SD or HD? DSLR or regular? Century Optics, or Opteka? VX or DVX, T2i or GH1? These are all common questions. Below, you can see several types of cameras that are pretty much the best bang for your buck. Why spend more than you have to?
First, I'll go over SD. Then, HD. After that, HDSLR. Finally, I'll be posting a couple of great beginner setups.
SD:
Alright, so you decided to go the SD route. Although I'm only posting a few, there are many good cameras out there. I'm only going over a few common setups.
VX1MK1: One of the most-famous and most-used video camera setups, a Sony VX1000 with a Century Optics MK1 fisheye. Most people claim that this produces the best image and sound for the price. One downside to the VX1k is that the image gets grainy at night. Also, considering it's 17 years old, it needs maintenance and parts may need to be replaced several times a year. This can be somewhat costly. Also, there is no LCD screen. Who needs one, anyway?
DVX100 w/ MK2: DVXs are another great prosumer SD camera that, in the right hands, can produce awesome footage. Watch out, though. The DVX100 comes in three types: P, A, and B. The vap unit on the DVX100p is no longer available, so one bad hit to the lens and you could be screwed.
Other great SD cameras include the Panasonic DVC30 and Canon GL1/2.
HD:
High-end HD video cameras are really pricy, so if you're looking into this, I'm sure you have a good idea of what you're looking to get. All I'm going to do is name a few video cameras. Some great ones include the Panasonic HMC40, Panasonic HMC150, and the Sony FX7.
Low-end HD video cameras are a lot cheaper and lack many manual settings. This does not make them bad cameras. Very popular ones include the Canon Vixia series(HV_0, HG10/20, HF S/M/G series'). The Sanyo Fh1a is also very popular, along with Panasonic's TM700 and TM900. Usually, people get an Opteka babydeath and an Opteka X-Grip. Better options than that include the Century Optics babydeath, and a Camcaddie or homemade handle. X-Grips are quite bulky and light, so they're shaky to film with.
HDSLR:
Although it just came out a few years ago, tons of people are hopping on this new trend and getting a DSLR. Be aware, if you choose to go this route, it can be VERY expensive. Even a beginner setup can run over a grand, easily.
Canon T2i: This is one of the most commonly-used DSLRs to film with. The depth of field is amazing and the quality is extremely good. The bodies alone run $500+, but it's one of the cheapest DSLRs that can film 1080p. A good setup would be a Canon T2i Body(550) + Canon 50mm f/1.8 (100) + A manybrand(peleng/rokinon/bower/Vivitar/Opteka) 8mm Fisheye (250) + Rode Videomic (150) + Opteka X-Grip (30) = That alone is $1,080, and you're only getting two lenses!
Panasonic GH1(Tester13 Hack): Although this technically isn't a DSLR, it's considered one because they are so similar. The Panasonic GH1 is a M4/3(Micro four-thirds) camera. It still uses lenses like any DSLR, but it uses a mirror-less system instead. Since the sensor size is 4/3, which is huge, they have the ability to get very high quality video. Tester13 hacked this so it can store over 50mbps, which is higher than the T2i or any consumer HD camera. The quality is amazing on these, and they have decent audio unlike the Canon line. The body alone is cheaper than the T2i at only $400-450, but they're hard to find considering they are discontinued now.
Great Beginner Setups
TRV900/950 w/ Opteka Babydeath: This is a great, cheap SD beginner setup that can produce "VX-like" footage. This is a very popular setup among skaters.
Panasonic GS Series: Another popular SD setup, GSs have a sharp image and pretty good manual control. The 300, 320, 400, and 500 all have Focus rings. Most of them also have pivotal viewfinders, which is always helpful. Slap a babydeath and a handle on one of these and you're good to go!
Canon HF M31: A lot of people just recently got these. They produce a really nice image and the price isn't too bad. They're HD, too. Pretty much any Canon HF M-series will get you an excellent image.
Sanyo Fh1a: Although it's discontinued, many people use these. The sensor is huge and they have a relatively high mbps, so the quality is pretty sharp. I've heard that the manual controls aren't that great, but they're a nice little point-and-shoot.
Sony CX-110/150: Same thing as the Sanyo, it's a newer setup that lacks good manual control. I've seen these produce some pretty nice stuff, although the sensor's small so sometimes it can be pretty choppy.
First, I'll go over SD. Then, HD. After that, HDSLR. Finally, I'll be posting a couple of great beginner setups.
SD:
Alright, so you decided to go the SD route. Although I'm only posting a few, there are many good cameras out there. I'm only going over a few common setups.
VX1MK1: One of the most-famous and most-used video camera setups, a Sony VX1000 with a Century Optics MK1 fisheye. Most people claim that this produces the best image and sound for the price. One downside to the VX1k is that the image gets grainy at night. Also, considering it's 17 years old, it needs maintenance and parts may need to be replaced several times a year. This can be somewhat costly. Also, there is no LCD screen. Who needs one, anyway?
DVX100 w/ MK2: DVXs are another great prosumer SD camera that, in the right hands, can produce awesome footage. Watch out, though. The DVX100 comes in three types: P, A, and B. The vap unit on the DVX100p is no longer available, so one bad hit to the lens and you could be screwed.
Other great SD cameras include the Panasonic DVC30 and Canon GL1/2.
HD:
High-end HD video cameras are really pricy, so if you're looking into this, I'm sure you have a good idea of what you're looking to get. All I'm going to do is name a few video cameras. Some great ones include the Panasonic HMC40, Panasonic HMC150, and the Sony FX7.
Low-end HD video cameras are a lot cheaper and lack many manual settings. This does not make them bad cameras. Very popular ones include the Canon Vixia series(HV_0, HG10/20, HF S/M/G series'). The Sanyo Fh1a is also very popular, along with Panasonic's TM700 and TM900. Usually, people get an Opteka babydeath and an Opteka X-Grip. Better options than that include the Century Optics babydeath, and a Camcaddie or homemade handle. X-Grips are quite bulky and light, so they're shaky to film with.
HDSLR:
Although it just came out a few years ago, tons of people are hopping on this new trend and getting a DSLR. Be aware, if you choose to go this route, it can be VERY expensive. Even a beginner setup can run over a grand, easily.
Canon T2i: This is one of the most commonly-used DSLRs to film with. The depth of field is amazing and the quality is extremely good. The bodies alone run $500+, but it's one of the cheapest DSLRs that can film 1080p. A good setup would be a Canon T2i Body(550) + Canon 50mm f/1.8 (100) + A manybrand(peleng/rokinon/bower/Vivitar/Opteka) 8mm Fisheye (250) + Rode Videomic (150) + Opteka X-Grip (30) = That alone is $1,080, and you're only getting two lenses!
Panasonic GH1(Tester13 Hack): Although this technically isn't a DSLR, it's considered one because they are so similar. The Panasonic GH1 is a M4/3(Micro four-thirds) camera. It still uses lenses like any DSLR, but it uses a mirror-less system instead. Since the sensor size is 4/3, which is huge, they have the ability to get very high quality video. Tester13 hacked this so it can store over 50mbps, which is higher than the T2i or any consumer HD camera. The quality is amazing on these, and they have decent audio unlike the Canon line. The body alone is cheaper than the T2i at only $400-450, but they're hard to find considering they are discontinued now.
Great Beginner Setups
TRV900/950 w/ Opteka Babydeath: This is a great, cheap SD beginner setup that can produce "VX-like" footage. This is a very popular setup among skaters.
Panasonic GS Series: Another popular SD setup, GSs have a sharp image and pretty good manual control. The 300, 320, 400, and 500 all have Focus rings. Most of them also have pivotal viewfinders, which is always helpful. Slap a babydeath and a handle on one of these and you're good to go!
Canon HF M31: A lot of people just recently got these. They produce a really nice image and the price isn't too bad. They're HD, too. Pretty much any Canon HF M-series will get you an excellent image.
Sanyo Fh1a: Although it's discontinued, many people use these. The sensor is huge and they have a relatively high mbps, so the quality is pretty sharp. I've heard that the manual controls aren't that great, but they're a nice little point-and-shoot.
Sony CX-110/150: Same thing as the Sanyo, it's a newer setup that lacks good manual control. I've seen these produce some pretty nice stuff, although the sensor's small so sometimes it can be pretty choppy.
