I am a professional videographer have been for years and everyone asks me what video camera should I buy?"

I then ask them what you are going to use it for. I have been a professional videographer for over 13 years; have average about 40+ productions a years shooting wise. I am also an editor; I edit not just my footage but other professional videographers. I edit on average 2 to 3, 2hr+ productions a week every week. I have seen it all. I have trained a lot of successful new videographers over the years and I teach them this an a lot more and trust when i say get the right equipment for what it will be used for. Because technology is changing every day or faster. The camera you just bought is already out of date. Who wants to buy a new $ 1,000.00 + camera all the time (I know the manufactures wouldn't mind)??? you should think long and hard on this and do some hands on comparing at your local electronics store. Each camera has pros and cons for every application.

I as a professional want a camera I can adjust everything on while a novice would want a camera with intelligent auto features, i.e. focus (big one), iris, shutter speed, optical zoom and digital zoom (you should never use). The size should fit your body and needs. I have a pretty big camera that helps because i am big buy and I also have a few things extra hanging off of that camera i.e. light, cordless mic, head phones... But the average consumer wouldn't use any of those extras so you don't need it that big. Having a bigger camera helps with image stabilization little movements don't show as much. But with a smaller camera every movement shows even breathing.

There are currently 4 major formats, Mini-DV, DVD, Hi-8 or Digital-8, and VHS-C or SHVS-C. Each is good for what you will use it for but all can't do it all. I prefer Mini-DV small easy to work with good quality for doing editing later as is Digital-8 and Hi-8. See if you’re just going to video and leave it as it without doing anything to it later you could go DVD or VHS. DVD is kind of finalized so working with afterwards can be difficult and VHS is kewl because you can just plop it in your player with an adapter but the quality is very low.

 
There are effects you can do in camera i.e. old movie, B&W, Letterbox, Sepia, etc... But I wouldn't recommend doing them because that is the raw footage you’re working with and you don't get a 2nd chance with it. If you want to add effects I would do that in post you can always change your mind later.

NEVER, EVER, use the digital zoom, all you are doing it pixilation the image by enlarging the pixels and it looks like crap. Get a camera with at least 12x optical you can do almost anything with that. And at that rang of zoom any and I do mean any movement like breathing, turning your head, farting, etc... Will look like an 8.5 earthquake so if you are doing filming a that range use a HEAVY tri-pod, not your photo camera tri-pod too light and not a smooth moving head.

Make sure you choose a camera that either has a light or can add a light to it. There are times when you want to film in lower light like anything indoors. That light will give you a lot of colors what would be lost because of the inherent nature of the 3CCD. 3 chip cameras are great for good lighting they give you great colors, depth of colors, and people look normal but... because the fact that a prism is breaking down light into its 3 primary colors that means that each sensor is not getting 100% of the light as a single chip camera would. So if you plan on shooting in lower light levels you could use a single chip and/or a light. Now you say well I can shoot in no light because I have night vision. That is great for night time filming but who what to look at a greenish people the whole time with reflecting eyes unless you like that then go a head.

For sound you have to get something that is TRUE stereo that means a separate mic for left and right sound. Some are not true stereo because the record sound on both channels but it is coming from one mic source it is like placing a splitter in the line and calling stereo. TRUE stereo means if the sound is coming from the left it will sound louder on the left. So for all you people that have high end stereo equipment with speakers everywhere you will get better use of them.

View finders / LCD screen (bigger is better for clarity) are great but make sure it is in color and you look at it. I have had to fix many a video where the people are blue like Smurfs or Orange like an Umpa Lumpa. Also make sure you camera has Auto White Balance and MANUAL White Balance meaning you can tell the computer chip in the camera what is white. Color levels changes when you move around as well as the sun setting or rising. Many of the computers inside the cameras are getting smarter and smarter but they still are not as good as the human eye. There are also presets for indoor and outdoor lighting, those are great but don't rely on them completely.

Make sure you have a camera that you can adjust the exposé on the camera because in back lit situations you can get @#*#. All you see are silhouette outline. You can adjust the exposure to washout the background but you can see the subject’s features. You have to sacrifice something. I know you have all seen movies where you have a great backgrounds and foreground and the subjects looks good too. They have Million dollar cameras, a budget of small nation, a bank of lights, a ton of lenses and guy that has a PhD in that field.  All you got is this couple of thousand dollar camera and you who has not filmed much.

FOCUS, Make sure your camera has focus ring and learn how to use it. If your subjects are on the left and right side of your screen instead of dead center your AUTO-FOCUS will think that dead center is the focus. I have worked with $10,000 cameras and they think the same too. So with manual focus you can choose the focus depth also in lower lighting that auto focus gets dumber and dumberer.

One more thing make sure you review your tapes while you’re filming and do it at least 3 times. Just after you put a NEW tape it, about 5 min of footage, then again 15min of footage after that then again 30min of footage after that. Because, things can go wrong with the camera and tape and you will never ever know until you review it. Some examples, no audio, no video, bad video, pixilated, tape snap, etc. etc. etc. and have enough tape to keep filming and make sure you get a charger for your batteries and have a few back-ups all charged up. You may never use the back-up stuff but the day you forget it is the day you need it.

Get what you need for you and what you will use it for, I have had the same camera for over 5 years and works just as good as the day I got it because I take good care of it and I know how to use every feature on it. There are features that I have never used or just used once to see what it does and decided not to use it.

Oh did I mention I do mostly weddings and you never get a second chance