Bought Canon Vixia HV30 HD Camcorder. What accessories/gear should I get? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Undercover_Man · 03-03-2008, 01:46 PM

Hello. I just got the new Canon Vixia HV30 digital camcorder. I have a Panasonic DMC-FZ20S which is a digital SLR-like camera so I do have experience with still high quality photos. But HD video is much different I think. What all would I want to get?

I want to be able to record a commercial of my work for my school project. I want to be able to record my future international traveling. I want to be able to do interview type things.

Aside from spare batteries, chargers, tapes, and a bag, what else do I need to get? How do I know what's compatible and what's quality and not crap. What kind of tripod(s) are good for video? What are those mic things that you can stick on your shirt to do interviews? Normal mics? What kind of lights should I get? What about the smaller lights that attach to the camcorder? Do those hand held stabilizer things work? Filters? Green screen?

I know how to use Final Cut Pro at the college so I have what I need to edit video. I just want some more info on camcorder accessories. Any tips?

~ Undercover_Man

Undercover_Man · 03-09-2008, 07:36 AM

*crickets*

No one?

I'm new to digital videography. I just want some gear tips plz.

Craven Morehead · 03-09-2008, 08:32 AM

A PC (or Mac) with acres of hard disk and a DVD burner.

Tripod AND a monopod - get a head on them that is desgined for video, not photo.

shakran · 03-10-2008, 01:34 AM

save your money on the monopod and get a Steadybag ( http://www.visualdepartures.com/prod...steadybag.html ) instead. It's more useful in more places. If you don't feel like spending the coin, get some rice, a ziploc bag, and some fabric and sew your own.

Then get yourself a wireless lavaliere microphone, and clip it to whoever you're shooting. Audio is 70% of good video.

Finally practice, practice, practice and remember that video is all about storytelling. One long continuous shaky shot with lots of swish pans and zooms is typical home movie crap and will bore the hell out of whoever sees it. Keep your shots steady, sequence them with wide, medium, and tight shots, and remember that whatever you're shooting is a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Know what the story is before you roll tape, and shoot what you need to get in order to tell it. A good tip is to come up with a 3-5 word focus statement. Who did what to whom. If I'm shooting a story about you learning to shoot, my focus statement is "Undercover Man Learns to Shoot Video." Then I know I don't have to get shots of your dog, or your car, or your hot neighbor. I can focus on you, the camera, and what you do with it.

So if I'm shooting this hypothetical story, I start with a tight shot of the box, you opening it with a knife. Cut to wideshot of you taking the camera out of the box, followed by a mediumshot of your face reacting to your new toy (reaction is more important than action. Shoot the home run, but make sure we see the cheering crowd). Tight shot of you clipping the battery on, another tight of you opening the viewfinder, a third of you hitting the record button, followed by a wide shot from in front of you shooting. Then a medium from behind you, still shooting, then a tight shot of the viewfinder so we see what you're shooting.

Ok that's a really long example of how to shoot for a story. We'd wrap it up with more sequenced shots of you ejecting the tape, loading it into the computer, editing, etc etc.

Steady sequenced video is the key to shooting something that others will want to watch.

If you want more tips or have questions, let me know.

Milnoc · 03-21-2008, 06:27 PM

An alternative to the lavalier is the Rode Videomic shotgun microphone. It's specifically designed for handheld camcorders, and it greatly improves the sound quality over the built-in mic. It's great when interviewing different people in a crowd.

If the rubber bands on the mic squeak too much and are audible in the recording, rub some personal lubricant on them.

The Canon HV30 is the follow-up model of the fabulous HV20, which I have. You won't be disappointed with the high def performance, but do keep the camera steady! If you watch the video on a huge screen and the image shakes too much, you'll make your audience sick.

03-03-2008, 01:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
Undercover_Man Insane	Bought Canon Vixia HV30 HD Camcorder. What accessories/gear should I get? Hello. I just got the new Canon Vixia HV30 digital camcorder. I have a Panasonic DMC-FZ20S which is a digital SLR-like camera so I do have experience with still high quality photos. But HD video is much different I think. What all would I want to get? I want to be able to record a commercial of my work for my school project. I want to be able to record my future international traveling. I want to be able to do interview type things. Aside from spare batteries, chargers, tapes, and a bag, what else do I need to get? How do I know what's compatible and what's quality and not crap. What kind of tripod(s) are good for video? What are those mic things that you can stick on your shirt to do interviews? Normal mics? What kind of lights should I get? What about the smaller lights that attach to the camcorder? Do those hand held stabilizer things work? Filters? Green screen? I know how to use Final Cut Pro at the college so I have what I need to edit video. I just want some more info on camcorder accessories. Any tips? ~ Undercover_Man

03-09-2008, 07:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
Undercover_Man Insane	crickets No one? I'm new to digital videography. I just want some gear tips plz.

03-09-2008, 08:32 AM	#3 (permalink)
Craven Morehead Custom User Title	A PC (or Mac) with acres of hard disk and a DVD burner. Tripod AND a monopod - get a head on them that is desgined for video, not photo.

03-10-2008, 01:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	save your money on the monopod and get a Steadybag ( http://www.visualdepartures.com/prod...steadybag.html ) instead. It's more useful in more places. If you don't feel like spending the coin, get some rice, a ziploc bag, and some fabric and sew your own. Then get yourself a wireless lavaliere microphone, and clip it to whoever you're shooting. Audio is 70% of good video. Finally practice, practice, practice and remember that video is all about storytelling. One long continuous shaky shot with lots of swish pans and zooms is typical home movie crap and will bore the hell out of whoever sees it. Keep your shots steady, sequence them with wide, medium, and tight shots, and remember that whatever you're shooting is a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Know what the story is before you roll tape, and shoot what you need to get in order to tell it. A good tip is to come up with a 3-5 word focus statement. Who did what to whom. If I'm shooting a story about you learning to shoot, my focus statement is "Undercover Man Learns to Shoot Video." Then I know I don't have to get shots of your dog, or your car, or your hot neighbor. I can focus on you, the camera, and what you do with it. So if I'm shooting this hypothetical story, I start with a tight shot of the box, you opening it with a knife. Cut to wideshot of you taking the camera out of the box, followed by a mediumshot of your face reacting to your new toy (reaction is more important than action. Shoot the home run, but make sure we see the cheering crowd). Tight shot of you clipping the battery on, another tight of you opening the viewfinder, a third of you hitting the record button, followed by a wide shot from in front of you shooting. Then a medium from behind you, still shooting, then a tight shot of the viewfinder so we see what you're shooting. Ok that's a really long example of how to shoot for a story. We'd wrap it up with more sequenced shots of you ejecting the tape, loading it into the computer, editing, etc etc. Steady sequenced video is the key to shooting something that others will want to watch. If you want more tips or have questions, let me know.

03-21-2008, 06:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
Milnoc Crazy Location: Montreal	An alternative to the lavalier is the Rode Videomic shotgun microphone. It's specifically designed for handheld camcorders, and it greatly improves the sound quality over the built-in mic. It's great when interviewing different people in a crowd. If the rubber bands on the mic squeak too much and are audible in the recording, rub some personal lubricant on them. The Canon HV30 is the follow-up model of the fabulous HV20, which I have. You won't be disappointed with the high def performance, but do keep the camera steady! If you watch the video on a huge screen and the image shakes too much, you'll make your audience sick.