I was recently asked if it was possible to put together a decent camera kit for $2K. I enthusiastically answered in the affirmative and then proceeded to list everything I would get, their approximate costs and ended with the caveat, “of course, I don’t do the ordering for work, so I’m guessing at these prices.”
Well, today I thought I would put my money where my mouth is. Fake money, of course. Journalists don’t often have a spare 2 grand just layin’ about.
I went to newegg.com and searched my favorite brand: Canon. They didn’t have many in stock and the one I really drooled over was over $1400. I didn’t want to blow my entire (imaginary) wad there, so I thought it warranted some shopping.
So, the first step you should take when you’re not really sure what you want (or can’t afford what you want and need to know how to get the most bang for your buck) is to read reviews. I trust CNET for reviews on anything and everything – and they’re also a good and trusted source to download freeware, shareware and the like (thought I’d share that last bit just in case you’ve been living in a cave for the last decade).
CNET agrees with me that Canons are the way to go. They list several depending on what type of shooting you’ll be doing and what your needs really are. The 400 series looks good, but note that last line in the summary:
If you don’t need the EVF, the M400 is your best buy, but if you’ll be shooting a lot in sunlight, it’s worth it to step up to the M41.
I can tell you now, after working on a camera without EVF for some time – you want it when you’re shooting outside in the sun. Overcast? Doesn’t matter. Shoot away. Sunlight … good luck without it. So, M41 it is.
Canon Vixia HF M41
With this info, I went to B&H Photo and found the M41 in stock for $799. Now, one cool thing that B&H does is put together a kit for you. If you’re really not sure what you want, they usually have two options: basic and deluxe accessory kits. They include stuff like batteries, tripod, case, etc. OR you can put everything together yourself. Initially, I liked the pre-packaged deal because it got me out quick with a modicum of fuss, but upon further inspection, I didn’t like the battery or the fact that they only gave you a 16GB card rather than a 32 or 64. I didn’t need filters or a minihood or some of the other things and I did want extra audio help (onboard mics are miserable creatures).
I was hustlin’ right along filling my cart with a wide angle lens, shoulder bag, extra batteries, tripod … and then I hit the audio. Oh mother. Now, I got an attachable shotgun mic for the camera for $200, but you really need a mic kit with lav mics (and a stick for certain situations when you have maybe more than one subject or you’re going quickly from one interview to the next and don’t want to fool with the mic/unmic process).
Sennheiser really is the best in the biz. They’re great mics and pretty much all I see anyone using locally. In my kit, I have a both a lavalier and plug-in transmitter, a receiver and a stick mic. Today, I found out that my kit retails for around $1200. I was thinking it would be about half that … at most.
The mics, once added, pushed me over my budget and took my total (with tax and shipping) to $2569 and some change. You can view the actual wish list here.
So … Is it possible to put together a kit for less than $2K? Yes, it probably is. The question you have to ask is, “How crappy do I want to go with my gear?” My answer is obvious – though I didn’t even include a light!
