Ive been shooting family videos and short commercials for
campaign ads for the last number of years using a series of Panasonic 3CCD
camcorders. Currently I am using an old GS500, but have been recently
contemplating an upgrade; mainly for the HD capability and to add the ability
to do 24p as well. All my editing is done in Sony Vegas Pro 9 on a fairly
robust Quad core PC.
Unfortunately there arent a lot of options out there in the
consumer market, plus I like having the flexibility of a more prosumer model.
Up until this past weekend I had been considering getting a used Panasonic AVCCAM,
a JVC HM100 or Sony FX7, or similar; however my brother-in-law recently having
gotten a Panasonic GH1 DSLR with the hacks, has me thinking that might be a route to consider.
My question; all things being equal and that for me is price
dependent (under $1800), would I do better staying the course and finding a
used or second-hand prosumer camcorder with 24p capability as I had planned, or
are the DSLR a viable option.
My concern with the DSLR is the drastic change in
form-factor, for me at least going from a camcorder to a SLR style camera. While I have commented to my wife on more than one occasion I
would love someday get a high resolution DSLR for the occasional photo. Since
my primary role is family video, etc, I worry that I would I find myself
missing the easy point and record form of the camcorders when traveling? I have
gathered from other post and things I have read that the DSLRs arent quite
ready for prime-time, but how do they compare to slightly older 3CCD
camcorders, or the consumer level models around $1000?
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