What do you look at in a camrea?

D

DerekPb

Hey, back again for another question, you guys helped out a lot last time.

I am saving up in the future for a new camrea, but i dont know what to look for.
in a camrea for photography you look at various things like how fast it is mega pixels etc.

in a video camrea, what makes it worth so much money?

Takes these two for example.
Canon GL2 Mini DV 3CCD Camcorder, 20x Optical/100x Digital Zoom, Color Viewfinder, 2.5" LCD Screen

$1999-250(rebate)=$1740

AG-HSC1U Pro AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder, 12x Optical 3" Wide LCD Screen, Leica Lens, Optical Image Stabilizer and 5.1-ch Surround Sound, with an External 40GB SD/SDHC-Compatible Storage Drive

$1669

The AG-HSCU1U seems it has more to offer, but it is not as much, why is that?

Also, what is the differnce between prosumer camreas and ENG camreas?


--derek
 
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The target market for these two cameras is different, the GL2 targets indie filmmakers specifically, while the Panasonic is more of a higher end consumer camcorder...the GL2 is considered more of a low end prosumer camera. The GL2 is also quite old, but has stood the test of time because it is capable of generating stunning SD images. It's basically a smaller version of the XL series without the removable lens, in the same way that the XLa1 and XLg1 currently relate to the XLh1.

When shopping for cameras for filmmaking in this price range, you'll want to look for optical zoom and manual focus, exposure and shutter speeds (although you can forgo the last if needed).

Progressive mode of some sort is nice as well (24p would be motion picture frame cadence - canon has this as 24f).

For projecting and newer tvs, native 16x9 is a nice thing to have.

and HD is nice too, but the debate rages on about whether or not it's necessary yet...I'd love to get one, but every format I currently release on is SD or lower. Although, the higher pixel count of HD would make color correcting more effective and tends to have a slightly better dynamic range and smoother, more realistic gradations between light and dark areas.

Also important is that the camera has controls that make sense to you that you can learn quickly and are easy to access.
 
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For me, the 2 most important things I look for in a camera under
$2,000 are manual controls for exposure and shutter and a mic input.
There are currently only 4 in that range:

The JVC GR-X5 is a nice starter camera with manual controls and a
mic input. It can be found for under $800.

The Panasonic series (PV-GS300, PV-GS400, PV-GS500) are terrific
3CCD cameras. It seems the 400 is hard to find and that’s too bad.
It’s a great little camera. But the 500 is still an excellent starter
camera with the essentials.

Sony DCR-HC1000 is very similar to the Panasonic cameras. If you’re
more comfortable with Sony, this is the camera for you.

Several cameras are now moving from tape to hard drive. Called HDD
(hard disc drive) there are a few in this price range that should be
considered. The major downside is the MPEG-2 compression.

I like the new JVC GZ-HD7. I’ve seen these on line for as little as
$1,200. A really nice Fujinon lens makes a huge difference and
full manual controls is important. Three 1/5’ 16:9 progressive scan
CCD’s are pretty impressive for a camera in this price range. It
records directly to a built in 60GB hard drive.

Close is the Canon HV20. It records in HDV (1080i) and 24p (60i),
has a mic input and manual controls of white balance and focus but
it uses one 1/2.7” CMOS sensor rather than 3 CCD’s. For me the
jury is still out on the CMOS. And it’s so small the handling is difficult.

I've always been impressed with the GL2 - and I don't like Canon
cameras - so if you can afford it that would be a good one to start with.
 
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thanks you.
but for the money, a gl2 or the JVC- GZ-HD7 or the sony vx2000
with the gl2 i would be spening about 320 more, but i would be able to afford that
also with the jvc, i think it is in HD and i do not have final cut w/ the HD version, so will that matter?
 
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