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Originally posted by Jojo

Hello there
I don't know alot about the best kinds of camera's
given last time i was convinced by the package and price and people to buy a camera it was a piece of...well you know
I was hoping someone knew what kind a camera would be best for an amateur such as myself. I was considering buying a 'Panasonic camcorder with 80GB hard drive and 2.7" LCD'

but Im not really sure, I could just being wasting my money again
i've got a small budget of $600...
thanks to anyone willing to help?

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As you've already noticed, different cameras have different specs and features, so really the first question to ask is what are you using the camera for? What kind of projects do you want to shoot with the camera and what do you wish to do with those projects? Once you know what you need on the back-end of the process, then you'll be able to evaluate the myriad of choices when looking at cameras and other things you should have (lighting, sound) that it takes to make a quality movie or other project.

🙂

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

Dear Jolene,

It took me some time to figure out which model is the camcorder you were referring to. It turned out it was a Panasonic SDR-H85. Apparently, this model comes in different colours and the black model can be had for as little as $200, which is a good price for a current model of a standard-definition camcorder from a major manufacturer.

It seems to me that you are hoping to get some buying advice about the consumer camcorders from members of a film making forum. You need to be aware that, while most of us will have experience with consumer camcorders, most don't have much expertise, as we don't closely follow that market. Amateur and independent filmmakers will rarely consider using consumer cameras for their film projects. Recent advances with HD camcorders have stretched this a bit, and today you may be able to find quite a few independent shorts (and even features) shot on consumer-grade Canon camcorders, but none of these normally retail for less than $600. However, if we do know anything about camcorders, it will be about the kinds that interest us most, and these are usually well above $2,000. Majority of members of this forum will also likely agree that you should consider hiring a cameraman for your project, rather than buying your own camcorder. If it is a no-budget project, you'll need to look for volunteers (not such a difficult task in larger cities), but such a person would bring proper camera and equipment, as well as skill set.

Now, on the other hand, if you are looking for your own camcorder for your home movies, you will likely get the best advice regarding bang-for-buck from consumer sites, such as camcorderinfo.com, which tends to do quite thorough tests of consumer camcorders, and ranks them based on the results.

In general, anything you buy within your budget range will likely be worth its money, as long as it is from one of the big names (Canon, Sony, Panasonic, JVC...); the differences between models and feature sets for the same price range are usually not significant, nor are the differences in image quality. You'll likely be able to find out who has the edge at camcorderinfo.com.

If you are genuinely interested in actual film making (writing scripts, producing movies), please keep coming back to this forum. There are several experienced contributors here with extremely valuable information and great will to give it away for free.