Best video cam for around $2000

munthegun
Posts
4
Joined
8/4/2011
Location
Moreno Valley, CA US
Edited Date/Time 8/14/2014 10:28am
Hey Vital MTBans,

So first off, i am going to apologize for starting this thread because I am almost positive that this has been answered somewhere in the forum, but I figured it would be nice to get a direct response, and plus I'm at work slacking off and don't have the time to sift through the entire forum for the answer. I am an aspiring filmer for anything dirt related, MTB's, MX, desert racing, and 4x4, and have been filming with a modest, but definitely useful Sony video camera that set me back about $800. Its a great camera and I don't plan on getting rid of it, but in many instances, it lacks some functionality that I need the deeper I get into filming and learning about filming. I am finally building a clientele with a few desert race teams, and professional MTB and MX riders, who want team and self edits for their promotion needs. So its slowly but surely time for me to go from amateur filmer, to step up to semi professionalismland. Im looking to spend around $2000, at very very most $2500 on a new camera, and I am curious about all your opinions on a great camera in that price range that I can be semi rough with, and get some great footage etc. Ive already got gopros, handy cams blah blah, im talking about a good high quality professional cam. Thanks guys!
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k.shiz
Posts
372
Joined
7/24/2009
Location
Los Angeles, CA US
8/22/2011 2:43pm
Don't overlook the DVX -100b. It's standard def and tape which are antique words these days but it's the best SD camera probably ever made. I've done tons of testing and it handles up-resing to 720 surprisingly well. Considering most of your "clients" will be probably releasing via web anyways, that camera would probably suit you very well. You can find well loved ones used with plenty of extra batteries and such for somewhere in the $600-1000 range.

If you absolutely have to go hi-def and want to jump head first into that pickle jar, take a look for a used Panasonic HMC-150. It's AVCHD which isn't quite the editing nightmare it was just a year or two ago. It will go to web pretty well and the post workflow is simple enough. It records to SD cards which are luckily pretty cheap and I'd bet you can snag one of these cameras now for under two grand.

Avoid the DSLR trend. If you really wanted to make one into a functional video camera, you would probably blow right past your upper end budget of $2500 in a hearbeat between lenses, field monitors, z-finder gimmicks, and all that other non-sense.
Lucent
Posts
40
Joined
7/28/2009
Location
Framingham, MA US
11/2/2011 12:39pm
I am actually selling a Sony HVR-Z1U camcorder with a TON of accessories, and a pretty much brand new Ogio TY video bag. $1500 for a fellow Vital lover!

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