What's a good video camera to buy that's good quality but not like 3000 dollars?

Question

I'm just sick of shooting short films with my mom's old piece of c**p camera and then the video's are all grainy and look like c**p no matter how good or bad they are. I'd like one with really good video quality that's around maybe 1000, hopefully less.

Answer 1

Yo,

  I run an event videography and production company, and we use a number of cameras I would recommend.  Several of ours are ones you've specifically said you can't get ($3,000+), but we have a few that may be in your range:

1.  Canon GL-2.  This camera can be picked up for as little as $1,200 sometimes.  It's not an HD (high definition) cam, but it's one of the most reliable SD (standard def.) ones you can pick up.  We've used one of these for years as a backup.

2.  I'd recommend the Sony HVR-A1U the most.  It's a bit pricier, probably around $1,500 if you find a deal, but it's an AMAZING piece of technology.  It's Sony's latest (or was as of a few months ago) HD cameras and it's phenomenal, especially considering its size (it's ultra tiny -- you can pack this thing into a large pocket).  Shoots amazing footage, can capture high def, and comes with an XLR box and shotgun mic for increased audio quality.

3.  Other than those two specifically, I'd recommend something by Sony.  They've got some pretty nice HD cams for around a thousand (check out the HDR-CX7).  HD isn't a must, but it's becoming more and more available and accessible, so you ought to pick up the capability if you're in the market for a cam.

Best of luck mate -- feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail] if you wanna talk camtech any time...  I'm always game.  =)

-Jason

Answer 2

Try reading this:

Which Digital Video Camera Should You Buy?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Good luck!

Answer 3

I personally like Sony. I would get digital so you may run thru your pc easy. I would also try to find one that is remote control. It  makes things more convienent. I have personally had good luck with them.....

Answer 4

Canon's HV20 or HV30 is a real winner in the consumer market. The low light performance and image quality has set it on top against others in it's price range as well as having a good amount of manual control.

I own the HV20 which can be had for around $650 on ebay. It's a very impressive camcorder for being so cheap. The new HV30 is about $850 and is differentiated from the HV20 by offering 30p. The one single drawback is the mic placement. I ended up buying the $150 Rode "Video Mic" for better audio.

Depending on your shooting preferences, and if you don't care about progressive shooting, some of the HDD camcorders are coming down in price. If you go with a HDD cam, make sure you have compatable software and also that you don't get stuck in a situation where you want to record more video but the camcorder's hard drive is full.

I personally chose the HV20 because it offers 24p, I have software that edits HD footage, the DV codec is more robust for motion and keying, and any NLE all the way down to Windows Movie Maker will except the DV format (Standard Definition).

If you get an HD cam but don't have a NLE capable of HD, you will more than likely have to shoot in SD. I don't know of any consumer HD cam that'll allow you to shoot HD and downconvert to SD.