what type of digital camcorder is best for making amateur movies?

Question by groovacious: what type of digital camcorder is best for making amateur movies?
I’m into filming and making videos. What type of digital camcorder would be best, keep in mind of editing etc. And please list the cheapest ones.

Best answer:

Answer by Little Dog
MiniDV tape based.

The least expensive with a mic jack are the Canon ZR900, ZR930 and ZR960. They do not have manual audio control.

The least expensive with a mic jack AND manual audio control are the Canon HV20/HV30/HV40 and the Sony HDR-HC9.

Your computer will need a firewire port because connecting the camcorder’s DV port to the computer’s firewire port and importing the video is the ONLY way that will happen – It won’t work using USB.

If your computer does not have a firewire port, hopefully it has an available expansion slot so you can add one.

USB to firewire cable/hub/adapter/converter things won’t work.

If your computer has no available expansion slot, then the flash memory camcorders are your best bet – Canon FS100, FS10, FS11 for standard definition; HF100, HF10, HF11 for high defintion. Video quality will not be as good as the miniDV tape because these flash memory camcorders compress the video a LOT more than miniDV tape does. I do not believe any of these flash memory camcorders ahs manual audio control.

video compression = discarded video data = reduced video quality

All of these camcorders are consumer grade and have small lenses and imaging chips. Video captured in low light will be grainy. If good low-light behavior is a requirement, you need a camcorder with larger lenses and imaging chips… and they start with the Canon GL2 at about $ 1,500.

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