Any camera from Sony, Canon, JVC and Panasonic in your price range will be great.
I know that only tends to muddy the waters, but it's true. The differences are slight
but most people are devotes to one brand so you will get advice based on a lot of
personal bias and opinion. Even the tape vs. card issue isn't really a big one. What
ever you end up with will work just fine.

I am partial to the JVC GY-HM100. I own it, I've used it for TV. I shot some of "Amazing
Race" with it and I love that it records in native Quicktime to SDHC cards. However, the
two camera you mention would both be excellent choices as well as the Sony HVR-A1.
Sorry to add more to the mix. Of the Canon and Panasonic you mention, I prefer the
Panasonic.

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

quote:

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Originally posted by thomast

I first posted this in General Discussion, so sorry for the duplication.

I'm close to buying my first professional camcorder, but I'm having a hard time deciding which one to buy. My budget is about 2500.00 and I'm plannning on buying it used...most likely off ebay. I'm leaning towards either a Canon or a panasonic. For Canon, I'm looking at the 'Canon XH A1' and for Panasonic, the 'Panasonic AG-HVX205A'. I'm not sure if I should get a camera that uses 'tape', which would be less money, or one that reads right to a card.

I'm totally open to other camera's, but from the reviews, the Canon and Panasonic seem to fit what I'm looking for

I've done a bunch of small films, but I'm currently getting setup to do a 15 to 25 minute documentary film to be submitted to the Bicycle Film Festival in 2012. Most of my stuff so far has been action, but I want somethign with good sound quality and good low light quality as I plan on expanding my horizons on the types of movies I make.

Any help or guidence to a thread discussing this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thank!
Thomas

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Well, as far as format goes, that should be determined by A) your post workflow setup and B) the delivery requirements of wherever you plan to exhibit/submit your projects.

For instance, it's important to know that some networks (ie, Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, Travel Channel, etc) that run documentaries have very specific delivery specs that you MUST adhere to if you want your project to be bought and run on their network. It is in your best interest to learn those first AND THEN figure out which equipment you're going to invest in or else you could end up spending a lot of time and money on a project that will go nowhere and take your career with it.

Next, understand that anything you plan on buying for $2,500 or less is not classified as "professional" grade. The differences are generally the quality of image, lens quality, and compression in addition to basic "useability."

That is important in that, again, any delivery requirements may or may not be able to be achieved by a pro-sumer camera. It is in your best interest to check on those specs BEFORE you commit any money to anything.

Also, I am interested to know if that $2,500 was for EVERYTHING you need to make "professional" projects (not "films" as you are not using actual film) or if that's just for the camera? I ask because you should also have a quality tripod and a quality fluid head, which alone, can cost a few hundred dollars or more. Also, you may consider having a quality shoulder mount if some of your shots will be handheld. And most importantly, if you are doing interviews (formal sitdown or informal standups), you'll need quality mics and likely, RF transmitters/receivers for them. Professional RF setups are in the $2,500 range. If you purchase or rent cheaper ones, just be aware that you may run into interference or noise issues particularly if you shoot in or around a major population center.

And lastly, depending upon what you're shooting exactly, it's likely that at some point, you'll be needing to light your interviews and/or spaces that you're shooting in, so you should also have some kind of basic light kit and the accessories (ie, extension cords, ground lift adaptors, diffusion, etc) to make it all work.

If you have thought of these things, great! Good luck with everything you do. If you haven't, please take some time to think it all through before spending a lot of money on a camera that may or may not be what you should have for what you wish to achieve.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Thank you both for the replies. CI's gave me hope and bjdzyak's gave me worry...but, that's good because I hadn't thought of a lot of the stuff you mentioned. I'm a greenhorn for sure, so both of you have given me some good stuff to ponder. Thank you for the help. Once I make my purchase, I'll give a quick update on what I ended up with.

Tom

Sorry if i'm late to the mix, but I have one camera I think should definitely be considered. I absolutely love the Sony EX series, and with a 35mm adapter, this HD camera can look almost pro.