Cameras make me sad :C

I'm normally not much of a poster, but literal months on searching on the internet has gotten me nowhere.

Im 19 and putting myself through school so by budget is about 12$, it seems i have found some gorilla tactic or diy shortcut to avoid big costs on just about everything needed in film making form Work lights from Home depot for lighting or green poster board from walmart for a greenscreen(Maybe not as good as muslin ones, but im such a beast in After effects cs4 you cant even tell) and so on and so forth.
I know video is only half the battle and have a decent audio line up.

But one thing i cant get around is Finding a decent camera on a budget , Original i had my heart set on canon XL1 but its too far out of my price range, as of now im looking at the jvc gz-hd7 but at around $700 used, im just kidding myself. I don't know anyone with a camera and crags list and ebay proved useless.
What id like to have is 3ccd, manual focus and a mic input...i guess?


i guess what im really trying to say is...
PLEASE HALP

ANY advice is greatly appreciated!
Thankyou Thankyou
 
Ninja,

I would say most of us are in the same boat in one form or another, or have been at one time or another unless very lucky, so you are not alone.

It can get depressing yes, but it seems filmmaking is 1% doing and 99% figuring out how to get it done, and it seems you DO HAVE some things at your disposal that many others might not, like the internet, work lights, Walmart, a DIY approach, access to CS4, and maybe even a student discount on some stuff.

If you pick up a camera and shoot the next Citizen Kane, people will know it weather you shot it on an XL1 or on a $30 VHS camcorder you found on Craigslist and used in the meantime to keep moving forward no matter what.

Keep moving forward.
-Thanks-
 
I have the Canon Vixia HF100 and its great! Ofcourse it's not the XL1, but it still has pretty good fottage. I would look at some of the Canon consumer camcorders such as the HG20 or HF20(0). Good luck!;)
 
We used mainly semi-pro borrowed cameras. And finally we bought a cheap digital HD camera with input mic. It's far from good. But we aren't looking for the best picture just yet.
We have a lot to learn in front and behind the camera. If the footage and the idea is good you can still be successful and then get the budget for the next film.

By the time you are confortable and got good quality in your productions your camera will be too old anyway.

I apply the same logic when people come and say that they are going to learn to play the guitar and want to spend 500$ on a guitar. If you learn with a 40$ one then buy a proper one. Else you will waste too much money, and you may even break the 500$ one :o)
 
budget is about 12$

You ain't buyin' a camera, bud. :hmm:

The good news is, you don't need to actually own one.

You say that you don't know anyone with a camera? I say that you haven't asked anyone.
smiley_colbert.gif


Not only should you be able to weasel a camera from someone you know, there's a good shot at nabbin' one from your college's a/v department, if you do all your preparation. It may not be the camera you want, but sometimes you take what you get... and like it.

Another option is to wait until you have enough money to buy your own camera. There's nothing stoppin' you from getting a job and puttin' some money aside. If you really want that camera, that is.

Good luck. :)
 
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