Which camera to get?

Stephp · Aug 3, 2005

Hello, I am only 17, so I don't really have much $$. I'm also planning on buying an iBook, so my budget is low. I'm looking at about $800-1200 (CDN).

Mostly deciding b/w the Panasonic GS65/150/250 or the Sony HC90. Obviously the 250 will be better than the 150 and the 65, but the 250 is almost double the price of the 65, would it be worth it just for a starter cam?

I guess I'm just considering MiniDV because I don't really know much about other types, so if you have any suggestions regarding other types, that'd be great.

Thanks!

CommanderGoat · Aug 3, 2005

I would stay away from the Panasonic GS150. I recently did some research into a new camcorder for our department at work and thought the GS150 was a good buy until I found this Forum. That model apparently has a glitch, causing red banding lines across the screen. It's not in the GS65 or the GS250 for some reason.

That said, I think the GS250 looks to be a great camera. I looked into the Sony HC90 as well, but it did not have a standard external mic input(had a Sony proprietary one), which we needed. The sony is also a 1CCD camera, and the GS250 and 65 are 3CCD, so they should give you better picture quality. Plus they are cheaper. The only thing I don't like about the Panasonic is the user interface. I would go to a store and play with them first to see which you like.

If you want a good review of the GS250 and GS65, go here.

Spatula · Aug 3, 2005

Welcome to Indietalk! What part of Canada are you from?

Stephp · Aug 3, 2005

What part of Canada are you from?

Hi! I am from Huntsville, ON.

Zensteve · Aug 4, 2005

'sup, good Stephp :cool:

I don't really have much $$... ( ) ...so my budget is low

Nothing wrong with having a limited budget to work with.

Sounds like mini-DV is in your ballpark. I don't know much about the cameras you mentioned (though it appears others do).

I guess I'm just considering MiniDV because I don't really know much about other types

"Other types" can spiral up in costs rather quickly. May as well learn the basics on a reusable $10 mini-DV tape before plunking down the big bucks.

Jesse · Aug 15, 2005

Have you considered a used Canon GL1 from Ebay? If you search for a few days you can usually find one with a buy it now for $1,000 or so. I think it has great quality for the price and your chip size is bigger than the Panasonic models you mentioned (I think but not quite sure).

amfx22000 · Aug 15, 2005

Jesse said:
Have you considered a used Canon GL1 from Ebay? If you search for a few days you can usually find one with a buy it now for $1,000 or so. I think it has great quality for the price and your chip size is bigger than the Panasonic models you mentioned (I think but not quite sure).

lol

I'm wary about ordering cheap cameras from eBay because they could be fraud (or flawed). I say a PV-GS250 for less than $100.

As for... um... *checks name*... lessee... Stephp, I reccomend buying the PV-GS250; it is a high quality model at a low price (the navigation for the PV-GS's is AWESOME!). I don't like Sony camcorders (they are pricey, low on features, and don't perform very well). Stick with Panasonic; they have several 3CCD (that means good image quality, if you're a n00b) camcorders at great prices.

As for the GL1 reccomendation, stay away! If this is your first (or even second) camcorder, the GL1 will completely overwhelm you. Aim low!

Jesse · Aug 15, 2005

Alot of people tend to anti-Ebay and very scared to buy from there. I buy and sell on almost a daily basis and run into very few problems, and the problems I do run into are not a big deal. I bought my GL1 from Ebay from a reputable seller and it works perfectly, plus I got a great deal. As for the GL1 being "overwhelming" I don't agree with that at all. It is very user friendly as long as you do some reading up on it. I say if your going to buy a new camera, buy somthing that you can grow into or you'll just end up buying a new one in a few months anyway. It also, depends on what you are planning on doing with it. If you and your friends are just going to use it for random filming than your quality does not need to be that great. But if you are planning on doing movies or serious stuff than invest in a good camera.