What type of Professional Camcorder should I get?

Question

Hello, I am a Senior film maker working for my own production company. Ever since I started I have been using 3CCD camcorders for my footage. I am planning to take a step forward and go for film quality High Definition. I am looking for a professional camcorder around the price range of $1000-$3000, the camcorder must be professional and must be able to shoot at 24p (frame per second) just like in real films. I am planning to start a major film project and need the camera soon, so any suggestions are taken in. Thank you, you help is much appreciated!

Answer 1

In your price range, you're hitting low-end pro-oriented and high-end consumer (prosumer) models. 24p is oddly catching on at the high-end and the low-end, but it's all but missing in your price range.  You're in a hard place if you really need HD, 24p, and real and you're looking for a full fledged pro/prosumer type camera at these prices (there are half a dozen good ones in DV format).

For a little over 3-grand, you can buy either the Canon XH-A1 or the Sony HDR-FX1. Both are perfectly good camcorders in that class, but they both suffer from a "fake" 24p mode. Canon calls this 24f, Sony calls it Cineframe (I have the same setting on my Sony HVR-A1). These are fine cameras, but that's probably not what you want. I like the Canon in particular, but yeah, fakey 24p. See here:

http://www.digitalcamcordernews.com/2007...

You actually have to go up or down for real 24p in a HD camcorder, it seems. In your budget, you could buy TWO [high-end consumer] Canon HF100s, which, even though it's a single CMOS-chip camcorder, offers sharper HD (the Panny may have slightly better color), real 24p mode, and high AVCHD recording rates if you like flash, or two Canon HV-30s for tape... same basic idea. These single large-chip HD units are much better than the single-chip SD units of the past.... better video than pretty much any 3-chip SD camcorder.

Going upscale, I can very strongly recommend the Sony HVR-V1U... great camera, full sized 3-chip CMOS sensors, real 24p mode... and well, hey, only $3500 at B&H this week, that's not too much damage. This is the full sized type, with plenty of access to controls, great lens, decent low light (none of the HD camcorders is going to match a VX2100 for low light, but some absolutely suck). And beyond that, you're well into the $4K-$6K range.