Canon HV30, GL2, Panasonic DVX100, Sony VX2100?

Question

I have a $1,550 price limit and I want to know which camcorder out of these (I'm open to other suggestions) is the best one to buy. I will be using it for Short Films and Music Videos to add to my college portfolio.

Answer 1

the DVX is your best option, the Canon GL series is all but junk at this point, you'd be looking at the XL2. Sony shouldn't even enter the discussion, its not a good camera. DVX's are more stable, Canon's have superior lenes. I have a DVX and do professional work on a daily basis with it. The Canon's tend to have issues, especially with the tape deck.

Honestly though, I would try and finance a Panasonic HVX or the Canon HD cam(forget the name). They are between $4500 and $6000, but SD recording and Mini DV tape is going thew way of the Dodo.

Answer 2

The HV30 and DVX100 do 24p for a more "cinematic" look. Honestly, any of them will be fine - it is up to you to learn what your camra can do - and what your editing package can do - and work within its capabilities

MiniDV tape is going to be with us for quite a while... It will be around for longer than you need it. I agree internal hard drive based consumer camcorders *should* be gone soon (in favor of flash memory), but as long as miniDV tape keep delivering superior quality at low cost, the pros

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-broadca...

http://www.panasonic.com/business/provid...

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/contro...

http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/categ...

will keep using it.

Someone who knows their camera and has real skill can produce compelling content - conversely, it you can't spell DV, then your content won't be engaging, no matter how much you spent on your equipment.

Answer 3

I'm working on shorts for my college portfolio as well and I used to have a GL2. But I ended up selling it, and I got an HV20 instead. Out of all these cameras and considering your price limit, the HV20/30 is the only camera that you should consider. The GL2 and VX2100 are good cameras, but for filmmaking, they're not that great, especially considering the fact that you can get the HV30 for about $700 with 24p. Also, the HV20/30 is the only camera in the list that can shoot in HD. Not only does it give you better image quality when down-rezzed to SD, but if you're shooting events on the side to make some money or if you ever need to zoom in on the frame for some reason, HD affords you this flexibility while maintaining quality. The only other one that might be worth considering is the DVX100 because it has 24p as well, but the thing is, when you spend $1500 on a camera, you're still left with bad sound and lighting. I learned that the hard way. After I sold my GL2 and bought my HV20, I put in another $500 to buy decent sound equipment, and I even made my own boom pole as well (check my page if you're interested, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...

If you don't really need the 30p, you can spend $300 less for an HV20 instead. This way you can spend more money on lenses, sound, or maybe even a 35mm adapter. A wide angle lens is a must for the HV20 because it has a disappointingly narrow wide-angle. One thing I like about the HV20 is its size, which allows me to shoot without drawing too much attention to myself, and also allows me to stuff it in tight spots. But since it's so small, consider getting a camera stabilizer or making your own: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/

The HV20/30 is an amazing camera and you can do so much with it (call me crazy, but I've used a GL2 and XL2 and I would still rather use my HV20 than either one of those). However if you are more concerned with how professional you look, this is not the camera. You'll probably be better off getting a GL2 or DVX100. But if you want great looking pictures for a cheap price, the HV20/30 is your camera. And plus, stick a huge lens hood or matte box on top and most people won't even know the difference ;-). Hope this helps!