVX200, all excellent cameras. The XL H1s have much better glass than either of the other two, but shoot HDV. The HVX200 is the camera of choice for indie filmmakers everywhere, not least because it can shoot off-speed, but DVCPRO HD is a slightly lower-resolution format than either XDCAM or HDV, and you might have a preference on that one way or the other.
Whatever you do, if you're shooting for the Web, don't shoot any other format than 1080p24. Just don't even think about 1080i60, or God forbid 480i60. The 720p24 format is pretty meh, in my opinion; frankly I just find it all-around easier to work in 1080p24.
If you're on Intel ? and honestly, you have no excuse if you're not ? then you can consider AVCHD, but choose extremely carefully. Final Cut Pro's support for AVCHD is limited at this time.
EDIT: You know what? I love this little film so much I'm gonna save you the trouble of Googling it.
But if you watch it in that crappy little window, I will personally come to your house and beat your ass. Log in and look on the right ? it's down the page a bit ? for the "download Quicktime" link. That gives you a 720p24 Quicktime version to watch full-screen or wherever. This short film deserves it.
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