Hi! I know this question has been asked many times, but of course personal circumstances change everything. :/
I think my main issue is deciding between a DSLR and a camcorder. I was originally going to get the Canon 650d but I've heard a few bad things since in the DSLR vs camcorder debates...
Budget: maybe £1000 tops, but the cheaper the better
Background: Next year I'm entering into the second year of a film & multi-media production course. This year I'm taking a year out to do my own stuff and to practice videomaking, so I'm not too far behind the other students. I have some limited experience from working with really cheap consumer cameras, but am very willing to learn, even if it's a steep learning curve.
What I'm looking for:
- A relatively cheap camera which will give me a fairly good range of manual controls to experiment with & learn how to use.
- I want it to be fairly flexible so that I can experiment with different kinds of videos (genres, movement, shooting styles, perhaps shooting conditions like weather & lighting), though it doesn't have to be expertly good at all that.
- It should record relatively good quality, 1080p, but I don't mind if it's not quite the cinema look that DSLRs often sell for (though it would be a great plus ^_^)
My main problem is I'm afraid that a DSLR would be too hard to work with, particularly when it comes to problems with focus & depth of field. At the same time I'm afraid that a camcorder won't produce the quality I want or give me enough options for learning on the technical side.
In the end, whatever I choose should last me through this year out and the following 2 years on the Uni course as well. On the course I'll have access to high end professional equipment, but I want the flexibility to create videos any time, not just when the top end stuff's available for me. Plus it's a long walk to the Uni... :/
Any suggestions are welcome! If you think DSLR is the way to go, please explain why, and if it's camcorders could you maybe offer suggestions of the model(s) I should have a look at?
Many thanks!
(Additional info: I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a good external microphone soon (Rode videomic Pro), so I don't really care about the in-built mikes. Also I don't mind spending more money over time to build up a DSLR, say getting new lenses, right now I just need the basics so I can start filming something, anything, ASAP)
Also I should say that I'm planning to go to a camera store once I have a shortlist, so I won't be making a final decision without having had a play around first
I think my main issue is deciding between a DSLR and a camcorder. I was originally going to get the Canon 650d but I've heard a few bad things since in the DSLR vs camcorder debates...
Budget: maybe £1000 tops, but the cheaper the better
Background: Next year I'm entering into the second year of a film & multi-media production course. This year I'm taking a year out to do my own stuff and to practice videomaking, so I'm not too far behind the other students. I have some limited experience from working with really cheap consumer cameras, but am very willing to learn, even if it's a steep learning curve.
What I'm looking for:
- A relatively cheap camera which will give me a fairly good range of manual controls to experiment with & learn how to use.
- I want it to be fairly flexible so that I can experiment with different kinds of videos (genres, movement, shooting styles, perhaps shooting conditions like weather & lighting), though it doesn't have to be expertly good at all that.
- It should record relatively good quality, 1080p, but I don't mind if it's not quite the cinema look that DSLRs often sell for (though it would be a great plus ^_^)
My main problem is I'm afraid that a DSLR would be too hard to work with, particularly when it comes to problems with focus & depth of field. At the same time I'm afraid that a camcorder won't produce the quality I want or give me enough options for learning on the technical side.
In the end, whatever I choose should last me through this year out and the following 2 years on the Uni course as well. On the course I'll have access to high end professional equipment, but I want the flexibility to create videos any time, not just when the top end stuff's available for me. Plus it's a long walk to the Uni... :/
Any suggestions are welcome! If you think DSLR is the way to go, please explain why, and if it's camcorders could you maybe offer suggestions of the model(s) I should have a look at?
Many thanks!
(Additional info: I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a good external microphone soon (Rode videomic Pro), so I don't really care about the in-built mikes. Also I don't mind spending more money over time to build up a DSLR, say getting new lenses, right now I just need the basics so I can start filming something, anything, ASAP)
Also I should say that I'm planning to go to a camera store once I have a shortlist, so I won't be making a final decision without having had a play around first