Hi Slug,

I'm at pretty much the same stage as you - started 2.5 years ago and want to advance beyond typical "home movies" (BTW I joined the local Video club - most of these clubs seem to have a membership of mainly retired people but there's still much to be gained from doing so - many have years and years of experience from when film was expensive and editing required a razor and cement - makes you realise how lucky we are.

Anyway....

My choice (though I don't have the required funds at the moment) would be to pick up a 2nd hand Panasonic NV-GS400 on eBay (typically just above your budget, but below £500). Loads of manual stuff to take your camerawork to the next level.


...and ticks all the boxes in your post.

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Tim