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what camcorders do you reccomend for somone wanting to get into amateur filmaking?

is the Panasonic HDC-SD1 3CCD High Definition HD Camcorder a good one?

or is there a better deal out there?

Public Comments

1. That's an AVCHD camera. It's not a bad format, but it is hard to edit because most software doesn't support it well, and the quality is not as good as HDV cameras.

The Canon HV20 is a compact camcorder with HDV (high-def miniDV), 10X zoom, manual focus and white balance (via menus and dials), mic input, 16:9 and 24p, for around $700. It is very popular among budget indie filmmakers now. It gives you enough manual control to do most of the things you see in professional movies.

Don't forget that a good camera is only one tiny part of making good films. Good actors, a script, directing, lighting, blocking, sets, costumes/makeup, and good sound and music are all often overlooked by newcomers, but are far more important than the image quality of the camera.