Hi! We are looking to upgrade from our cheapo consumer DV cam to a slightly more advanced setup. The $3000 is soft limit but the lower the better. What are the most important things to get, like filters, tripod, after effects plugins (The one thing we have is after effects and premiere.)

What we are looking for is something to be used for shorts and multimedia presentations. Some interview/documentary stuff, some presentations with heavy motion graphics/animated components. Some music video type stuff. We do a lot of shots outside without controlled light. Some night shots.

For the camera we are currently thinking of the Pana DVC30 with XLR but you can trash that if you want.

What are our best options? What is most important and cost effective. Recommendations for the setup would be must appreciated.

Sounds like the DVC-30 might be well suited for your needs, although I have never used one myself. In the ~$2,000 range the other cameras you might consider would be the GL-2, VX-2100 and PDX-10. I like my PDX-10 a lot, but it might not fit your style if shooting at night is important. VX-2100 is probably worth a look for its low light capability and larger chips.

Don't skimp on the tripod. One of the Bogen/Manfrotto models with the 501 head would be an entry-level choice in the $300 range, but I found the action too coarse after using mine for a couple years and upgraded to an $800 Miller DS-5.

Of course there is no end of other stuff that would be useful, like monitors, lights, audio gear, extra batteries, wide and telephoto adaptor lenses, etc. But I'd suggest getting the basics first without breaking the bank, then adding some of these accessories when you see a clear need for them.

Cool, thanks. I read a post about the Davis & Sanford ProVista Video Tripod and that it was good for the price ($150). Any good?

So what are the basics?

As for the camera. Night time is not super important. Manual controls are very important.

Regarding tripods, we have an entire forum dedicated to discussing them (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=42), so you might want to search through there.

I think the VX2100 is probably the best value for the dollar in what you're looking for.