Need help picking a Camera, Need one very soon

[Savi]

Hello, this is what I am trying to do, I will be making a documentary style family video. Only family and friends will ever watch it more interview type stuff than anything. My sister passed away recently and I was gona just make a website for the family to have a place to see all of her pictures and family videos. But now I want to just make 1 movie with family and friends sharing something about her on video. And I have only a few months most likely to get this on video because my family will be moving out of state sometime this year. So I would like to her friends and our family that lives here on video before then.


I need a camera that I can use on a tripod, Also something that is not too big, I am in a wheelchair so should be easy to handle, well now that I think about it all cameras are small now a day's right? I also need a still shot camera but I think there basically 1 in the same now right? I haven't made a movie in a long time well over 10 years any help on this will be nice, editing is no problem I was always good at stuff like that.
do I need to give any more info? I am sorry if I haven't really made to much sense I am just not in a good state of mind atm

 

[JohnnyRebel]

Hello, this is what I am trying to do, I will be making a documentary style family video. Only family and friends will ever watch it more interview type stuff than anything. My sister passed away recently and I was gona just make a website for the family to have a place to see all of her pictures and family videos. But now I want to just make 1 movie with family and friends sharing something about her on video. And I have only a few months most likely to get this on video because my family will be moving out of state sometime this year. So I would like to her friends and our family that lives here on video before then.


I need a camera that I can use on a tripod, Also something that is not too big, I am in a wheelchair so should be easy to handle, well now that I think about it all cameras are small now a day's right? I also need a still shot camera but I think there basically 1 in the same now right? I haven't made a movie in a long time well over 10 years any help on this will be nice, editing is no problem I was always good at stuff like that.
do I need to give any more info? I am sorry if I haven't really made to much sense I am just not in a good state of mind atm

What is your budget and experience?

There are options aplenty that will fit your need. I really like the Canon S95, but I haven't used the video yet. As a camera it would do great for what you are interested in.

Modern DSLRs would do also, but there are issues if you autofocus while recording sound. I know a person who does neat projects with the D3100. Certainly either the D5100 or D7000 would fit your needs (with price tag up to $1100). If I got any of these I would also get the Nikon 35mm AF-S f/1.8 prime lens and an external mic.

The Canon 5D Mk II would be wonderful. I am not partial to it's ergonomics, nor it's tendency to be just a bit off focus, but in the video world it is king of the dslrs. It also take great pictures of things that aren't moving too fast. $2500, or so.

JR

 

[Savi]

oh totaly forgot to post my budget sorry, roughly $500 could go up a few more hundred if needed. I was actualy looking at the Canon S95 while back for just still shots, not sure on how the video looks as well

As for experience i did go to a local school on doing video's like this but that was well over 11 years ago so much has changed tech wise.

 

[CptObvious]

The S95 is a great still camera, and the video is good too but options are a little limited (480p/30 and 720p/24). My girlfriend's SD4000 takes 720p/30 that looks better than the S95 I had.

For mostly video, I'd probably go with the Panasonic DMC-LX5 over the S95. Not only does it do 720p/30, but uses the AVCHD lite codec, which is easier for editing than the motion JPEG codec in S95. Picture/video quality should be similar.

However, the S95 wins on size. It's the only quality camera I know that is truly pocketable.