Inexpensive Camcorder [With Good Audio] Suggestions?

[yapz]

I am hoping this is the correct place to start this thread.

Here's the situation. I need to equip my little in-home studio with a decent digital camcorder so I can start doing video auditions from home ... not drive to the talent agency every time.

I need suggestions from you regarding what digital camcorders are out there that have a line-level audio input [preferred], or an internal mic input with an OK pre. The talent agency's camcorder just has the unit-contained onboard electret condenser mic ... and the end result is, as you would expect, room-heavy, boomy crap.

With the right camcorder, I know I could top that level of sound quality. Understand that I will only be doing auditions, not commercials or feature-length projects. I just want the sound to be at a level of "acceptability" that is commensurate with a decent picture.

Thanks!

[philper]

Originally Posted by yapz

I am hoping this is the correct place to start this thread.

Here's the situation. I need to equip my little in-home studio with a decent digital camcorder so I can start doing video auditions from home ... not drive to the talent agency every time.

I need suggestions from you regarding what digital camcorders are out there that have a line-level audio input [preferred], or an internal mic input with an OK pre. The talent agency's camcorder just has the unit-contained onboard electret condenser mic ... and the end result is, as you would expect, room-heavy, boomy crap.

With the right camcorder, I know I could top that level of sound quality. Understand that I will only be doing auditions, not commercials or feature-length projects. I just want the sound to be at a level of "acceptability" that is commensurate with a decent picture.

Thanks!

There is no video camera of any price that has a good mic pre (no matter how much hot air companies like RED blow about this). Any pro-type camcorder (expensive) has a way to take a line-level in from a mixer. Cheaper camcorders often only take mic level in, but you can pad down a mixer output to feed it properly if you understand how to set the levels in the camcorder. If the camera cannot set its levels manually you have the wrong camcorder. None of them sound great, professional ones sound ok, adequate; cheap ones sound pretty lofi. On cheap cameras sound is very much an afterthought. In any case you should not use a camera-mounted mic unless you are very close to the speaker--use whatever sort of mic you prefer (lav or boom type) on or close to the talent, and treat the space you are shooting in the best you can to calm down unpleasant sounding reflections.

phil p

[georgia]

find a used HVX-200. they shoot at 48Khz 720p or 1080i good for basic video stuff. With a decent external mix they can do acceptable audio for what you are doing. When you shoot with these on P2 cards you can get 4 tracks of audio, 2 are the on-board mics and the other 2 can be switched with line or mic level inputs. When you shoot on DV tape you get 2 channels only, but the channels can be switched from on-board mics to the external line or mic level inputs. We use 3 of them for lots of work, perfect for talking heads, sizzle reels, demo reels, auditions, corporate web video shoots, etc.... I wouldn't do a feature film with one, but for what your talking about it'll be fine. The new HVX camera version even does 1080p.

cheers
geo

[renec]

here's an option:


Zoom Q3