Filmmaking on a budget: 5 camcorders under $2,000
— -- There has rarely been a better time for amateur filmmakers to upgrade equipment. The rise of HD video has brought a wave of new products — from high-performance camcorders that retail for less than $1,000 to hands-free adventure cameras that capture all the action for a couple hundred bucks.
And let's not forget video-capable DSLRs that offer the flexibility of multiple lenses at lower costs than ever before.
If you're on the prowl for new video equipment, we're here to help. Here are our top five video cameras for the budget filmmaker, each for less than $2,000.
Compact Prosumer Camcorder
The Canon HF G10 sets the bar for compact "prosumer" camcorders. Its price tag is high compared to the rest of Canon's Vixia line, but it includes a wide range of professional-grade video features and controls. With its suite of color modes and cinema filters, as well as its 24p frame rate cinema mode, the camcorder is ideal for those who are looking to produce their own movies on a tight budget. The camcorder's manual lens ring, large LCD panel, and old-fashioned electronic viewfinder are all a pleasure to work with, and they give the HF G10 the look and feel of a professional device. It lists at $1,499 but you can find it for about $1,200.
High-end Camcorder for Bargain Hunters
If you can't spend more than $1,000 but still want a fantastic camcorder with all the bells and whistles, the Panasonic HC-X900 should suit your needs. The camcorder doesn't feel or look as professional as the Canon HF G10, but it has a near-equivalent set of manual controls and excellent all-around video performance. Additionally, the X900's compact design makes it ideal for the nomad filmmaker. The X900 lists for $999 but you can find it for about $850.
If the X900 has a fault, it's that the camcorder offers no significant improvement over its predecessor, the Panasonic HDC-TM900. While this doesn't bode well for people who are looking for exciting new features, it does mean good things for those who are willing to shop around for a good deal. A used or refurbished TM900 from the clearance rack will net you just as good a camcorder as a brand-new X900.
Video-Capable DSLR for the Masses
DSLR cameras that can record video are everywhere, and they're especially popular with filmmakers on a budget. Gone are the days where you'd have to spend upwards of $30,000 for a camcorder that can work with multiple lenses. Now you can do it for less than a thousand bucks with a video-DSLR.
The Canon 60D hit the market a couple of years ago, but its video performance and capabilities are still impressive to this day. It's not hard to find a new 60D for under $900, and usually you can get it packaged with a lens for just $200 bucks more. Purchasing extra lenses will obviously bloat your production costs, but good lenses can do wonders to enhance the quality of your video. In addition to its removable lens, the 60D has a full set of exposure controls, a cinematic 24p frame rate option, and a rotatable LCD. Be warned, however, the EOS 60D does not have a good autofocus mechanism, so this may not be the best choice for shooting documentaries or live entertainment.
Affordable Interchangeable Lens Camcorder
If you're turned off by the shape and design of a traditional DSLR camera, but want the option of shooting with multiple lenses without going into debt, the Sony NEX-VG20 may be your perfect mate. At first glance the NEX-VG20 looks just like a camcorder should: It has a rotatable LCD, a large, angled viewfinder, and a right-side grip that makes handheld recording easy. But if you look closer you'll notice the VG20 has a Sony E-mount lens system, which means you can use this camcorder with a whole slew of lenses (just like a DSLR). A few years ago it would have been a challenge to find a removable-lens camcorder for less than $8,000, but now you can get the NEX-V20 for just $1,600 (body only).
Action Sequence B-Roll Camcorder
We know what you're thinking. It sure looks funny to include a wearable adventure cam on a list of best camcorders for filmmakers, doesn't it? But the GoPro Hero2 is an exceptional piece of technology, and it can be a useful for tool for capturing those expensive action sequences that you can't afford to shoot twice. From underwater shots to POV sequences from moving vehicles, the Hero2's versatile design is bound to come in handy at some point during the filmmaking process. Let's be clear, the Hero2 is not something you'll want to use to shoot an entire feature film, but for just $199 bucks it's an affordable tool that should be part of every budget filmmaker's arsenal.
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For in-depth reviews of all of these video cameras and dozens more, head to CamcorderInfo.com. CamcorderInfo.com is part of the Reviewed.com network, a division of USA TODAY.