What camera shall I get?
 

Hi everyone!

I need to get a camera. I have worked with the Canon XM1 before, but sadly, a 2000 Euro camera is out of my budget. So I need to get a cheaper one, which can provide good results nevertheless.


What I want:
--- make short films
--- mostly outside
--- edit the material on my pc
--- transfer the material by firewire
--- get "very good" quality
--- be able to make it look like film, not video
--- manual zoom must be possible


What I don't know:
--- the difference between
- mini DV
- digital 8
- betacam
--- therefore: what type of cam I should get


My budget:
--- under 1000 Euro
--- cheaper is of course better




Now I know I probably won't get results like I would get with a Canon XL1 or something like that, with a budget like mine. Nevertheless it must be possible to create good looking short films with a budget like that for a camera. (?!)



Your help is very much appreciated!
Philipp

PS: If I am in the wrong form, please move my thread to the right place, thanks! :)

First, forget Betacam. It's not digital and not even made anymore. Also a lens for a 2/3" chip camera would cost more than your budget.

I don't think any of the cheaper DV cameras have manual zoom, but I could be wrong. I don't know if you can do that with the electronic lenses.

You might look at the Sony TRV950. It's the DV version of the DVCAM PDX10. In the U.S. it sells for around $1500, I think. It is probably in the same price range as the XM1 where you are, so it might be too much also. In the U.S. the GL2, which I believe is the NTSC version of the XM1, sells for about $500 more than the TRV950.

Digital 8 is the same DV25 format as miniDV, but the tapes themselves are the same as the old 8mm tapes. So the recording quality would be the same as DV, but the cameras themselves aren't all that wonderful. I would stick with the more common DV format. It seems to me that Panasonic gives you a better deal in the lower priced cameras. They have a 3 chip one that has 1/6" chips, but I don't know anything about it myself. I'm sure somebody else on here would know if it's any good.

As far as video looking like film...most of it doesn't. If you light and compose nicely it will look better. Most of the low budget movies you've seen in theaters that look more like film than video do so most likely because they have been transferred to film. Being in a PAL country, you are one step ahead of un in NTSC-land already, because any camera you buy will look better than the equivalent camera here.

You may want to check out Panasonic's NV-MX500, or a used Sony TRV900 or a used Panasonic NV-MX350 or NV-MX300.