Video camera on a budget

Said budget is about $300 or so. I'll be using it for a wedding, at least initially, and the wedding and reception will be indoors in a decently lit large room (Southside Preservation Hall in Ft. Worth if anybody is familiar). It'll also be in the late afternoon/early evening, so plenty of light for any outdoor shooting.

There are several cameras I'm considering, but I want to see what it is you good people might have to recommend without knowing what it is I've been looking at.

The sooner I can decide on a camera the better so I can have more time to play around with it before the wedding (which is at the end of July). Also, if anybody has a book or some other advice to recommend, feel free to send that to me in a PM. This will be my first wedding video ever and I would like to do the best job I can on a budget.

For the record, editing will be done in iMovie (I have iMovie HD and '11), so the camera needs to play friendly with Mac.

It says in your signature that you have a 60D that, from what I understand, has a video mode, so why would you need a separate camcorder in this case? Personally, the money would be better spent in making the 60D more usable for video, like a shoulder rig, but if you insist on getting a camcorder then I suggest adding an extra zero to your budget if you want something that is even anywhere close to what your 60D can already do.

If this is or was for a "home video" that you would shoot for yourself or a relative, just about any modern camcorder in the sub-$600 range is going to perform just fine, if it's a professional job or close to it, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a Canon XF100 or a Panasonic HPX170. Only a few months ago these kind of cameras didn't exist, so this is really pushing what can be done on the cheap, not counting dSLRs.

Those little Kodak Zi8 cams are impressive for their size and price.

Kolor-Pikker wrote in post #12583787
It says in your signature that you have a 60D that, from what I understand, has a video mode, so why would you need a separate camcorder in this case? Personally, the money would be better spent in making the 60D more usable for video, like a shoulder rig, but if you insist on getting a camcorder then I suggest adding an extra zero to your budget if you want something that is even anywhere close to what your 60D can already do.

If this is or was for a "home video" that you would shoot for yourself or a relative, just about any modern camcorder in the sub-$600 range is going to perform just fine, if it's a professional job or close to it, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a Canon XF100 or a Panasonic HPX170. Only a few months ago these kind of cameras didn't exist, so this is really pushing what can be done on the cheap, not counting dSLRs.

Couldn't agree more, listen to this person!

The 60D only shoots in 12 minute chunks. I know from experience that it takes a few seconds before it'll let me start recording again, and the couple I'm doing this for want the entire ceremony. I'm not the one actually purchasing the camera. They'll be the ones buying it and giving it to me in place of payment for doing the wedding for them.

If the couple is set on getting a full edit of the ceremony look at the gh1. I just got mine from the panasonic facebook page for $300. Get a cheap $10 fotodiox adapter for canon-> micro 4/3rds and you can start learning the camera (your canon lens will only work wide open, so no outside shots). Make sure you have a tripod. If you have an sd card that has a write speed of 30mb/s then you can install the hack below to get 24p native at 100mps. This will make your cam comparable to the newer $1K gh2 and is regarded as one of the best vdslr camera's our right now. Id go to the church and make sure the lens combination works, otherwise rent the gear you need at lensrentals.com. You will not be able to work outdoors without a vari-nd filter, so this setup would only be for the ceremony.

http://www.dvxuser.com …itude-Native-24-25p-Patch

You have an interesting situation with the couple giving you a 60D as payment.
You stated that it was a decently lit area which I would imagine would be good enough for most HD camcorders in the $300 range, IF in fact the light is decent/good and not decent/bad. Of course, they won't have anywhere near the size sensor the 60D has so any light below good will affect the quality you can get.
Iunknown suggested a GH1, that would be a good idea but there is also a bit of work needed to get all of that up to speed with the hacks, adapters, and such. But Iunknown's suggestion of renting seems like the best option.
Rent a 550/600/or 60D (so you'll be familiar with the camera already) with a decent lens, set them in different locations and stagger the start times for recording. You'll end up with different angles to cut into the final project (will add interest) but still be able to use the audio to sync up everything (of course you're using separate audio!). Take the rented camera back to the shop at the end of the day and enjoy your new 60D.

oh, and for trainer. stillmotion vimeo, canon caravan. Everything you need to know about vdslr wedding video's.

I'm not sure where I said I was getting a 60D as payment. I already own one of those and have for over 6 months. They're on a very tight budget and couldn't afford to hire a professional, which is why they asked me (not blindly, I got my degree in film/digital video production) and offered to buy me a video camera. I'm not seeking something extremely fancy, it just needs to perform decently well indoors. I have a tripod already, and if there are extras that need to be purchased that is fine. I don't trust myself with hacks and I actually would prefer to have a dedicated video camera (since I started with video originally). I know that price range doesn't offer much and I expect that. I just thought someone on here may have had some experience with a camera in that price range and would be willing to share.

I am also constantly on the go until November, with extremely limited space, so buying equipment that'll take up too much space isn't an option. It's a miracle I have been able to fit my tripod in each time.

Again, not looking for anything fancy. I am most likely not getting into the wedding video business ever. This is a favor for good friends, nothing super professional, and I'm getting the camera out of the deal since they can't afford to pay. They offered when they asked and I was wanting a new camcorder for future travels, anyway, because I find 12 minutes to not be enough consecutive time.

You can do this a number of ways. As a 60d owner, I would use a $3000 budget like so:

1) a prime lense or two for the 60d. Indoor shooting with the 18-135 is going to be hard to pull off without jacking the iso up to a very noisy place.

2) either renting or getting a second body. You can get a t2i body for $700 and maybe less if you look around. Good planning and you resolve the 12 minute limitation by staggering your shots between two cameras that will look alike.

3) Spend the balance on various rigging options to help get better production value.

I just saw your response about not wanting more equipment. So here is an option B to what i suggested:

If space is an issue, still get at least one fast prime lense for your D60 and a smaller high end consumer camcorder. The Caonon Vixia footage mixes well with the canon DSLR footage. I'm not just talking out of my ass when i suggest this. I found myself on a shoot one day where I needed a second camera and remembered i had my Canon HG20 in my trunk. I got very usable footage.

Thanks for the recommendation. I can't afford a new lens right now, since I need to save every penny I can for my trip for the wedding and then for life after I finish americorps in November. I was looking at a camera from the Vixia line-up, though, so I may just go that route. I've been to the place they're having the wedding and reception in and know the lighting situation decently well. $300 or so isn't a terribly exciting budget to work with, but it could be worse.

Oh, and I have a functional tripod. It has its kinks and quirks, but it's all I could afford is sturdier than I expected. The thing serves its purpose, at the very least.

I just re-read your original post and I apologize. I read "$3000" instead of $300. Disregard everythign else I said except possibly finding a used Vixia. I stand by them as great b roll cameras. They used HF10's for the Cranked Movies for some scenes: http://www.usa.canon.c​om …/XHA1/case_stud​y_06.shtml.

adivineeternity wrote in post #12584862
I'm not the one actually purchasing the camera. They'll be the ones buying it and giving it to me in place of payment for doing the wedding for them.

I guess I got confused by this

Meh... It would have helped if I hadn't posted the various things that might have been useful in roughly 17 separate posts. My bad. I am currently eyeing several older Vixia models. I have no problems going used if it has the features I would like to have.