Looking for new camcorder (or DSLR?)

M

MindStudios

Okay so, my camcorder (Canon Vixia HF M40) just quit on me. I have no money (or at least not enough for a new camcorder right now) so obviously I'm looking for something comparable my current camera without going over.....say.....$500 would be the absolute limit.
Up until recently I've only shot random little videos and added music. I made my first short film a few weeks ago. The point is, the main purpose of this new camera will be for making short films. I've been getting by in post to make things look more cinematic, but are there any suggestions for cameras that have pretty good film quality and are still cheap? I know that's basically impossible, it's too perfect...
But also, I was wondering about DSLRs....The only con I've heard is that they can be hard to control for video.
Are those a viable option though?

Anyway, basically my question is (and probably the most asked question on these forums) which camera is the best for my price range? I've done some research on my own, but I need some real info and reviews on these camcorders...so yeah....under $500 what should I get?
 
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DSLR's aren't "hard" to control for video so much as they're not going to really do anything for you automatically. You're looking at all manual operation, which is actually a good thing. More control over the video = better video. (and lots of opportunities to learn!)

A good used Canon T2i would fit within your budget, and the kit lens actually isn't bad. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 would be a good addition to the kit as well.
 
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1074 said:
DSLR's aren't "hard" to control for video so much as they're not going to really do anything for you automatically. You're looking at all manual operation, which is actually a good thing. More control over the video = better video. (and lots of opportunities to learn!)

A good used Canon T2i would fit within your budget, and the kit lens actually isn't bad. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 would be a good addition to the kit as well.
Click to expand...

What is the difference between a T2i and a T3? The T3 is newer right?
 
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Never mind, the T3 only records 720p, so that's not an option. I guess I'm probably going to get the T2i then..... Is the sound good enough for it? (Keep in mind that I've been using the in-camera sound from my current camcorder, so I'm not talking about professional sound here...)
 
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DSLR sound is really bad. Most here would suggest buying an external recorder by Zoom or Tascam and syncing the sound in post. I don't think attaching a mic on top of the DSLR would be much better either. Also, I'm just repeating what I've read/been told.
 
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mindstudios - coming from a camcorder, here are the things you will be happy with in low budget DSLR/DSLT/DSLM world:
- shallow "cinematic" depth of field
- interchangeable lenses for different "looks" and different sensitivities to light
- stealth - you can get them into places where camcorders aren't allowed, and many times people won't know they're being "filmed"
- relatively inexpensive for the quality of the image you get
Here are the things you won't be so happy with (especially with Canon DSLRs):
- Canon DSLRs cannot autofocus in video mode
- No headphone jack below $1300
- 12 minute video clip length limit on Canons
- low end DSLRs/DSLTs/DSLMs have no audio gain control and some have no mic input
- DSLR viewfinders go black in video mode (not true for DSLTs and DSLMs)

If you still want an interchangeable lens DSL camera at the $500 price point, I recommend saving up an extra $50 and getting the $548 Sony A37 DSLT (T stands for translucent mirror - which replaces the R(eflex) mirror in DSL"R"s. The bottom line on all this acronym nonsense is that the Sony's viewfinder and autofocus work in video mode, while the Canons' doesn't).

The A37 can produce cinematic-looking images like these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcUP5nD4PWc

If all of this is too complicated, you might want to just buy another camcorder :)

At $500, I like the Canon HF M500 because it has both microphone and headphone jacks. Not much of a zoom by modern standards and it doesn't shoot 1080/60p, but Panasonic and Sony camcorders at this price point have mic jacks only.

Good luck with your decision! Please let us know how it turns out.

In the meantime, can you send some links to your videos? It would help to see what kind of work you're doing when recommending what you should buy :)

Bill
 
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http://www.youtube.com/user/LuxioShock?feature=mhee

That's my youtube channel.

You'll see a lot of fan-made trailers before you get to stuff I actually filmed.
The main thing I did recently was my first short film. I learned a lot through it, though. And I didn't plan anything for that film, it was all just spontaneous basically. So I really want to do a good job on my next short film and do a lot of planning.

Anyway.....about the DSLRs....you said there is a 12 minute video clip limit? So does that mean that I can only be recording for 12 minutes...and then I have to stop recording and start again? Because I think I could get around that....I rarely need to film something for longer than 12 minutes at a time.

There's also the fact that....well, if the DSLR sound is really that bad, then I would have to buy a DSLR that is pretty cheap so that I would have money to get a shotgun mic or some sort of external sound.

On a T2i review somewhere, the guy said he was using this shotgun mic:
http://www.amazon.com/Rode-VideoMic...&qid=1350140739&sr=1-1&keywords=rode+videomic

And that it was working really well. Ugh......this is tough because like I said, I only have like maybe $200 right now, but not having a camera is really killing me, and I don't think I can wait much longer. Especially if I get a DSLR which is all manual stuff, I really want to have time to get used to it before my next project. I might be able to get like an advance on christmas and birthday money, hahaha. Man....I need to get a job.

Anyway, thanks for the replies......
The only thing with the HF M500 camcorder is that I don't feel that the price justifies the quality. Like I said, DSLRs can get some really cool looking film type quality. The M500 would be very similar to my current camcorder, but I feel like I'd rather spend 500 on a DSLR. Are there any other camcorders that are much cheaper but still good enough that I could maybe cheat things with lighting or whatever to make it look better? Like something that might technically be worse quality than my current camcorder, but be able to work with. Because then I could spend the extra money on getting good sound...
 
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Now, I'm starting to look at the Nikon D3200....
Originally I found the D3100 because I can get it for much cheaper (I found it on amazon for $350)
But then I found out that the D3200 actually made quite a few improvements on the video side.
Is the D3200 a good alternative to the T2i if I can find it for cheaper?
Or would I be able to get by with the D3100?
 
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MindStudios said:
Now, I'm starting to look at the Nikon D3200....
Originally I found the D3100 because I can get it for much cheaper (I found it on amazon for $350)
But then I found out that the D3200 actually made quite a few improvements on the video side.
Is the D3200 a good alternative to the T2i if I can find it for cheaper?
Or would I be able to get by with the D3100?
Click to expand...

The fatal flaw of the D3100 is no external mic input.

The choice between the T2i and the D3200 is a tough one. The D3200 has autofocus in video mode and a 20 minute clip length limit instead of 12, but the T2i has the free 3rd party Magic Lantern firmware add-on, which gives it manual audio gain control. I would rather have manual control of audio than a noisy autofocus, so I'd get the T2i.

Best,

Bill
 
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T2i or t3i, also the 50mm 1.8 is a absolute steal, really on a tight budget there's no comparison, I have the t3i the flip screen is amazing I can put the camera wherever and almost always see what I doing, magic lantern is very good as well
 
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Well it all comes down to money.....

So is it worth it to spend another $100 for the T2i than the D3200 just for the magic lantern stuff?
I mean, now it looks like I'm just going to get whichever one is cheaper once I'm ready to buy.
 
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