New cam

[digital_biscuits]

Ok, i've got a sony Trv15e. Its ok in situations with great lighting conditions (outside,sunny day) or close up- but quality really isnt enough for proper projects (as i found out when i looked at some of my night time shoot rushes).

So...

I'm gonna buy a new cam- a three chipper. I was looking at saving up for a month or so and buying one of the following(both around the ?1799 mark in jessops)

-CANON XM2 3CCD CAMCORDER
-SONY DCR-TRV950 MINI DV CAMCORDER

DO you guys think theses are good enough quality cams to do work that looks professional?
The other alternative i was thinking of was to try and buy a second hand CANON DMXL1S 3CCD DV-MINI CAMCORDER.
While i could maybe find a CANON DMXL1S 3CCD DV-MINI CAMCORDER for that on the open market, here's the snag- I have ?550 worth of Jessops vouchers i won in a competition. I know Jessops do 2nd hand stuff, but their web site dont list the prices for any 2nd hand stuff.

What do you guys think?

[Generic Skinhead]

I've got an xm2 and I'd heartily endorse it. I've used the xl1s and the picture quality is very very close to the xm2. The xm2 actually has a newer lens.

I'd go with an xm2 over a second hand xl 1s. If you've any questions in particular about xm2 just ask!

[Micaso]

I really don't endorse SONY. The ones we've used have a camera noise similar to that made when killing a kitten by sending it through a rusty meat grinder. Another 3CCD SONY we used had the worst focus in the history of man. I'm thoroughly not a fan of SONY cameras, but they do have some nice accessory pieces.

My Cannon Camcorder is three or four years old and is quite a fine camera. The only problems I've had is a chip on the lens because my cousin dropped it and the grainyness which comes from all MiniDV I've used, including the "I refuse to focus" sony special. As someone sagely stated on this message board previously - MiniDV + Night = Shite

[Yammeryammeryammer]

I believe it was Despin that coined that immortal phrase.

[digital_biscuits]

Dont tell me about shooting at night with miniDV- I filmed a whole sequence at night on my single chipper and the only way you could see anything at all was by enhancing the footage in premiere.
But then again, i've found filming with 16mm at night produced awful stuff too.

So you fella's reckon the XM2 is the weapon of chioce then?

[Yammeryammeryammer]

Yep. Heard good things from a fella in a visual media program today about the XM2. Give'r.

[dolly germany]

i find the xl1 a better camery then the smaller ones. I've got more in the hand which means you get stiller pictures. If you won't to really start making professional films then is the xl1 or the pd150 from sony the better choice. The canon has the better objective which you can change with a wide angle if you want, but the canon only has 320K pixels per chip. The pd150 has 450K piexels pro chip, but i find the objective not as good as the canon. I know these camera cost more then the others but they are worth thier money if you won't to work professionlly.

[Generic Skinhead]

I've shot stuff at night with my xm2 and it's quality. Just don't use the gain!

At college we do 16mm at night a lot and always looks good-in fact I think it looks better than most daylight situations.

Did you not light it?

[Xendar]

I can recommend the PD150. It is a very good camera, and is Mini-DVCam. I am a big Sony fan though. I would also recommend looking at the VX2000.

I haven't seen the Canon XM2 in use, but if it's anything like the XM1 then it should be pretty good.

[digital_biscuits]

Yeah the bits I lit looked well, but some situations you cant light and you rely on practical lighting.

So who else rekons the SOny PD150 is a bad boy worth considering?

What sort of cams do you guys have?