Which camera should I buy?

I get asked this question a lot by editors I advise and people signing up for the Camp Video Journalism workshops and it is a good one. I usually will respond with a few turnback queries to determine the best answer for them:

• "Who is going to carry it?" a reporter, a photographer?
• "How often will they be filing video stories?
• "Where is this person going to file from?
• "Will they be doing more than contributing footage?
• "How big is their purse?"

If they are impatient, I simply tell them to buy the one with the best microphone. That usually slows them down enough to get them to listen to this fact about Web video.

It is more important to get a camera that records high-definition audio than it is to get one that merely takes pictures in Hi-Def or HDV.

Truth is there are some great cameras out there that won't break the bank or the reporter's back. It is very important to gear up according to need, skill level and frequency of use. I often see clients planning to buy either way too much camera or far to amateur a kit to get the job done. I just saved a Canadian editor-in-chief about $50,000 from his budget by specc'ing gear that better matches what the staff at his paper will produce, day in and day out.


I like to look at these tiers or categories when answering the camera question.

1) GA REPORTER
Standard issue for every reporter would be a point and shoot that captures at least 8 megapixels for still frame photos and at least 800 pixels wide at 30 FPS for video. There are several to choose from and the models that I have been using for the past few years have been the Panasonic Lumix models. The LX2 and the FX-01. They have Leica lenses and are incredibly sharp and useful. I am replacing my trusty pink FX-01 with a pink 8.1-MEGAPIXEL Compact Digital.

Panasonic Lumix camera with 8.1 Megapixels and 3x Optical zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens. Has a built-in Flash, uses SD cards and shoots stills at 3,264 x 2,448 Resolution JPEG nd video at 848 x 480 (30/10fps) in QuickTime Motion JPEG format.
This pink camera is the ultimate stealth reporter cam. Nobody suspects that a pink cam can capture incredible footage.
Stylish and rugged - I have field-tested these baby Leicas filing reports in more than 16 countries. They are reporter-proof.
I order these Leica-lensed digicams for every journalist on staff so that they carry with them a camera that can take exquisite and very usable still frame images as well as crystal clear video, in a pinch. "In a pinch" being the key words in that last sentence.
These slender beauties are OK for video B-roll bits and the odd vox-pop interview. Of course, it is available in other colors and costs about $150.

2) POOL CHECKOUT AND CUB VIDEOGRAPHERS
Just get the Canon HV30.
I was e-mailing Naka Nathaniel earlier this week about gear he suggests and he tells me the Canon HV30 is the unit he specs now for beginners and occasional users producing video reports. I agree it is a popular model, but beware, you will have to upgrade the microphone to get usable results in the field.
Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized ZoomCanon HV30 HDV High Definition Camcorder - Successor to the award-winning HV20, the HV30 derives all the benefits of the Canon HD Camera System - Canon HD Lens, Full HD CMOS sensor and DIGIC DV II processor - for outstanding HDV1080i images. The new model features an all-black design, a multi-angle Vivid LCD screen, and the ability to capture in 24P or 30P mode for the internet.

OK fine, but this consumer-grade camera needs a real microphone. Best to add in the Rode VIDEOMIC Directional Shotgun Mic or Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Microphone.
The HV30 has a mini-jack audio input and you want try to match that mini-jack with a shotgun mic. Pro mics use XLR connections not mini jacks - but there are solutions. Don't forget to buy the dead cat, too.
The Rode DeadCat is a special muff-style Wind Screen for the Rode VideoMic.

3) SOLO VJ
For the reporter who will report, shoot, file and upload from the field (or the office) the Sony A1U is hard to beat in terms of price and perfromance. A pro camera, with pro audio jacks, pro camera settings it it suprisingly light and small - perfect for field work documentaries.
Sony Professional HVR-A1U High Definition Camcorder

• High-definition video camera records in 1080i, 720p, and 720i specification with analog down-converting
• Professional two-channel audio interface
• 16:9 widescreen recording; 4:3 conversion capable
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 10x optical zoom lens; digital Super SteadyShot System dampens hand jitter and vibration
• CMOS camera system; records to conventional DV tape stock

Some people prefer the more expensive Sony Z1U for field works but anyone who carries one (Like newsvideographer.com guru Angela Grant) will tell you they are lusting for a lighter pro camera like the A1U. My A1U goes with me in carry-on luggage along with my laptop, portable drives and mics.

4) STUDIO SETUP
If you are going to be producing some shows in your newsroom studios - then, by all means, pick up a Sony Z1U or one of the bigger Panasonics that use G2 memory cards. Those beasts have three-chip CCDs and mate well to a sturdy tripod for producing traditional TV-style programs.

What cameras are you carrying? Are you using Flip cameras for anything more than spot news footage? Sound off, please.

Robb Montgomery is the CEO of Visual Editors.

(Photo of Robb with his Sony A1U camera at Camp VJ Chicago by David Dunkley Gyimah.)