Hello,

I am looking for camera equipment for a couple of short films. Now, I am thinking about either buying a consumer level camera, such as the Sony HDR-SR11, which costs about $1200, or renting equipment, which costs about $100 a day and includes the Sony HVR-Z1, external microphone, tripod, and lights. Is the quality between those two types of camera comparable at all ? I guess it would be a waste of money to buy the Sony and to find that it is actually only good for holiday and Christmas family-movie style stuff. On the other hand, I would want to experiment with lighting, sound, shot techniques etc., and for that, I do not want to spend 100 dollars a day. So basically, my question is: is a consumer Handycam such as the Sony something to consider at all for filmmaking ?
Thanks in advance for your views.