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John Dalton · May 19th, 2006, 12:46 PM

Hey guys im 16 years old and i want to persue a carrer as a videographer. I film alot of skateboarding and my camcorder i have now is not bad for a beginer, but due to its poor quality i am going through the choices of a new camera. I Have Narrowed it down To Sony VX1000 ( this is probably one of my last choices due to the fact sony does not produce this model any more and would cost a large amount amount of money to fix a problem with it), Canon GL2, Sony VX2000, Panasonic AG-DVC30, or Sony VX2100. Which of these cameras would be the best bet for filming skateboarding? Thanks alot for your help.
-- John

Andrew Todd · May 19th, 2006, 01:00 PM

ive shot skating with the gl series. loved the footage alot. most people will swear by the vx's though. check out http://forums.skateperception.com/ some great info.. and the debate over which cam is best is always ongoing on there. any of those cams will get you great skate footage.

Andrew Khalil · May 19th, 2006, 01:13 PM

before I answer the question, let me take the Sony VX1000 and VX2000 off your list - neither are produced by Sony anymore and the VX2100 is what replaces both. If you go with the first 2, you'll probably be buying used.

Now, the Sony VX2100 will perform the best in lower light environments so if you're shooting indoors at all, you'll want to consider it as the first choice.

However, the lenses on all of these cameras are not very wide and you will need a wide angle adapter to use them for skateboarding and similar activities.

If low light perfromance isn't very important (ie. you'll be shooting outside most of the time) I think the GL2 is a good choice because Canon makes an excellent wide angle adapter which isn't very expensive and it has the longest zoom range of all 3 cameras. Also, it has a record button and zoom controller on the top handle which is very useful and is something else the other 2 cameras don't have.

The DVC30 is also an excellent camera (it's actually the only one of these 3 I have not personally used) which will be comparable to the GL2 in terms of image quality since the sensors are the same size. However, it has the largest LCD display of all 3 cameras which can be really handy for framing. It's also more rugged than the Gl2 since it's made of magnesium alloy instead of plastic, but it shouldn't be a big deal as long as you aren't bashing the camera into anything.

As you can tell, these 3 cameras are very similar and each one has its positives and negatives. I would really attempt to get a hold of each of the cameras and try them out - see which one feels the best to you and which one you're most comfortable with. It's important that you're comfortable with the camera you choose and since the image quality on all 3 of them will be excellent, you may want to just try them out first.

hope this helps and feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

John Dalton · May 19th, 2006, 01:55 PM

I have used the Gl2 and VX2000 before but not for long periods of time a couple friends of mine have those cameras I liked The way The GL2 was set up better. played back on a television though the vx2000 seemed to have a better quality to it (colors seemed brighter and things like that) I am really interested in the AG-DVC30 but i know little about it and know one i know has ever used one before.

Andrew Khalil · May 19th, 2006, 02:15 PM

I agree with you in terms of control on teh GL2 - I personally find the controls to be a lot better and more logical than the Sony, but it's a matter of opinion. In terms of image quality, Sony will usually look sharper and "cooler" in a way and the Canon will look warmer but these things are all adjustable. If the DVC30 is like other Panasonic camcorders that I've used, you'll probably find the controls to be quite comfortable - similar to the GL2 in a way, but slightly different - is there a dealer anywhere nearby where you can go and try them out? If so, it might be worth a trip.
If you're happy with the look of the VX2100 image however, you may want to just get that camera and get used to the controls since they aren't awkward once you get used to them.

May 19th, 2006, 12:46 PM	#1
John Dalton Tourist Join Date: May 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2	help. Hey guys im 16 years old and i want to persue a carrer as a videographer. I film alot of skateboarding and my camcorder i have now is not bad for a beginer, but due to its poor quality i am going through the choices of a new camera. I Have Narrowed it down To Sony VX1000 ( this is probably one of my last choices due to the fact sony does not produce this model any more and would cost a large amount amount of money to fix a problem with it), Canon GL2, Sony VX2000, Panasonic AG-DVC30, or Sony VX2100. Which of these cameras would be the best bet for filming skateboarding? Thanks alot for your help. -- John

May 19th, 2006, 01:00 PM	#2
Andrew Todd Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Saint John, CANADA Posts: 633	ive shot skating with the gl series. loved the footage alot. most people will swear by the vx's though. check out http://forums.skateperception.com/ some great info.. and the debate over which cam is best is always ongoing on there. any of those cams will get you great skate footage. __________________ video : xl2 / letus35xl / bogen 503 photo- canon 1dmkII - bronica etrsi

May 19th, 2006, 01:13 PM	#3
Andrew Khalil Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 424	before I answer the question, let me take the Sony VX1000 and VX2000 off your list - neither are produced by Sony anymore and the VX2100 is what replaces both. If you go with the first 2, you'll probably be buying used. Now, the Sony VX2100 will perform the best in lower light environments so if you're shooting indoors at all, you'll want to consider it as the first choice. However, the lenses on all of these cameras are not very wide and you will need a wide angle adapter to use them for skateboarding and similar activities. If low light perfromance isn't very important (ie. you'll be shooting outside most of the time) I think the GL2 is a good choice because Canon makes an excellent wide angle adapter which isn't very expensive and it has the longest zoom range of all 3 cameras. Also, it has a record button and zoom controller on the top handle which is very useful and is something else the other 2 cameras don't have. The DVC30 is also an excellent camera (it's actually the only one of these 3 I have not personally used) which will be comparable to the GL2 in terms of image quality since the sensors are the same size. However, it has the largest LCD display of all 3 cameras which can be really handy for framing. It's also more rugged than the Gl2 since it's made of magnesium alloy instead of plastic, but it shouldn't be a big deal as long as you aren't bashing the camera into anything. As you can tell, these 3 cameras are very similar and each one has its positives and negatives. I would really attempt to get a hold of each of the cameras and try them out - see which one feels the best to you and which one you're most comfortable with. It's important that you're comfortable with the camera you choose and since the image quality on all 3 of them will be excellent, you may want to just try them out first. hope this helps and feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

May 19th, 2006, 01:55 PM	#4
John Dalton Tourist Join Date: May 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2	I have used the Gl2 and VX2000 before but not for long periods of time a couple friends of mine have those cameras I liked The way The GL2 was set up better. played back on a television though the vx2000 seemed to have a better quality to it (colors seemed brighter and things like that) I am really interested in the AG-DVC30 but i know little about it and know one i know has ever used one before.

May 19th, 2006, 02:15 PM	#5
Andrew Khalil Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 424	I agree with you in terms of control on teh GL2 - I personally find the controls to be a lot better and more logical than the Sony, but it's a matter of opinion. In terms of image quality, Sony will usually look sharper and "cooler" in a way and the Canon will look warmer but these things are all adjustable. If the DVC30 is like other Panasonic camcorders that I've used, you'll probably find the controls to be quite comfortable - similar to the GL2 in a way, but slightly different - is there a dealer anywhere nearby where you can go and try them out? If so, it might be worth a trip. If you're happy with the look of the VX2100 image however, you may want to just get that camera and get used to the controls since they aren't awkward once you get used to them.