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There are three things that are VERY important when getting a
camera:

Three CCDs or CMOS
Manual controls for the iris, shutter, focus and white balance.
A microphone input.

The JVC GZ-HD7, the first of the JVC HDD cameras is now a little
over a year old and discontinued, but Ive seen these on line for
as little as $800. A really nice Fujinon lens makes a huge
difference and full manual controls is important. Three 1/5 16:9
progressive scan CCDs are pretty impressive for a camera in this
price range. It has manual controls, a mic input and an excellent
focus ring which is surprisingly rare on small cameras. It
records directly to a built in 60GB hard drive. The issue here is
the MPEG-2 compression (TOD). Its not compatible with many NLEs
so youll need to convert the TOD to QuickTime or AVI.

The GZ-HD6 can record 1080/60p through HDMI - pretty impressive.

The GZ-HD40 is a bit of a disappointment. I like that it records
using AVCHD compression which makes it compatible with most NLEs
but it loses the important focus ring. And its so small.

The Panasonic HDC-SD100 uses a 3-CMOS array and records 1920 x
1080 video in the AVCHD format to SD and SDHC memory cards. I
like the ring on the lens that controls zoom, focus, white
balance, shutter speed, and iris and it actually has a viewfinder
in addition to the LCD screen. Very important it has both a mic
and headphone jack. I found it difficult to handle with all the
cables attached (mic, headphones and monitor) but its a camera
with all the basics.

The Panasonic HDC-HS300 is a fine camera. I got to use it in
January for a little test run shooting some behind the scenes
footage for a model shoot in Las Vegas. I likes the focus ring -
a great improvement over similar cameras. But I didnt like the
touch screen controls. On the plus side it has the essentials -
headphone and mic jacks and manual control over all the basics. I
like that it uses the AVCHD format. There is a nice toggle switch
at the front of the lens for switching between the zoom and the
focus. It took just a few tries for me to master it.

Close is the Canon HV20. Its an excellent camera. It records in
HDV (1080i) and 24p (60i), has a mic input and manual controls of
white balance and focus but it uses one 1/2.7 CMOS sensor rather
than 3 CCDs. My only reservation is its so small the handling
is difficult.

The HV30 adds a 30f (Canons frame mode) in addition to 24p.

The Sony HDR-SR12 has a mic input and a good sized 120GB HDD. It
uses a 1/3 CMOS chip and like the Canon is really small. Because
of the input placement, the mic cable kept getting in my way. The
HR9 (which records to tape) is also a nice, very small, camera
with the essentials. Again the mic input is just below the lens
which is rather poor placement, in my opinion.

Pushing the price cap is the Sony HD1000U. Its $1,400 and has all
the essentials. The touch screen is too unusual for me - Im old
school - but it works quite well. I like that its a shoulder
mount camera. It only uses one CMOS Sensor, but the image was
very nice.

Thanks for that.

It looks like i'd need to spend 1000-2000 for one of those decent cameras.

What advice could you give someone like me, who is a beginner and wants to learn filmmaking but cant afford something so expensive just yet?

What should I be looking at?

Thanks,

John

In the $1,000 and under range all cameras are pretty much the same.
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 wont be able to tell the difference.

You won't have much control over focus or white balance or exposure
so you'll be limited to automatic everything. Nothing really wrong with
that, it's just better to have some control and to learn what that type of
control can do.

So pick up any camera you can afford. Then start making movies. A Sony
Handycam will be fine. But only if you actually use it to make movies.
Write a script, get some people together and make a short film.

The camera isn't as important as the user. If, you actually use even a
little Sony Handycam and use it often, you will learn what's important.

Good luck!

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

I'm in the same boat arcadeparade. I've recently decided that I'm going to make a movie so I've been researching camera's too and the whole process in general. I'm fairly certain I can make my 'vision' a reality but it'll just take some time. In the meantime I'm just saving up for a $300 camera to practice with (So far the leader for me is the JVC GZ-MS120) and I'm also writing the script. Once the camera comes I'll play around with angles and with the tripod. During that time I'll build some props and other stuff and eventually make the movie.

If you're just getting into "filmmaking," don't worry about dropping a lot of money on a camera. Really. You don't need anything expensive at all. The point for you right now is to think about a fun story and to practice/experiment with different angles, camera movement (it can be rough), and the story both in writing it and then again in editing. 3CCDs? 1CCD? Doesn't matter one bit. Spend as little as possible right now and/or borrow a friend's camera. A lot of people buy them to shoot video of their kid's birthday parties and most of the time, the cameras sit around collecting dust. Ask around and you'll likely find one to use.

WHEN you feel you want to do a more "serious" effort both in terms of story and look, then think about either buying a better camera... or better yet, seek out the help of an experienced Cameraman. Not only will he know far more about lighting and cameras than you likely will at that point, he will also have access to better cameras and lighting equipment than you'll be able to afford. The benefit is that your movie(s) will look far more professional and you'll be far happier with the result which means that you'll want to make more and others will take you more seriously as a filmmaker.

The idea that you have to run out and own equipment in order to be a filmmaker is a fallacy. Most who are eventually serious about creating a real career don't own much or anything at all. Owning gear puts you in debt on something that will cost you in maintenance and will be obsolete before you can get your first project in front of a big audience.

So, put MORE time and any money you have into writing great stories and gathering people around you who can help. Look to friends of course, but also to theater students and others who have skills that are used in filmmaking.

Good luck and have fun!

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