Studio Cameras vs Video Cameras I need your help!!!!!

[Ddirector]

I was browsing through ebay and I came upon an idea. What if I bought a studio camera instead of a video camera to film my next feature. You have all seen the types used by the local news. You know those cameras they use for investigatitive reporting in you local town. Yeah, those. Now what if I went to ebay and bought one of those with a charger and shot my film instead of using a digital 8 or mini-dv. I mean would it be better to do so? And which ones should I use. And could I hook it up to the computer? Well tell me what you think and give me some advice please.

[Alex]

Excellent idea.

I recommend S-VHS (but only if you have access to a very high end S-VHS playback machine, such as a JVC BRS-522,622,822.

The JVC X2B might be the best deal going.

If you make the image BW, then you have the added feature of 30BD gain which looks like grainy BW film.

You can check the serial number for maintenance history before buying the camera.

Check for dead pixels by putting the lens cap on the lens and hitting gain. If you see white specs those are dead pixels and you probably should avoid buying the camera.

Many such studio cameras do that are from the mid to late 90's may be in need of maintenance of between $1,000-$2,000.

But the cameras are being sold so cheaply that may still be a good deal.

[Ddirector]

Yes buyin a studio camera is great but what really is the difference. I mean are they better. Like let's say I buy a s-vhs studio camera. Is it better than a s-vhs camcorder? Like the resolution better. I mean a s-vhs video camera has 400 lines and a studio camera has how many. I need to compare because studio cameras are bulky. Regular cameras are not. Please give examples.

[Alex]

Bigger cameras have a more solid feel. They also need bigger tripods. Should you luck out and find a Sachtler tripod (no smaller than a #18), you'll be in hog heaven at how fluid ALL of your camera pans and zooms are.

And there in lies the difference. Small, plasticky consumer cameras bobble when you try and zoom or pan with them. It's subliminally amateurish at best, and graphically comical at it's worst.

The bigger chip size found on the studio cameras, (at least 1/2 inch in size,) also lends itself to less depth of field. Rack focus and shallower depths of field are possible, but not mandatory with Studio Cameras.

XLR inputs, time-code on two separate VITC channels. Manually settable audio inputs that are paired off both linearly and stereo for true redundancy/back-up.

That's why I question all the hype about these little digital cameras as if they are making it possible for anyone to be a Spielberg. That was already achieved with the studio cameras from the mid 90's to the present.

The small cameras are cool when you are trying to minimize your presence in certain situations. Beyond that, they are a joke compared to the standard studio cameras that have been around since the mid 90's.

I can shoot at +12DB and completely clean up the picture of video noise when I shoot in analog. Try that with a Canon XL1s or a PD-150.

The newest cameras really aren't better than the studio cameras made in the last 5-7 years, they are in fact cheaper in price, which makes them better for many people just starting out.

But if you find a camera in good condition that was made in the mid 90's to the present, it overall will offer many more professional features than are found on the prosumer digital cameras.