gl2..or wait
 

im only 17 should i get a gl2 or wait for a dvc30 or new canon line?

You could spend a very long time waiting for the next new thing. If you're waiting, you're not creating. That's why *now* is always the right time to buy. Whatever you get, take good care of it, save the original packaging, and when the next new thing comes out, sell the current one and move up. Hope this helps,

>should i get a gl2 or wait for a dvc30 or new canon line<

This depends on 2 things:

1) How much time you have
2) How much money you have

iam 17 and got a gl2 for x-mas :) you will love it !!!

lucky you, oh well i got money for christmas and now i have 1700 saved....ill have one soon....

if im working in a controlled condtion lighting everything....will a gl2 produce results that look like film.....i mean will it have near the image ofxl1

The only thing that has the image of film is... film. :)

The GL2 produces an excellent quality picture comparable to the XL1s (some people may say identical).
HOWEVER
Don't worry too much about what kind of camera to buy. In terms of the overall quality of your production, the camera is probably the least important factor. A good script, actors, lighting, sound, editing, and photography are ten times more important than the actual quality of the picture.
Ask anyone here.

Dylan's hit the nail on the head - twice.

You're not going to get a film image out of a GL2 as there are so many factors that can't be corrected. Latitude, Depth of Field and resolution to name a few. So, forget about that crap, and as Dylan says concentrate on good production values and you will produce good stuff.

Sort of on topic, I used an XM2 (PAL version of the GL2) for my LadyX, and I showed it to my father in law last night. He was blown away.....why...cause of the huge depth of field. He'd done a bit of photography years ago and just couldn't get a big DoF like he wanted ;) In his case something like the GL2, had he beein into video might have been better than film for him.


Aaron

Riley,

by the time you've saved up the amount you're looking to spend- consider all the cameras you like and see which has the features you want and at the best feature-set.....from what you list the DVC30 is likely the best of that bunch with the GL2 right in it's shadow- that's my opinion but since you asked....

I would skip the GL2 because it does not do 16:9 correctly. Cameras that do 16:9 include the Sony 330, Sony 70, Sony 80, Canon Xi, and maybe the Sony PDX10 and 950.

In this day of every decent TV at BestBuy being a widescreen and nearly every prime time TV show being shot in 16:9, I would not even consider a camcorder that did not have it no matter what else it had.

<<<-- Originally posted by Robert Silvers : I would skip the GL2 because it does not do 16:9 correctly. Cameras that do 16:9 include the Sony 330, Sony 70, Sony 80, Canon Xi, and maybe the Sony PDX10 and 950.

In this day of every decent TV at BestBuy being a widescreen and nearly every prime time TV show being shot in 16:9, I would not even consider a camcorder that did not have it no matter what else it had. -->>>

By the same logic, you should also discount ever camera that isn't hi-def, shouldn't you? Pretty much every 16:9 TV is HD as well.

It is not practical to discount camcorders that are not HighDef cause they are all $80,000 (except for the JVC which has some issues). That being said, I had my wedding shot in 720p because I did not want my future kids to make fun of our wedding video 20 years from now.

I just feel like I want to capture footage for the future. At least that is what I want to do. If you do this for a living and shoot videos for right now, and for people with 4:3 TVs, then fine.

Sometimes on PBS I see HDTV shows that were shot on Digi Betacam 16:9 in standard def. They do not look as good as HiDef, but they look good! They look better than the JVC because they are not full of noise and artifacts. And DVDs look good on my HD set. So I can be happy with a camcorder that can shoot something at DVD quality (16:9 standard def).

Too bad the Xi does not do 480p.

Let me tell you something that you may not want to hear. I've been directly involved in the film business for over 30 years. If there is one thing I have learned if nothing else - don't spend your money on fancy equipment. When you make a film put your money in front of the camera. Because that is what the audience sees. They don't see if you shot it with a Canon or a Panasonic. They don't care either. They care about quality - and not about how good it looks.

All you have to do is go back to the 60's and 70's when cameras were archaic compared to today. Alot of classic films were shot on Super 8 or 16mm. Recently look at the Blair Witch Project - most of it was made on Hi 8 - stuff you can buy for peanuts now. And look how much money those guys made. They are set for life now.

Don't concern yourself with how many pixels or which one produces the best image or how many features come on the camera. Focus. Concern yourself with the slickness of production and quality of camera work, lighting, acting, direction, etc. These are the things your audience sees and reacts to. I can tell you that Mr. Spielberg could walk into a pawn shop and buy an el cheapo VHS camcorder for $20 and make a finished product that would dazzle your mind.

I really don't know how society got caught up in the high tech video market where they have to have the best and most expensive. Heck I know guys with expensive rigs who don't know the first thing about making a film. But they look good.

You may not like hearing this but it's the truth. Think about it.

Yes, a bad story and bad acting cannot be salvaged by a good camera. However, if you have a good story and good acting, your project will be that much more enjoyable if it's done with better equipment. I prefer to look at it with this positive angle.

Plus, there is no better inspiration than that first time you shoot something that just plain looks good. Having good tools handy will feed your desire to do more, and you can't put a price on that. At all.

Riley,
Dylan gives good advice. I vote to just reinforce what he has already said.