First I want to say thanks to riceowl84, legendlee and wodenus for answering my questions in my earlier post. I also want to thank 5p3ak for directing me to this thread so i can post my question correctly.

Hi bang.

I need your opinion on professional video camera. i need to conduct interview in my college campus. i will ask people questions and get their views from them. something like what malaysiakini tengah buat but at college level in my case.

i don't want to use DSLR or should I consider? what are the pros and cons? if yes then which model do you recommend and how much are they? which entry level professional video camera can you recommend me? i don mind save up for something good rather than beli satu benda for sekejap masa and then realize that its not suitable for my intended purpose.

i was looking at Zoom Q8 but it is wide lens which will make the person i interviewing look very wide and besar.

as for lighting i will use natural light. normally the video camera comes with microphone?? if not then i will use cavalier mics to attach to the person im interviewing or maybe i will ask the person to hold a proper microphone instead? which is better?

of course cost is an issue so hope if you are free, saya harap abang boleh tolong saya.

terima kasih.

DSLR has a recording limit , not sure about the timing , if Im not mistaken my Canon stops at 14 minutes. But if you are looking to record for a long period of time for a 1 take interview , a dedicated video camera would be your best bet , only thing you have to worry about is memory.

Although I still shoot all my interviews on DSLR , its possible. Plus its more versatile if you are looking to shoot events aswell.

As for audio , if you are looking to get crispy clear audio of your interviewee , I would reccomend a good lav mic. I have been using a senheiser kit for aslong as I can remember. Its a pricy investment but it gets the job done perfectly.

Almost all cameras have built in microphones , the downside are the built in ones are stereo mics and they will pick up ambient noise as well. Not suitable for an interview for me.

If youre looking for a 'prefessional video camera' you better have deep pockets man, these things dont come cheap at all.

So this is what I use for a basic interview , 1 camera on tripod with wireless reciever to record all the audio , and a second camera to get different angles and side profiles.

I think I have confused you , all you need is a camera , tripod and a good microphone.

Cheers,

A moment of silence for my 5 month old 7D mark ii , haha..
Not sure what is wrong with it but I cant power it on at all , even with a fresh battery and memory card change. Have to take it to Canon to see what is wrong with it.

Canon's so call 'toughest' camera has just failed me. Haha

How are you transporting your Ronin M? Still in the original box? haha
Im still looking for a pelican with hard foam to store it , like the one in the Ronin.. Still no luck ):

What happen? so far i have no problem with mk ii.. If anything happen still got backup body

Im using the pelican from 1uas.. I believe i already give link to the case.. Hard foam with custom cut.. Original box make me look like i bring toy to field lol.. Nevertheless it serve the purpose as well.. Hahah..

Not really sure what happeed to my cam.. Shooting halfway it just turned off and cant on it anymore.

How long did it take for the case to arrive in Malaysia? Considering to get one.

Hi, I'm wondering where I can buy a Weifeng 717 in KL and surrounding areas. I went to lowyat plaza and couldn't find even one.

Around 2 weeks plus.. And then they come out with the wheeled version which is slightly bigger

If I recall, Kicapi Productions may sell it.

http://www.kenz.com.my/tripod-stand/weifen...uid-head-tripod

Kenz has the weifeng video tripod.

Or you can check this shop which has sometging similar under a different brand kingjoy:
http://www.gstrapinuse.com/index.php?main_...roducts_id=1011

Hi Adrian.

thank you for taking the time out to reply to me. Im still in the process of learning more on video cameras etc and am doing my own research at the same time. if i do make any progress or if i have any queries i'll post them here.

Hey, thanks Vince and Riceowl. I think I'll order from kenzo. The Kingjoy model is not the same as the Weifeng -- the Weifeng is mostly metal and weighs 4.5kg, while the cheaper ones have mostly plastic connectors and knobs and are nowhere as stable.

a dedicated professional video camera with the flexibility of a DSLR usually will break bank.. unless you settle down with a handycam type video recorder which is cheaper..

things to consider:

1. do you record a long interview at 1 shot?
2. do you look for interchangeable lens system which will suit your need for shooting later on? if yes go for DSLR (a dedicated video camera with this ability cost a bomb)
3. do you look for mobility?

any other function you might want to add or a must have? for audio you must have an external mic because you want to do interview and the last thing you want the viewer to listen is background noise take over your interviewee voice.. for shooting using natural lighting, a DSLR with a fast prime lens will help you a lot.. im not sure what you had in mind when you say entry level professional video camera but like adrian11 said these thing doesn't come cheap.. with your budget, you can get a good setup out of a DSLR as a video recorder (given that you won't conduct a long 1 take interview)

This post has been edited by kayFX: Jun 14 2015, 10:11 PM

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This post has been edited by kayFX: Jun 14 2015, 10:11 PM

Sometimes you just won't know what you really want until you start shooting videos for a while. Maybe you don't want DSLR because you don't want the hassle to learn about lenses and buying them.

So maybe check out the Sony RX10:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylH1DzLp1wk

The RX10 looks very good all round camera for video. The video is a bit outdated but sony released a firmware update where it has sony's newest XAVCS codec. It has both mic input and headphone jack to record and monitor audio. You can try and take a look at the camcorder Sony FDR AX100 if you still like a proper camcorder, but you will notice the price is so much higher than a RX10.

At the beginning of the video it says there is no perfect camera. Which is true. So getting a good all round camera to learn how to shoot first is the way to go. Then you will notice what features or accessories you will really want to improve your craft.

FYI Sony just announced the RX10 mark ii and should be for sale in a few months soon. And that should knock the price of the RX10 mark 1 down.

I finally received my Ronin M yesterday. Perfectly balanced camera and lens but having problem with PAN AXIS Drifting.

Did calibrate system, calibrate centre, Auto tune stability. All done, but no luck.

Got firmware update..

Mine updated with The IMU 1.2

I am still facing the drift issue.

When you balance your camera, did you do it with or without the ronin battery attached? My first mistake i balance it without the batt.. I balance it while the battery is out for charging.. That should affect the pan..

Everything in oredi bro. Batt, lens cap off. this is my 3rd handheld gimbal. 2 units from alexmos 32 bit and 1 unit ronin M.

I tried emailing Dji for the 1st version firmware. I need to downgrade from firmware IMU 1.2 to lower.