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

Thank you but my parents are not willing to spend so much. I think the most they would spend is $500. And then I will need a tripod which is quite expensive where I live.

You're 15 years old, so you're probably not looking for a prosumer camera with all the manual controls. You're not going to find a GREAT camera for 500. What you'll find are consumer level miniDV cameras with fixed lenses and little advanced function. However, I see many short films that are shot on small, consumer miniDV cameras. As far as I'm concerned, if you're young and just getting into filmmaking, any camera will allow you to learn a bit about lighting and angles and movement. The image quality won't be as high as a $5000 camera, and you won't be able to adjust the shutter speed or iris controls, but it'll get the job done for what you're looking to do, I'm sure. In the future, if you're still nuts about filmmaking, you can save up some money and get a more professional rig.

You won't find a camera with a good XLR mic input, but you should be sure that you do have an external microphone jack so you can at least get somewhat decent sound in your films. The built in microphone on a prosumer level camera leave a lot to be desired... the ones on consumer level $500 miniDV cameras are atrocious. Anyway, good luck with the filmmaking, and I look forward to seeing it.

'In the life that man creates for himself, he too, creates his demise... and his legacy.'

Hey, thanks man. So what camera would you recommend for me?

well you've got about three options these days. Hard drive, MiniDV, or DVD. Most of these will give you roughly the same quality.

Check out www.bestbuy.com for all the specs. I don't think there's any one brand or model of camera that would be best for you. You're main decision is which format you'll be using. Hard drive based means you won't have to buy tapes, just record on the built in hard drive, and transfer to your computer when you've got the shots. It may, however, drain the battery faster than miniDV or dvd. Everything has it's pros and cons.

For around 800 or so, you can get cameras that film in 16:9 native, and for roughly that price, you can also get cameras that record at a much higher definition, giving you a cleaner, clearer picture.

One thing I would suggest is getting a decent tripod, rather than the cheapest, lightest one you can find. You want one with a fluid head for panning. Let's face it, the image quality isn't going to be amazingly wonderful... at least you can make up for that a bit with good, fluid movement, instead of jumpy or jittery.

Your parents could even check out ebay if they want to save a bit of money. Possibilities are endless, really. Just check out a couple of electronics store websites and compare pricing and products.

Actually, I just found a useful thing on the best buy website; the pros and cons of the different formats:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?guideID=1149208750979&categoryRep=cat04000&type=page&cmp=&id=cat12077
check it out, think about it, and then make a decision based on your newly gained knowledge. Anyway you decide, it's still going to be perseverance and creativity that make a good movie.

'In the life that man creates for himself, he too, creates his demise... and his legacy.'

Ok, thanks. I found the canon zr600 and zr700 which look pretty good. What do you think?

I would just like to reply to Wordslinger.

You said to deathly_hollow that he is 15 years old and probably not looking for a prosumer camcorder. But I am 14 years old, and I own a prosumer camcorder.

Sorry, Wordslinger, I did not mean to be mean to you, I just wanted to point out that it does not matter how old you are for a camcorder.

And for you, deathly_hallow, in the $500 range, I would suggest something like Panasonic's PV-GS250. I have used it once. It has 3CCDs, and delivers superb video quality. But, if you go with that camcorder, you may have to save up for a tripod.

Canon ZR700 looks "alright". But I would not recommend it to the filmmaker. It does not have 3CCDs, its video is grainy, and there are no microphone inputs. But if it is all that is available financially, I say go for it.

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When the script writing is done, the work has just begun. When the filming is done, the work has just begun. When post-production is done, the work has just begun. When the distribution is done, you decide if the work is done.

In response to Director, I certainly wasn't saying that he shouldn't be using a prosumer level camcorder because of his age. I was taking into consideration the idea that this is (seemingly) his first video camera, as well as the price range that was stated. From my own experience, I also know that not everyone's parent's can afford $1000 or more on what they would perhaps consider a luxury along the same lines as a video game system. Many people go through stages of interest in their lives that turn out to be nothing more than a month long infatuation, and believe me when I tell you that any parent knows this lol. I believe that anyone with a passion for something should pursue it to the best of their ability and resources and then go even further by making new resources.

As far as the gs250, I was unable to find it for under 800 from any reputable sources (although ebay is always an option). It does look like a pretty nice camera though. If you're thrifty and good at finding things online, you might be able to find it for $500-600, but be wary.

The zr700 would be decent, but apparently doesn't do well in low light conditions, and yes, has no mic input.
http://review.zdnet.com/Canon_ZR700/4505-6500_16-31641794.html

I've been doing some research and I'm having trouble finding a $500 camera that has an external mic input (although I know they do exist). I suppose you could pick up a seperate decent quality tape recorder with a mic jack on it and then sync the sound up in post. Might be a bit of a pain, but it would sound infinitely better than trying to capture the audio from the on-camera microphone.
3CCD's are preferred for filmmaking, as it gives you better color representation as well as a clearer image, but it will be difficult to find that in the $500 dollar range.

Of course, all of this depends on how serious you want to get right off the bat. You may just be looking to experiment with a new hobby, or you might be looking at going all the way. If you want to be taken more seriously, don't use the bloody built-in mic lol. You'll get wind and ambient air sounds like putting your ear to a sea-shell. You'll hear refrigerators running in the background. Ambient noise is a nightmare. Even if your angles and lighting are good... if the sound is hollow and bad, it might just ruin a a good thing. As long as you know the limitations of your equipment, you can work around it and be creative about it. Use the limitations as much as you can instead of trying to do something that the equipment is incapable of doing properly.

(sorry for the long response time, I was having trouble loading the site earlier)

'In the life that man creates for himself, he too, creates his demise... and his legacy.'

Isnt the Panasonic PV-GS250 a bit old? I dont know if I'll be able to find it.

As Wordslinger said, look around Ebay. The only other camcorder that I know of that is like the PV-GS250, is the PV-GS500, which is out in stores right now. But it costs $1000. SO I would suggest the pv-gs250. I will keep looking for others though. I'll be sure you are the first person I contact.

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When the script writing is done, the work has just begun. When the filming is done, the work has just begun. When post-production is done, the work has just begun. When the distribution is done, you decide if the work is done.

I can't use ebay. My parents don't want to. The ebst buy I've seen is the Sony Dc HC 46. Any comments on it>?

The Sony HC46 and HC26 are both fine cameras to use to learn moviemaking. It's easy to get bogged down in what camera to get and everyone has a different opinion on which one to use, but there is much more to making a movie than the camera you use.

Get the HC46 and start making movies!

?:D?
It doesnt get the best reviews. What about the canon Elura 100?

Really, just get the best camcorder you can afford. Even maybe if you have to stretch out $100 more. Just get what you can and, as certified instigator said, start making movies. It depends more on how you use the camera than what camera you get.

Good luck with all your future productions.

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When the script writing is done, the work has just begun. When the filming is done, the work has just begun. When post-production is done, the work has just begun. When the distribution is done, you decide if the work is done.