Confused in selecting Camera

[NetBug]

Hi,

From last 2 weeks I am trying to select the Camera to buy but I am unable to decide,

My main purpose is to record indoor video interviews and public opinion about the movies at Cinemas definitely a rushy place and then upload them on my website/youtube.

Basic Requirements :

- HD 1080p

- external mic jack so that I can use my website's mic for the public opinion at cinema and interviews.

- good night mood quality so that indoor videos even with low light can be good.

Firstly I was looking for Sony Camcorders but someone told me that I should go for DSLR because of the better video quality and will be able to take pictures in events in a better quality.

In Sony camcorders, I was planning to buy HDR-CX160 and in DSLR friend suggested me Canon 550D.

Please kidnly suggest me which Camera should I get, my budget is $550-700

Thank you.

[Skyman]

It sounds like you have already invested in a microphone.

What sort is it and what sort of connection does it use? you may find that buying a camera that it can connect to or the adapters to make it connect put you over your budget. Also how likely are your subjects to stay stationary and how good are you at manual focusing?

Quality wise either camera will be fine. Audio wise if your mic uses an xlr jack then your will need an adapter to connect it to the stereo mini jack audio input that both cameras have.

Focusing, the canon doesn't continuously autofocus, it locks focus and then stops focusing. This is fine if your subjects don't move or you are good at manually focusing (in case they do move) but it can be cumbersome.

As for low light capabilities. No camera is going to give you a great shot in low light. Both these cameras are ok in low light but depending on how dark it really is, I would be looking at a small battery powered video light or if the cinema lets you a small builders floodlight on a stand.

If you are serious about it, maybe rethink your budget a bit or look for a second hand sd quality pro camera

[NetBug]

I have't bought mic yet but I will buy a boom mic, beside this please suggest me which one is better for my purpose Sony camcorder or Canon dslr?

[Skyman]

I really can't give you a straight answer as neither camera is going to be perfect for what you want to achieve. The Canon has great quality video, but is very hard to use unless you are used to manually focusing and don't mind stopping recording every twelve minutes. The Sony is easier to use but the quality of video probably isn't quite as good as the canon. Also like I said you will need an adapter (like a beachtek DXA-5D) to plug a boom mic into either of these cameras. These adapters are about $250. This would make it hard to hand hold the camera, so you would need a solid tripod - add another couple of hundred dollars. Then another $500 plus for the boom mic and you have blown your budget. The location as you describe it isn't great so a light would be handy. So you could spend maybe $1500 adapting either of these cameras to do the job you want and spending a lot of time fiddling around, or you could buy a used sony pd170 or canon xl1 and still have money to spare.

[ellan]

I recommend to buy canon550 camera,i like there is 18 million pixel CMOS sensor, 3-inch 3:2 LCD screen pixels to 104 million. Metering system with 63 points and 7D quite. In addition, the keys also have a new design.and more other funntion