Hi wykedelf – these older low bit rate, small sensor, fixed lens camcorder with limited control over depth of field may not be the best choice for your indie film. You may want to consider a modern large sensor, interchangeable lens camera.
For $995 (plus lenses, $245 shoulder rig, $250 EVF, $399 external preamp and $155 external battery), you can get a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera for results like this:
The Case
The One (please watch at 1080p)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5gAq_eN1ks
Or, if you don't want the complexity of shooting with a cinema camera (or dealing with massive ProRes or RAW files) – for less than $2000, you can get a more traditional modern camcorder, such as a used Sony NEX-VG20 (manual zoom) or VG30 (power zoom), which can give you results like these:
Blonde Ambition
Date
Or, if you don't mind the DSLR form-factor (with camcorder-like autofocus, electronic viewfinder and hours of continuous video recording), you can get a $998 (as of this post) Panasonic GH3, which can give you results like this:
Clash
Genesis
http://vimeo.com/49420579
Any of these cameras would be better for indie filmmaking than an old HDV camcorder, in my view.
Hope this is helpful, and good luck with your upgrade!
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
