Video Camera Choices for Our Church Services

[gregbolton]

I use the Canon GL2 for all of our video projects including the taping of the service which we also convert to DVD and make available the following week. We are not ready with lighting needs or audio to make available a good quality at this time although the canon does a great job for the cost.
I am interested in hearing more about the SONY BRC robotic cam system from you BLWells.
Are you doing Imag?
Ease of use?
lighing issues?
Any information would be helpful with the pro's and con's
Blessings,
Greg

Got the Sony HDR-HC3, only had it for a week. So far I'm very impressed with the quality of the tape. We won't be taping the service just wanted something to get us in the game. Do some interviews, take some local scenery shots, add some music, etc. We're just a small congregation in NE Minnesota. Very rural. Not exactly a cutting edge type of place. It takes a while for the dog sleds to get things up here.

[smtv]

The plan still is the same. Brainstorm about what you want to do. Write it out and break that down to doable parts. I started off with one tape deck in a closet. How have about $5,000.00 worth of "good" video equipment. I would get a laptop next so you can stream the camera to it, someone here had one they didn't need any more.
Don (smtv)

[smtv]

Send me your address I'll send a copy of this weeks' service to you on DVD. The thing I learned is the better the input the better the output. Even tho the output may not match the quality of the input. Cables are important also.
Don (smtv)

[DaveBenton]

I'm picking up this thread late. We do simple (single camera) recording of our services direct to DVD recorder. Our old camcorder finally died, and I'm shopping for a new camera. I have some camcorder experience, as a video producer/editor, but this application is different. I don't need (or want) the "corder" function, just a camera, since we send the signal direct to the DVD recorder. Camcorders require you to be recording to tape or else the camera goes to sleep! Does anyone out there have advice regarding cameras? Are the cameras labeled "surveilance" adequate for this function?
Thanks in advance...

[Gracetech]

Welcome to CMN Dave!

It might be worth while to get into a PTZ setup?

You might do good to just start your own thread since this camera is going to be used for your specific situation.

crt

[kbob]

Originally Posted by DaveBenton

I'm picking up this thread late. We do simple (single camera) recording of our services direct to DVD recorder. Our old camcorder finally died, and I'm shopping for a new camera. I have some camcorder experience, as a video producer/editor, but this application is different. I don't need (or want) the "corder" function, just a camera, since we send the signal direct to the DVD recorder. Camcorders require you to be recording to tape or else the camera goes to sleep! Does anyone out there have advice regarding cameras? Are the cameras labeled "surveilance" adequate for this function?
Thanks in advance...

Not all cams go "to sleep" when not recording-for instance my lowly panasonic 150 allows you to turn the sleep mode off via the menu.

I'd still give the canon hv 20 a look-at that price point, there isn't much that compares dollar for dollar. at roughly half the cost, you can get a panasonic gs 320, but it's not a good in low light, and has lost many of the features that I love in my older 150-no remote, no external mic, no heaphones, etc.

Generally, most industrial quality cams require the use of a controller in order for them to function. It will control the white balance, iris, etc...for a single cam situation, this can be a bit pricey. Personally, most of the industrial cams I've seen aren't as good a fit for what we do as the upper end consumer/prosumer cams are.

[garringt]

Originally Posted by Lee

Tell me about the RMBR300 - how well do the cameras react to the joystick, smoothness, speed adjust, etc. (I just got that unit and am now trying to get it to work with the Sony SNC-RZ30N, and have also been eyeing the BRC-300)

Are you using SD composite, or the digital outputs (they're options, right?), of the cameras?

Also, these cameras don't have genlock, do they? So how are the cameras synced so that they can be switched?

Lee

We have the Sony Remote Controller and the Sony BRC-300 camera, along with two Sony VX-2100s manned cameras. The controller is very smooth with pans, zooms, tilts, etc. Unfortunately, the BRC-300 camera doesn't have the low light capability of the VX-2100s. We're constantly fighting with the white balance to match the 2100s. Also, in low light drama conditions, we can only use the 2100s.

If I were doing it over, I'd seriously consider 3 VX2100 cameras and a Grizzley Pro remote control system for all three (http://www.grizzlypro.com/).

[garringt]

Originally Posted by JayinAtlantaGA

Hey guys,

I'm looking to see what brand, and model of camera you use,

Jay,

We're using Sony VX 2100s to video our service. These are standard definition cameras feeding a relatively inexpensive Edirol video mixer with S-Video signals, then out to an Magnavox DVD recorder (also S-video).

If you're not committed to doing High Definition (how would you deliver it, anyway?) these cameras have better low light capability than most SD or HD cameras (important in churches, especially for dramas) and a much more reasonable cost than HD. Last time I checked B&H, they were about $2,300 each. They're also excellent cameras for taking out and doing production work.

We use the S-video out of the camera to the video mixer and the composite out to a TV monitor in the sound booth.

[jsharris83]

Originally Posted by DaveBenton

I'm picking up this thread late. We do simple (single camera) recording of our services direct to DVD recorder. Our old camcorder finally died, and I'm shopping for a new camera. I have some camcorder experience, as a video producer/editor, but this application is different. I don't need (or want) the "corder" function, just a camera, since we send the signal direct to the DVD recorder. Camcorders require you to be recording to tape or else the camera goes to sleep! Does anyone out there have advice regarding cameras? Are the cameras labeled "surveilance" adequate for this function?
Thanks in advance...

Our church has the same setup as you. We go straight from the camera to a PC and burn to a dvd using Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder. It allows us create a custom menu and we are able to use the firewire connection off of the camera. After the service is over the DVD is finished and ready to duplicate. I used to think that we didnt need to film with the tape but there are times when the dvd messes up and I am glad I have the service on tape so I can go back and rerecord the service on dvd the following week. We usually use the same tape and just rewind it every week. It is a good backup procedure. Our camera has a sleep mode as well that cannot be turned off. We just start recording with the camera 5 minutes before the service and when the service is about to start we select record on the PC and stop when the service is over. It then finalizes the dvd and creates chapters and the menu.