im gonna use my x-mas money to get a new camera. what do you think would be the best camera for making movies for about 520$

i am really leaning towards the sony handycam DCR-HC40, anyone know if its good or if theres something better for the same price?

That's a terrific camera, but if you get it, invest in an external mic (like the little one that Sony makes). The in-camera mic picks up the tape motor pretty loudly.

thanx for the fast reply... im pretty sure ill be getting this camera, and with my gift certificates to best buy, would you recommend one of the mics they have. when i last checked they had 2, one for 60$ that had a 1 end zoom mic, and the other end was just a nicer mic. for 100$ the had a smaller mic that i think was also a zoom mic.

i dont know if they are called zoom mics, but the ones that zoom in sound when you zoom the camera. would you recommend getting a zoom mic or just a nicer regular mic?

oh and what mic were you refering to by sony?

This is the one you should get: http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=ECMMSD1&Dept=dcc_DICamcorders&CategoryName=dcc_DIAccessories_DICamcorderMicrophones

It's $100. If that's too expensive, you could downgrade the camera to an HC30 or HC20, which are essentially the same camera; only major difference is a color viewfinder, I think. But they're cheaper.

yea thats the 2nd mic i was refering to. my parents also told me i will probly be getting another $100-200 tonight from my grandparents and other relatives. so would there be a better camera to look at for about $700?

i was looking at the Panasonic PV-GS120, it is a little more and has the 3ccd chips and might be a better buy, but other than the 3CCDs i think the sony hc40 looks like it might be better.(especially if i got the new mic) and the sony has great low light quality which was the biggest problem i have using my old camera.

I got one of the panasonic 3ccds (gs 200) and saw that mic at bestbuy (ECM-MSD 1). I'm also in the need of a good external mic, but those only work with sony handycams right? Could I get one for my gs 200?

Adam, plz read my reply at indietalk concerning this.

i replied....

i now have 850$ people... what would yall recommend? should i go with the panasonic pv-gs120 and a new mic? or is there a better camera for 850

ok i just went to the store and they have a panasonic PDVD953 open box camera for $919. do you guys know if it would be worth it to get this? or would i be better off getting the gs120 and a new mic?

this pdvd953 looks real nice, but they said it is no better then the gs120 except for taking pictures (which i dont need) and its easier to hold. the pdvd953 is a camera that has been discontinued, anyone know why? or if i should stay away from a camera thats been discontinued. i want to make my decision by tonight so reply fast please

The 953 is a significantly better camera than the GS120. I did some research on this a while ago - the DV953 was Panasonic's higher end consumer 3CCD model, and there was a lower end one (GS70?). They recently revised the product line with a different assortment of 3CCD cameras, including the GS120. However, these have slightly lower prices but leave out some of the nicer features on the 953 (zebra stripes, "frame" mode, 16:9, etc.) $919 for an open box is not that great of a price. You should be able to find new ones with US warranty online for $940 or so.