What are some fairly cheap prosumer video cameras?

Question

I am a film student and I am looking to invest maybe 2,000 dollars in a camera to make some shorts. What would recommend with a manual focus ring, manual zoom, hd or sd. You know **** like that.

Answer 1

There are several professional camcorders available within or close to that price range depending on where you purchase them.

High Definition

Panasonic AG-DVC20 - similar to the Sony HVR-HD1000

Panasonic AG-HMC70PJ - uses SD and SDHC memory cards instead of HDV tape

Sony HVR-HD1000 - similar to the Panasonic AG-DVC20

Sony HVR-A1 - we used and loved this compact professional camera.  it is excellent for beginners making the step from consumer to professional

Sony HVR-Z1 - probably one of the most famous cameras for professionals

Standard Definition

Canon GL1

Canon GL2 -  often used for a compact quick mobile backup for the XL series below

Canon XL1 - used for many nature documentaries on Discovery Networks including Animal Planet and also available as the XL1S

Panasonic DVX100 - another old famous favorite of professionals and also available as the DVX100A and DVX100B

Sony DSR-PD170

You can also find older models that are $1,000 or less.  You might also get lucky by checking with Craigslist, Amazon, eBay, and your local videographer for some more advanced models in well used condition being sold for quick cash at $2,500 or less.

All of these models use miniDV or HDV tape except for the Panasonic AG-HMC70PJ which uses flash memory cards.  SDHC is a newer high speed form of standard SD memory cards.  HDV tape is actually industrial strength miniDV tape formulated for extreme environments, multiple repeat uses, and long storage.  We purchase Panasonic AY-DVM63PQ Professional Quality in packs of 10, 50, or 100.  They are the same quality as expensive HDV tape and half the price of consumer tape found at Wal-Mart and similar stores.  They are so economical and easy to use that we hardly ever reuse tapes - especially on a money project.

You will eventually need an external hard drive for when you are ready to edit your videos and save your movies.  You don't need to purchase one until you are ready to edit or you need to store video to make room on memory cards or reuse a tape.  It is recommended to get a drive that you can connect to your computer (or install in your desktop) that has at least 500gb of storage space.   500gb USB models are currently available for $100.

Answer 2

You can have a look at Nikon D300 Black SLR Digital Camera..The price for the Body is around $1430.

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