Need help choosing a new camera......

[MrMacMini]

I've been searching everywhere and I am so confused on buying a new video camera. I justed started with FCP using an old Sony mini DV SD camera to capture my footage. Needless to say I need a good/new/better camcorder. Tax season is coming and I want to spend some of the refund money on a new HD "Prosumer" camcorder.

I've been on CNET for hours but I figured it would be better to get the opinion from the people actually using the product out in the real world then just reading reviews on features.....

My budget $1000 - $1200.....Thanks for the help....

 

[milligan]

I just got the Canon HF200. Seems great so far.

 

[pubwvj]

We have two Casio Exilim EX-V8 cameras in our family. They are inexpensive, take good pictures and have the sealed lenses. This camera offers fully automatic which my wife likes, shutter priority, aperture priority and fully manual which sometimes I like to have. It also has a 7x optical zoom which is wonderful. Do not be mislead by "digital zoom". Only consider the optical zoom when making a comparison of cameras.

I've also had Canon and Nikon high end cameras for decades. That's top quality but a higher price and you may not need that.

Two good web sites if you're looking for indepth reviews:

http://www.dpreview.com/

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

Beware of the cameras with lenses that fold out of the body when turned on and then pull back into the body when turned off. These suck a little air into the camera each time. Dust can come in with the air and then settle into the camera destroying the delicate mechanisms and dirtying the lenses. I would instead recommend a ruggedized sealed camera, ideally one that is at least wetproof if not waterproof to a meter or so. I learned this the hard way.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
Save 30% off Pastured Pork with free processing: http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project: http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop

 

[GroundLoop]

This is easy. Get the Panasonic HDC-TM300. Best camera in that price range ($1099). See the review at camcorderinfo.com.

Hickman

 

[thelongmorrow]

Here I go again...

Take a serious look at canon HV40:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/597424-REG/Canon_3686B001_VIXIA_HV40_High_Definition.html

Only $700.00, with the extra left over you can get the rode mic:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007U9SOC...e=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B0007U9SOC

and a good lens and step up:

http://www.amazon.com/Raynox-DCR-66...8&s=electronics&qid=1263974811&sr=8-3-catcorr.

It takes mini dv tapes(alot cheaper in the long run then the cost of digital storage), which final cut pro gets along with great, (native). So with all this you will come to around to $1000.00, and you can also pick up a good bag, an extra battery, some tapes, a mono or tri-pod, and your right within your budget.

This is the same set up i have, and I love it!