Good camera for Stop Motion

[JDMason]

My son has taken an interest in creating stop-motion animation with his Lego building sets using Corel Video Studio 4. I have experimented with using our video camera (JVC Everio) as well as several of our digital cameras (Nikon "Coolpix", a semi-generic Canon, etc.) to capture the images "live" and then import them using the stop-motion creator in the CVS4 program with no luck. The best I can do is use a webcam. The problem is that the lens aperture and resolution on the webcam is so small that it creates a sub-optimal image.

I am thinking I will need to invest in a DSLR (which I have been thinking about getting anyway) in order to effectively use this feature. Can any users suggest a DSLR that will merge with CVS4 and allow me to capture the image live from the camera and produce better animations? I have looked at a Nikon d3100 and the Canon EOS Rebel - leaning toward the Nikon (for no particular reason) but want to make absolutely sure it will interface with CVS4 like this.

Thanks for your assistance.

[aljimenez]

Sounds like what you want is a camera that does high frames per second (FPS). Do a search for high fps cameras. There are some not very expensive ones, I think Casio, and others make 120fps cameras. No DSLR does more than 60fps, which may be enough... Al

[JDMason]

No, that's not the point - fps has nothing to do with it. For creating stop-motion video animations, you need a camera that will somehow communicate with the computer software so the computer can capture the image through the viewfinder without actually taking the picture. That's what I mean by a "live feed". The problem with the cameras I have (except the webcam, which gives a crappy image) is that a signal (or whatever) is not sent to the computer on a full-time basis. You can easily download a series of images, but to use the software effectively you need that live feed so you can utilize the onion skin feature that lets you see the previous captured image, this lets you move it a little bit, take another picture, move it a little more, etc.

Thanks for your suggestion, but I think we're talking about two different things.

[lata]

Hi

I have just tried using my Panasonic GS 400 (connected via firewire) which seems to work. Onion skin looked ok
However the images are saved in 4:3 Pal aspect ratio 720 x 576. I was hoping for a widescreen image. Guess that's the camera.

I tried two still cameras, neither worked, Panasonic TZ8 and a Canon 7D, once connected via usb the camera defaulted to thier downoad mode, I was unable to take a shot.

I think you need to use a camcorder rather than a still camera?

[JDMason]

Hi
I think you need to use a camcorder rather than a still camera?

Yes - that might be the case. I was hoping the advanced DSLR's would work, as they would provide the best images and thus would create the best animations. Does anyone out there have one of the DSLR's (some also record video, btw) and would be willing to try it out with CVS4 using the animation tool?

Interestingly enough, the JVC Everio (camcorder) I have doesn't work because the JVC file format is proprietary or something and so CVS4 doesn't recognize it. There are free/shareware converters online where you can convert already filmed JVC video files to something else (mp4, or something else, can't remember...) so I can edit completed videos, etc. using CVS4, but that's not something I can use with an animation project.

[lata]

Hi

My Canon D7 is a digital SLR, but still does not record whilst being connected via USB
I suppose you could call it an advanced DSLR