Filming hunts...good camera?
 

Hey guys,

My friend and I started last archery season filiming deer hunts. He filmed me shooting a doe with my bow, and we are hooked. He edited the video to a 15 minute video you guys can check out if interested- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rDaIMXDNto

However, if you watch the video you can see the footage is not the greatest and its hard to hear me. We are looking to invest in a new HD camera to film. If anyone can give me some cameras you guys maybe use that are great for filming hunts. Also, we want to invest in some wireless microphones so that you can hear what the hunter is saying in the stand. Thanks for any input!

I started filming two years ago and can give you my 2 cents.

I'm glad to see you are looking for video quality and not going the gun/bow mounted route.

Definately get yourself an HD videocamera. I don't know how much you are looking to spend, but if your like me, i didn't have alot to shell out. I went with a Canon HV20. It is still a miniDV camera but i like the fact i can archive my tapes and it is just as good a quality if not butter than a harddrive based videocamera. I got mine refurbished fom Newegg for around $300 with no regrets. I have seen them as low as $199 refurbed. The HV20 is getting older and they have since replaced them with the HV30 and HV40. Those will be more in the range of $400 to $600. I mounted mine with a Rode Videomic. Works great for sound. The HV cameras would need a preamp to use wireless mics. It can be done, but more expensive videocameras would already have this.

The HV20 video quality is great for the money. I read many reviews saying it was better than most videocameras in the next higher priced range. The only drawback is the low light video isn't as good as the expensive ones, along with the lack of alot of video control.

All in all for the money i think it's a nice little setup. After buying the mic, wide angle lens, camera arm (definately invest in one of these), good fluid head, and the misc batteries and stuff i probably have about $1000 wrapped up in mine. I do want to upgrade someday, but still don't have the money to do so yet. So i will happily keep using my setup until i do.

If you have more money to invest, by all means get something better. I just thought i would pass on my experience with the HV20.

Good luck whichever route you take.

Thanks a lot Iowabucks44. That is almost exactly the price range my friend and I are going for. We are both seniors in high school and will be attending the same college together so money is tight haha. We had so much fun making that last video with a hand me down camera and it got us hooked. We are excited to get a HD camera to make it that much better. I will definitely look into the camera you told me about. Thanks again!!

i Have the canon HFS 20 and the canon HFS 200 and love both of them, you can also get alot of add ons for each of these cameras and with those 2 cams you probably wont need an external mic