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!

Welcome

MiniDV is _the_ way to go. HD is too expensive, and things like VHS and Hi8 (despite what people will tell you) suck.

I don't know much about those two cameras, so hopefully someone else will post.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: titaniumdoughnut,

Yea, man, HD's suck for right now. Although some will disagree with me. MiniDV is what you need, and as far as a starter cam goes? Both of those, Panasonic and the Sony, are little more than home video camera's. They may be nice on the wallet, but their not what you need if your making movies. Save a little more money, and shop around for a Canon GL1, a very good starter for around 800 to 1000 with plenty of options. Or you could go for the Sony DCRTRV950, its a decent handycam, but I'd still rather go with the GL1.

quote:

things like VHS and Hi8 (despite what people will tell you) suck.

Hi8 is not much worse than miniDV. The main disadvantage is that you can't easily get it in to the computer without a breakout box.

You could buy a nice Super 8 camera for under $200CDN and a cheap miniDV camera for around $5-600 CDN to transfer the images... use the rest on film.

It's the filmmaker who makes the film, not the camera. You should buy whichever camera you feel comfortable working with, because in the end, it's you who makes the film and not the camera.

quote:

shop around for a Canon GL1, a very good starter for around 800 to 1000

Where in the world can you find a GL1 for 800 to 1000?

I bought my old GL1 off ebay for 850. Good deal too, still in the boxwrap.

Wow, good find man.

yeah very good find... i would definately go with the GL1 if you can find one, but goodwill made a good point, its not the camera that makes the movie its you, so buy whatever you can afford and upgrade later if you really like making movies/ have the money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-NEW-Canon-GL1-MiniDV-3CCD-Cam...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Canon GL-1 for $800.

However it does look sorta shady. The seller is new, and he's saying the first bidder is the winner. This is the same thing as "Buy it Now", yet the seller isn't using that option. This isn't a normal ebay-type transaction. That doesn't make sense.

Plus he's requiring an immediate payment, which also sounds a little fishy. But it's up to you. Beware paypal only covers you up to $65 if the transaction goes south.

Stay the hell away from that auction. That's a lot of gear for $800, but the seller:

- has 0 feedback
- is in Canada
- is not following eBay rules regarding the transaction.

The reason why he'll close the auction after the first bid instead of using Buy it Now is is because this way it won't be registered as a completed transaction with eBay. It'll be off the record, leaving no protection for the buyer when they inevitably get a box of bricks in the mail.

Can't trust those Canadians, lol. But when I was scouting for my old GL1, I ran across several of those kinds of auctions, with the seller being someone new, and what definately gave it away were their screen names: newcamera0234, camera4sell, cheepcamera34, etc. It's ridiculas. Though there's always the offhand chance you might come across a legit seller with a good deal.

Yeah! That auction is very suspicious. I was going to report it to eBay, but the site seems unable to allow logins at the moment (??)

Looks like someone bought it. I'm actually going to see how that goes and what feedback gets left...

I just checked that link. It's totally fake. I've seen that screen shot of the camera in several different places before. And the guy doesn't even list WHY he's selling it! Plus he's throwing in a free hard case(100+ bucks)...this is pretty lame.

I have about 2000 USD I've been saving up for a camera, but I have simular questions about which camera I should get to practice a little filmmaking for myself.

So recommend me something.

For around $2000+ I would highly recommend Sony VX2100. I got it a few months ago and shot a docu-drama with it. It has a lot of manual options. Check it out!

So would you all pretty much recommend the GL1 for my price range? Are they pretty much available only on eBay?

GL1's are kinda old, but if you can find one, get it. The GL2's are newer and a little better, but their in a higher price range than your's. But yes, I'd try to hunt on down on the internet, but stay away from auctions if you can, and scam sites, like digital liquidators.

I found someone selling a GL2 for $1400 but the headphone jack is broken. How much would that cost to fix/where would I get it fixed? Would it be a good deal?