Canon Vixia? A "which camera" thread done the RIGHT way!

rudedog41

rudedog41

Member
So I'm looking into buying a decent HD camcorder as my first skiing/action camera. I've looked into HDSLRs but decided they are not for me and I will upgrade in the future.

To Start...

1) I'm looking to spend less than $500 but will be able to invest more in the future

2) I've had experience with a DSLR as my dad has one and I mess around with it a lot...I would be using that to film but he won't let me take it to the hill. FML...I've always enjoyed filming and a camcorder seems to be for me.

3) I have a shitty ass tripod and will be investing in a fluid head tripod in the future. Other than that I can't think of any other camera related equipment I have (besides a bag).

4) This cam will mostly be used for shooting skiing, especially in low light. Good low light quality is important to me ATM. Short movies may want to be filmed with this camera.

5) I will mostly be doing all the filming but may want my friend to just hit record when the cam is on the tripod or something. Otherwise it can have a lot of features that may take some time to learn.

6) I'd like to experiment with multiple different filming techniques, whether they are follow cams, tripod shots, etc..

7 ) I have a 27" MAC from last year. Not sure on specifics but its pretty fast. I will be using iMovie but really want to invest in Final Cut Pro in the near future.

For now...no DSLRs

I'd REALLY like some opinions on Canon Vixia models, specifically the HF S10/100/11 or HF S20/200/21

Thanks in advance M&A!
 
A camcorder that's going to be good in lowlight for under $500 is difficult to find. The Panny TM700 is probably your best bet since it shoots 60p and it tends to score higher than the Canon HF S21 and Sony CX500V in lowlight comparisons. It's also cheaper and has the manual zoom/focus/iris ring which is really nice. You should be able to find it for around $500. You could also look at the TM300 since it's the older model and is a lot cheaper, but it doesn't shoot 60p.

When I was in roughly your position a couple of years ago, http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ was awesome in helping me reach a decision. They have reviews and comparisons on most camcorders.
 
I would say listen to Satan right now, some other people will jump in I'm sure. I'm just posting because this is an interesting thread and I want to see how it goes.
 
I've got a canon hf-20 that I'm trying to sell i have done a lot of low light video with it and it does really well i can post a sample if you want and it also does really well in the aspect you can add a lot of accessories to it (via the hot shoe0 which most vixias don't have (at least when i bought it a year and a half ago) pm me if your interested!

 
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