You might try going to home depot and buying some work lights. Not too expensive, very powerful. Some even have clamps so they can be attached to pipes or whatever. They'll make the basement hot but dim lighting won't be a problem. Use bounceboards or filters to diffuse the blaze a bit.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

What about a new camcorder? Any good ones for the 300-500 dollar range?

All cameras in the 300-500 dollar range are identical. A Sony is like a Sharp is like
a Canon is like a Panasonic is like Samsung. You can go to any Best Buy and pick
up a camera in that price range and you won?t be able to tell the difference.

Cameras don't capture good images in the dark. You should take RJ's suggestion
and at least consider getting a few lights.

Check out these threads on cameras:
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7034
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6195
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6316
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4527
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4479
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4183
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4555

And these on lighting:
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6565
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6290
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3869

If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Its not new but i have a panasonic PV-GS250, it was Panasonic's 3 ccd entry level camera, they were around 500 new back 3 years ago so they are even cheaper now, they take television grade video are very simple to use and fairly small.

the important thing is a mic imput so you have some sound options.

alot of the movies on my youtube page www.youtube.com/user/dgwhedges were taken with this camera.

but a camera ain't sh*t if you don't have lights or decent sound.

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Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether.
- Luis Bunuel