Four options.. Help me decide!!

[oleg]

I live in Australia, & I am looking for a camera to use for my filmmaking project.

My budget is $5000AUD.

My options are:

- Canon XL2
- Sony FX1
- Panasonic DVX100
- Sony VX2100

If you had the choice to make, which would you choose & why?

 

[David Mullen ASC]

The question is do you want the "film-look" of 24P photography? If so, only the Canon XL2 and DVX100 offer that feature on your list. Between those two, I might lean towards the Canon XL2 because it does 16x9 better and allows interchangeable lenses.

But if you want HD, then that's the Sony FX1. But it does not have progressive-scan.

 

[DBXMe2]

DVX 100!!! totaly.... without a doubt...

 

[oleg]

DVX 100!!! totaly.... without a doubt...

Ugh.. can you please state WHY.

 

[oleg]

Also:

How would you guys rank these in terms of low light performance- best to worst.
I'm mainly concerned about this as I will be shooting mainly indoors, where lighting may be poor/unpredictable.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Unless you're shooting an available-light documentary, you should plan on adding enough light to get a good image no matter which camera you are using, and we're not talking about huge lights for any of these cameras.

 

[DBXMe2]

the DVX has alot of manual control. And the image quality looks better then most. Although if you dont have a Depth of Field adaptor on your lens, it will look like regular DV.

Besides that from personal experiance the DVX is a great camera to use. I've used XL's Sony's, and such... and so far the camera which I would choose, if you are to be making shorts, docs, etc.

I made a quick comparison on the forums using the DVX. here...

http://www.studentfilmmakersforums.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1959

... if you make a quick search you'll be able to find alot of threads which ask the same thing as you...

 

[surjones]

I would say save a couple more hundred,. about 3 hundred, and by the Panasonic HVX-200. High Def, True 24 P. Better SD than DVX, DVCPRO format. The list goes on.

Here are our forums.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/forumdisplay.php?f=54