Video Camera

[Phage]

Wow. Thanks every one.
I'm thinking that a single mic would do. I expect that it would be mostly monologue with a few prompts from the other half. If so, is it the Panasonic?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Wow. Thanks every one.
I'm thinking that a single mic would do. I expect that it would be mostly monologue with a few prompts from the other half. If so, is it the Panasonic?

There are a few Panasonics:
1.)FZ1000 - large sensor,a bit over £500,but slightly complex menu system and audio is best captured with external mic(just read the OIS sound can be picked up by the internal mic when it is quiet -doh!)
2.)FZ300/FZ330 - smaller sensor,under £500,but has very high bitrates,and the camera itself is more compact and weather proof
3.)G7 -largest sensor,under £400 for the camera body,but needs a lens,but is actually more compact if you use a standard lens
4.)HC-VX870 - smaller sensor but under £500 but meant to be based on higher end camcorders

Comparison of the first two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6WJvKwvkXU

If I were you I might try to handle a few of them.

Not sure what the cheaper alternatives though.

Edit!!

The comparison of the sizes and features of the cameras:

http://cameradecision.com/compare/Pa...mix-DMC-FZ1000
http://cameradecision.com/compare/Pa...c-Lumix-DMC-G7

[Dashers]

I have a G7, got it in a black-friday sale for effectively £250. I already had lenses though. It's a stunning video-camera for amateurs, and a cracking photographic camera too.

The kit-lenses are great for day-to-day video as they have built-in lens stabilisation. As it's interchangeable you can also upgrade your lenses as you get more proficient and want to push things to be more advanced. You can pretty much fit any lens to a micro-four-thirds camera with adapters. I've got some nice vintage lenses which give a lovely soft feel to images - but you can also attach video focused lenses which have step-less apertures and big focusing rings. In the end, I use the 12-35mm f/2.8 for videos which I got as a grey-import, it's really hard to go wrong with it.

It's by far the best video footage I've ever recorded. I generally record in 4K as I have the option to crop or do software-stabilisation if required. Never actually done that though. Often I'll use Handbrake to compress down to 1080.

[blueball]

Thanks Cat !
Is there anything you don't seem to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of.... ?

I believe he knows sod all about encyclopaedias!