Q. i'm looking for a professional camcorder that records full hd. This will be used for shooting films and i need the manual focus and the auto focus. Been using a canon 60d but want something a bit better. Been looking at the canon xh a1 but that's got mixed reviews. i don't mind any make as long as it is not a consumer camcorder.
A. A "professional" camcorder will have:
* Lens filter diameter larger than 70mm;
* 3CCD or 3COMS imaging chip array 1/3" or larger;
* XLR audio inputs.
Find these and all the other stuff (separate manual zoom and manual focus rings on the lens barrel, manual audio control and lots of other manual controls easily accessible on the OUTSIDE of the camcorder) and you will have a pro-grade camcorder. Hint: unless you buy used, there is no such thing. New, the closest you can get is a prosumer like the Sony HDR-FX1000 and add a XLR adapter (from BeachTek or juiceLink).
* Lens filter diameter larger than 70mm;
* 3CCD or 3COMS imaging chip array 1/3" or larger;
* XLR audio inputs.
Find these and all the other stuff (separate manual zoom and manual focus rings on the lens barrel, manual audio control and lots of other manual controls easily accessible on the OUTSIDE of the camcorder) and you will have a pro-grade camcorder. Hint: unless you buy used, there is no such thing. New, the closest you can get is a prosumer like the Sony HDR-FX1000 and add a XLR adapter (from BeachTek or juiceLink).
Best 3 CCD Camcorder under 1500?
Q.
A. I got a used GL2 on ebay for $1500. Perfect condition, with charger, UV filter, remote, etc. Go for that, or a pv-gs400, around $700 on ebay used. It all depends on what you want. If you go for a GL2, you will get better quality (in general), but you will have less money for mics, filters, etc. If you get a gs400, you will have less quality (in general as well), but more money for mics, filters, etc.
Plusses of the GL2:
Better low light than gs400, manual audio controls, good built in mic, advanced accessory shoe for attaching mics without wires, 20x provides 35mm (literally, not exaggerating) DOF when used with aperture wide open, larger cam helps reduce shake along with optical stabilizer, top loading
Plusses of the gs400:
cheap, native 16:9 chips as opposed to the GL2's 4:3 chips which use stretch to create a widescreen effect, smaller and more discrete, optical stabilizer, focus/zoom/iris/shutter RING as opposed to GL2's focus ring and exposure dial, 4MP stills if you plan on using your camera for stills occasionally, hot shoe but has limitations compared to the AAS on GL2, mic inputs and headphone outputs (considering its called a consumer cam, but a prosumer for its features), top loading
Cons of the GL2:
big and heavy, expensive compared to the gs400, no true 16:9 recording, jog dial takes some time to master compared to a ring, lens cap sometimes leaves marks (not scratches) on my filter although I think its okay if I take the filter off and put the cap on the lens itself
Cons of the gs400:
not great in low light, smaller 12x zoom (sort of a con, but its not really that big of a deal if you dont need the full 12x range, or shallow DOF), small size makes it more suspectible to shake, no audio controls
So theres that. Those were all the plusses and cons I could think of right now. If theres more I'll add them later. There are other choices besides the gs400 or GL2, but in that price range, they probably offer the best manual functions and quality. Hope this helps!
Plusses of the GL2:
Better low light than gs400, manual audio controls, good built in mic, advanced accessory shoe for attaching mics without wires, 20x provides 35mm (literally, not exaggerating) DOF when used with aperture wide open, larger cam helps reduce shake along with optical stabilizer, top loading
Plusses of the gs400:
cheap, native 16:9 chips as opposed to the GL2's 4:3 chips which use stretch to create a widescreen effect, smaller and more discrete, optical stabilizer, focus/zoom/iris/shutter RING as opposed to GL2's focus ring and exposure dial, 4MP stills if you plan on using your camera for stills occasionally, hot shoe but has limitations compared to the AAS on GL2, mic inputs and headphone outputs (considering its called a consumer cam, but a prosumer for its features), top loading
Cons of the GL2:
big and heavy, expensive compared to the gs400, no true 16:9 recording, jog dial takes some time to master compared to a ring, lens cap sometimes leaves marks (not scratches) on my filter although I think its okay if I take the filter off and put the cap on the lens itself
Cons of the gs400:
not great in low light, smaller 12x zoom (sort of a con, but its not really that big of a deal if you dont need the full 12x range, or shallow DOF), small size makes it more suspectible to shake, no audio controls
So theres that. Those were all the plusses and cons I could think of right now. If theres more I'll add them later. There are other choices besides the gs400 or GL2, but in that price range, they probably offer the best manual functions and quality. Hope this helps!
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