Thanks Terfyn. To be more clear-I already have high-spec PCs as part of a dedicated home-recording studio.This includes good-quality condenser mics and so, after looking around a bit, I want a camcorder with two XLR mic inputs and phantom power.This will simplify my recordings enormously.
It also seems , on investigation, that I'm going to have to up my budget . I now willing to go to £1500 because I'm very likely to get work for other musicians if I have good kit. I'm also wondering if a shoulder-mounted camcorder might be useful-and so if hand-held camcorders can be attached to third-party shoulder-mounts. It's starting to get complicateddata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Also-I don't use a cell phone at all so those apps are beyond me.
Well you are into the realm of semi pro kit, so others my help better than me.
One advantage, to me, of the DR-60D is that it takes XLR connections with Phantom Power so, for me, it converts my two decent mics into a signal directly into my camera as well as making a decent recording. It also has a Mid Side decoder built in.
You can get plenty of shoulder mounts for consumer cams. For example see Neewer® DSLR Movie Video Making Rig Set System Kit for Camcorder on Amazon.
Good luck.
Thanks Terfyn-yes, I can see that works-although my preference would be XLRs on the camera.
What sort of sensor will I need for low-light conditions ? JVC don't seem to be highly rated.
A big one. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 Seriously a rule of thumb is that the larger the sensor and the lens, the better for low light conditions.
Again I reiterate that my experience is limited to consumer cams. But the two cams I have, the Panasonic HC-V750 and the HC-V800, work well in low light conditions. I have filmed on Ghost Trains and spooky Halloween trains with excellent results, the video required a "lift" in my video editor to see the picture clearly but all the detail was there.
Really you can't beat a bit of light. If possible you could use the LED photofloods. They come in camera mounted 2" square units to large studio lights. All seem to be dimmable and have variable colour temperatures. Remember that the camera will pick up any light it can so filming a well lit stage is no problem.
In my time I have had Sony (Hi-8), Canon (DV tape) and Panasonic (SD card). I currently use Panasonic HD and have not moved onto 4K because 4K editing needs a powerful computer which I do not have.
I've spent the afternoon looking at dozens of camcorders and I'm thinking on settling on one of these two;
Sony HXR-NX100 Full HD NXCAM Camcorder
Sony HXR-NX100 HD NXCAM Camcorder Support Bundle
Canon XA11 Compact Full HD Camcorder
Canon XA11 Compact Full HD Camcorder NTSC
Any obvious cons there, terfyn, for what I have in mind ?
The Panasonics do look good but don't appear to feature XLR in my price range
Which would be the better of these two sensors for low light ?
1/2.84" HD CMOS Pro Sensor
Single 1" Exmor R CMOS Sensor
I really appreciate your expertise.
I think these comments apply:-
The Canon is shown as a NTSC camera. You need a PAL camera for this country.
In theory the 1" sensor should be better for low light.
I wish I could help you more. My suggestion would be to contact a good camera shop, Park cameras for example, and discuss your requirements and budget with them. Or possibly Jessops in Boston
Yes- I just linked to that one as a spec. comparison.There's a PAL version elsewhere for a lower price.
What does 1/2.84" mean? It looks like a mix of imperial and decimal.
There hasn't been a Jessops in Boston for many years.
You might want to read this Image sensor format - Wikipedia
Thanks JabbaNut-but the relevant table goes right over my musicians head. I'll just take Terfyn's advice and buy the Sony.