Digital Video Camera Suggestions

[Warder]

I would like some suggestions on a video camera that would be good for recording picking videos. I plan on spending between 500-1000 USD.

[HallisChalmers]

I would like some suggestions on a video camera that would be good for recording picking videos. I plan on spending between 500-1000 USD.

Warder, if you have a $1K budget then all I can say is WOW!. You're going to get serious about making vids.

Here's a suggestion - Find something from the Big 3 - Sony, Canon or Panasonic in the $500 to $700 range, with beau coup magnification power.

Be sure and get something with HD and a hard drive built in - that way you can take hours of videos and load them directly to your computer - or even YouTube. Memory card only cameras don't have a lot of recording capacity.

With the remaining $300 to $400, get (i) a good mini tripod that you can set up on a table top, (ii) a good, compact lighting set-up with LED's or fluorescent lighting, and (iii) a good video editing program.

If you have a newer Windows pc, you may already have a decent program such as Windows MovieMaker. It's not a super fancy program - but to start with and start learning, it's not bad. If so, use the extra cash towards camera accessories.

The most important thing in the whole process is lighting - and a good angle to get an "overhand" shot looking down into the keyway. Too many times you'll see videos that are shaky, darkly lit, and a poor shot angle.

Consequently, you end up watching some middle aged guy with grizzly bear hands and dirty fingernails sweatily pawing his old Master No. 3 from his junior high gym locker in some seedy opium den.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, BTW.

FYI - Try this site:


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=4449&name=Record-to-Hard-Disk-Camcorder&

[Warder]

Hey, here is the new camera.
I paid $600 (Cnd) and it is the JVC Everio GZ-HD300, 1920x1080.
It has the youtube direct upload button, nice.
It has a 60GB internal and SD card optional.
The following video is my first test on close-up picking.

[HallisChalmers]

Very nice... a good camera makes all the difference in the world. Now you need to get you a good light source (Ottlite) http://www.ott-lite.com/p-67-black-task-lamp-w-swivel-reg-5999-sale-4999.aspx

[ChicoSlim803]

must say good quality. great domination of the guard. the music well that is another entity.

[Warder]

Oh yeah, the music...
Thats a youtube option called audioswap. I blindly picked that song and it replaced the audio. I was curious about the audioswap option..
I could change it to one of the other audio selections....

[veiviser]

Allways a pleasure to see videos of such good quality
Hope to see more lockpicking from you in the future

[uklockpicker]

Im jelous i want for x-mas

[happykill]

that is very good quality, I like it. My first vid I made of closeup picking turned out like something between the Blair Witch Project and and old sega game as far as quality goes. *sighs*

aside from the quality of your vid, it was a good pick too, grats on the new setup