Honestly, this is a tougher question than you think...lot's of very good cameras out there right now. If you're going to use the camera as just a fun little thing, plenty of the new handheld mini-cams work very well. If you're going to dig-in and really shoot stuff, here are some suggestions:
- DV or Hard-Disk?
Your call on that, really. I still shoot to tape, but often use Fire Store attachable drives. Cameras with only hard-disks and
no tape still scare me.
- HD or not HD.
Well, for true HD, you need something you really can't afford or transport easily. However, you do have options such as the
Canon XH-A1. It's a very nice camera, and runs for about $3200+.
Many of last year's (and older) HD/HDV cameras are going down in price for newer models. The JVC GY-HD110U has gone
down to $3500. The Sony HVR HD-1000U is down to $1400 (Warning: It's clunky and takes large DVCAM Tapes).
Also, the older 24p cameras (which can uprez to HD) have gone way down in price! The Canon XL2 can be found for $3000,
and used for as low as $2000, and the Panasonic 100B that everyone just "had to have" four years ago is down to $2200.
Take a look at sights like B&H Photo can get as much information on the technical specs as you can and weigh the options. Do you need to shoot HD? Does the camera offer a headphone jack? White Balance? Good lens control? How much do the accessories such as batteries cost? Is it in PAL or NTSC?
Everyone has a strong knowledge of what they need/prefer from shooting projects at Grady. Just assess what you will actually do with this camera, how often you'll use it, and can you get paid to use it?
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