What camera is good for a beginning cinematographer?

Question

What camera is good for a beginning cinematographer?

Answer 1

ANY camera will give you a certain level of experience.

What is your budget?

The cameras you might use for a couple of years will be those that have both manual any auto functions that help you learn your trade.

If you don't already know, the presented image is only part of the equation. Framing the shot, lighting, audio capture and sound design, the script, planning, talent selection, make-up, wardrobe and lots of other stuff goes into making a successful film.

At the low end, the Canon ZR800, 900 and 930 are a good place to start. All three have external mic jacks - to the best of my knowledge, they are the least expensive camcorders with that mic-in jacks - but they do not have manual audio control.

At the mid-range, the Canon HV20, HV30, Sony HDR-HC7 and HC9 have mic in jacks and full manual audio control...

Then there is a jump to the Sony VX2100, Canon GL2 and XL2 and Panasonic DVX100B - all three are standard definition camcorders, have mic in jacks, full manual audio control and a suite of other pro-grade manual functions that are easier to get to than the consumer cams.

Then a HUGE jump to the high definition Canon XHA1, Sony HDR-FX1, FX7, HVR-V1U, Z1U and Panasonic HDX200...

Don't forget:

Mics (shotgun, wireless lavaliere, stereo, couple of condensers), mic boom pole, mic shock mount, XLR adapter (like those from BeachTek or juicedLink) for good XLR mics if your cam has only a 1/8" mic in jack, rechargeable high capacity batteries, LANC, tripod, lenses, case (Pelican), hard drives for your computer, a decent video editor and lots of RAM and CPU speed, and lots of other stuff.

You don't need to do everything at once, but it helps to know what you want as you set up a budget and schedule.

It is all about project management.