Video set up questions

First,
I'm kind of new to video work, i've done a little but it's mainly while in the air so audio was never a big issue as almost 95% of it was cut and replaced. We are planning on making a trial run for a wedding and I understand the importants of having a quality audio set up.

My budget is around $1000 that i've willing to invest in equipment, as far as bodies and lenses i'm pretty much set.

One thing i've already considered is a viewfinder for the LCD, and a ginu HDSLR rig ($450) from ebay.

After doing some reading i've shifted my needs and found that Audio is the most important aspect of video work so I want to address that issue first.

If any one is willing to help a video noob out that would be awesome as i'm open to what you have to say.

I have the Rode Video Mic Pro. I have to say, for the price, it's great. Picks up directional audio very well and there is minimal hiss. I'd recommend getting a wind cover for it if you're gonna be using it outside. The Rode Deadcat is kinda pathetic. The MICOVER is cheaper and works way better.

Skraw wrote in post #15362678
I have the Rode Video Mic Pro. I have to say, for the price, it's great. Picks up directional audio very well and there is minimal hiss. I'd recommend getting a wind cover for it if you're gonna be using it outside. The Rode Deadcat is kinda pathetic. The MICOVER is cheaper and works way better.

Yeah and at first I considered this option, how ever I'm looking for a set up that I can have as an external set up.

Oh boy, audio is a lot more expensive and difficult to get right than just popping a mic on your camera, certainly going to set you back more than $1000 to start from scratch. I'd say more right now, but it's late and I'm typing on the tablet so... maybe someone that also has a good idea of audio capture can chime in for the while.

The zoom H1 can do a lot of good things... if you want to upgrade the Zoom H4n is another good option.

Zoom H1 $100
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …rtable_Digital_​Audio.html

Zoom H4n $270
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Handy_Mobile_4_​Track.html

for interviews, the Audio Technica ATR 3350 is nice afordable lav mic...
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …l_Condenser_Lav​alier.html

or upgrade to Rhode
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Lavalier_Micro​phone.html

For movie making, you really need an audio technician... kinda like this...
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ion_Articulated​_Boom.html

The on camera shotgun mic is much better than the camera audio, but the general rule is to get closer to the source. You can use one of the external recording options above and also record in camera... get a slate or remember to clap to help you sync audio/video later in post.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Dry_Erase_Produ​ction.html

I was just looking at one actually, when I get home i'll have a look at what you linked. Thank you for your time and effort, I'm sure i'll have questions so i'll post back once I have a look.

I've been seeing a lot of people talking about the H4n and a lot of people seem to like it, in a situation like during the wedding would that really be a good way to go? Or should I be looking at getting wireless (2 or 3) for the bride, groom, and priest? I would like to get the H4N as I don't want any feeds in camera (I'm trying to avoid the hum), would I be able to get do something like this:

H4N
2 wireless lav
and maybe a shotgun mic

and would those systems be able to all feed into the H4N? from my understanding of what this says "4-Channel Recording The H4n can record up to 4 channels of audio. It also has a 4-track MTR mode that provides simultaneous 4-track playback and 2-track recording for overdubbing and creating songs "

Being that it only has two XLR inputs does that mean I'd be limited to only two inputs? How would you use this to have more than one lav and maybe a shotgun mic?

Kolor-Pikker wrote in post #15363185
Oh boy, audio is a lot more expensive and difficult to get right than just popping a mic on your camera, certainly going to set you back more than $1000 to start from scratch. I'd say more right now, but it's late and I'm typing on the tablet so... maybe someone that also has a good idea of audio capture can chime in for the while.

Which is why I came here, I was hoping to hear more about it from people that understand it better. I'm not looking to just throw on a shotgun mic and run around, so hopefully with the knowledge here I can get an idea of the cost and the steps required to get a proper set up. If I need to get high in budget I may consider it as long as I understand the uses and how this will help. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing your input later.

I've not done much video, so please, take this all with a HUGE grain of salt.

For my setups I use a Video mic pro on camera, and then a cheap lav paired up with a zoom h1. I sync everything up with pluraleyes afterwards.

I'd love to get a couple channels of wireless, but getting enough and a zoom h4 is outside my budget. I'd say that just two quality wireless units would probably max out your 1k budget. I find that I can put the h1 in my subject's pocket and have a great signal at the end of the shoot to pair up in pluraleyes. In fact, I'll probably get a few more h1 and cheap lav mics so I can record a few sources at the same time.

So far it has worked well for me, and has kept my initial cash outlay quite affordable.

-jon

seoul4korea wrote in post #15363270
I've been seeing a lot of people talking about the H4n and a lot of people seem to like it, in a situation like during the wedding would that really be a good way to go? Or should I be looking at getting wireless (2 or 3) for the bride, groom, and priest? I would like to get the H4N as I don't want any feeds in camera (I'm trying to avoid the hum), would I be able to get do something like this:

Do you know if the bride is willing to be lav'd up? I've had brides who refused to have anything extra on their dresses.
And do you know if the ceremony will be mic'd up itself? Unless it's a small wedding usually the MC or priest would have a mic, same with the bride and groom. In that case an H4n would be great for tapping into the board.
Also, I personally found that using a monopod is better for most wedding situations, I find myself crammed in hotel rooms, jamming myself into corners for the right shot, etc. places that a shoulder rig might not fit.

s.l.k wrote in post #15364899
Do you know if the bride is willing to be lav'd up? I've had brides who refused to have anything extra on their dresses.
And do you know if the ceremony will be mic'd up itself? Unless it's a small wedding usually the MC or priest would have a mic, same with the bride and groom. In that case an H4n would be great for tapping into the board.
Also, I personally found that using a monopod is better for most wedding situations, I find myself crammed in hotel rooms, jamming myself into corners for the right shot, etc. places that a shoulder rig might not fit.

I don't at this moment, I have a good amount of time before the wedding (June 2013) which is why I came straight here so I can start getting the ball going. That monopod idea doesn't sound too bad and I'll see what I can find out about the mics and Lav's. Thanks for your reply.

anyone else?

I shoot weddings for both stills and for video. Don't get a shoulder rig would be my advice. You do need stabilization though. I've found, as have countless others, that the Manfrotto 561BHDV is the single best tool you can get for run and gun shooting. It's fast to use, quick to adjust, stable and allows for relatively smooth moves. You can even simulate dolly shots or crane moves with it.

For audio I'd go with the ATR 3350 as an inexpensive lav mic and hardwire it to a Zoom H1 or to a Roland R-05 and forgo the wireless system. Wireless can be good but they are very expensive and sometimes can have issues with interference depending on your location. If you can spend more on the mic, possibly get a Rode lav or a Pinmic. They sound great and have a lot hotter output than the Audio Technica. I have both mics and say this from my experiences with them.

A good shotgun mic is a worthwhile investment. The Rode Videomic Pro is a great mic. Set it at +20 dB for normal use while keeping your camera gain low. In higher sound pressure environments like the reception, you can switch it to 0 to keep the levels from peaking.

I'd highly recommend Magic Lantern 2.3 if you're using Canon. You can monitor your audio with that hack and it also adds a ton of functionality to your camera for shooting video.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

akivisuals wrote in post #15368731
I shoot weddings for both stills and for video. Don't get a shoulder rig would be my advice. You do need stabilization though. I've found, as have countless others, that the Manfrotto 561BHDV is the single best tool you can get for run and gun shooting. It's fast to use, quick to adjust, stable and allows for relatively smooth moves. You can even simulate dolly shots or crane moves with it.

For audio I'd go with the ATR 3350 as an inexpensive lav mic and hardwire it to a Zoom H1 or to a Roland R-05 and forgo the wireless system. Wireless can be good but they are very expensive and sometimes can have issues with interference depending on your location. If you can spend more on the mic, possibly get a Rode lav or a Pinmic. They sound great and have a lot hotter output than the Audio Technica. I have both mics and say this from my experiences with them.

A good shotgun mic is a worthwhile investment. The Rode Videomic Pro is a great mic. Set it at +20 dB for normal use while keeping your camera gain low. In higher sound pressure environments like the reception, you can switch it to 0 to keep the levels from peaking.

I'd highly recommend Magic Lantern 2.3 if you're using Canon. You can monitor your audio with that hack and it also adds a ton of functionality to your camera for shooting video.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thanks a lot! I don't think they have ML for the 5d MK III yet and i'm not sure of how it's running on the 7D.... I'll have to look into it after christmas.

seoul4korea wrote in post #15368773
Thanks a lot! I don't think they have ML for the 5d MK III yet and i'm not sure of how it's running on the 7D.... I'll have to look into it after christmas.

Yep. Full version of ML isn't out yet for the 5D3. You can monitor audio on that camera so it isn't as big of a deal. ML is out for the 7D and is a worthwhile addition. Be careful, 7D's are known to overheat at times when shooting video.