Thread: Which Professional Camcorder to buy?

So the newbie needs help after days of research on which camera...

I think i know the specifics that i want...HD, SD preferred, easy to send files direct to macbook,
But i need to know which also have good quality in low light settings, good audio, decent battery life, steadycam etc

I will be filming gigs, events in bars/clubs and also music video's and using final cut to edit. i would prefer smaller size model but i think this is one aspect that can be compromised

struggling to find something that ticks all the boxes so your help is appreciated! My budget is around £1.5k

many thanks

We recently purchased an incredible canon camera, £800, ticks all the boxes. I'll try to find the model for you soon...

It has a "dummy" auto mode which locks down all the controls so you can't muck it up during recording or you can go completely manual.
Manual audio control
Manual colour and white balance.
Manual focus
It has some....odd built in FX generators, But They can sit there out of harms way.

Records onto dual flash cards so you can either have a main card + backup recording at the same time OR you can have double the storage for recording + it's own internal SDD

If I may suggest that you look into buying an external microphone for the camera, The onboard camera on most cams is always second best compared to an external mic, there are plenty of guides in the audio editing section that could help you out.

I'll try to get the model number to you but yeah I think spend the £800 on that, then get yourself a good external mic and a tripod of some sort.

Should sort you out nicely!

I have my eye on the Panasonic HDC-TM700 for about $900 (Aussie Dollars). Reviews say it is the benchmark cam for the under $2k budget. This may be a good time to ask the forum what they know about this cam?

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions, i think those camera's are more consumer models?? I need something professional for the quality and level of work i'll be doing

Ok, Up your budget to 2.5K or 4K and you can have professional.

what can i get for 2k? Sony DCR VX2100 any good? reviews seem to be positive for low light but is there better in my price range?

Canon 5D MK-2

Produces STUNNING video footage. Equal to a 50K professional camera.
You only get 25 minutes of record time for footage but the quality of said footage is just INSANE!

could i buy a better battery to get longer record time?

No, you get 25 minutes of storage space for full HD video on that camera.

If you really really want to get the best image look on your footage go for the 5D, yes it is manufactured as a stills camera but the quality of the image for video is supberb.

Yes, you could buy other cameras, that would let you record for hours on end in "HD" but it won't look as great.

+ The 5D looks amazing in dark situations with little light!

fiddlesticks - that wouldnt work at all, the gigs are like 2-3 hours.
would any of the below list be good? aware now that i will need to probably get a portable led light or something along that line

Sony HXR MC50E
JVC GY-HM100
Sony DCR VX 2100
Canon XH A1
Canon XA10