"Sam Sundaram" <freedomsbeat@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:9e7c5fe6.0403260558.22038f99@posting.google.com...

> I need to get the best camera that I can (video quality wise, with

> lights of course) for around $1,500... I'll be using this for student

> films and eventually festival use. Here are my options:

>

> 1) Panasonic DV953 - Very affordable, decent reviews.. Worried about

> the tiny chips though (1/6")... I don't know much about panasonic's

> miniDV cameras- what is their "look?" By this I mean that my old

> TRV900 had a tendency to emphasize reds while the XL1 I've used has a

> brownish preference to it's video... Does panasonics look natural or

> are do the images scream VIDEO?

I have not liked any of the small Panasonics since the EZ30U/950

(see www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm for

more on this one relative to some others), and preferred the TRV900

to it (though I like very much the Panasonic DVX100a). Never could

stand the XL1...;-) I would also consider a good used VX1000,

TRV900, or EZ30U. BTW, if only the recording section of your

damaged TRV900 is gone, consider FireWire-connecting to it any

cheap 1-chipper for use as a recording deck for it...

> 2) Sony TRV-950. Technically out of my budget but is it a worthy step

> up over the DV953? I know the low light performance is better than

> DV953 but how would the video compare using studio lights?

If you can control the lighting (studio lights...) this may be a good

choice (its excessive picture contrast limits it for available-light,

though, for me...).

> 3) Canon GL2 (or gl1)- How different are the two? Also, the gl2 is

> pretty expensive and out of my range... Is it worth it? Is it a major

> step up from the TRV950? Anyone know where I can get the GL1 new in

> the US?

See the URL referenced above - I thought the GL1 the worst

3-chipper available at the time (only the Sharp had been worse...).

The GL2 is a BIG improvement, but the VX2000 and DVX100a

are better. Try a used VX2000, if you can find one in your price

range in good shape (see for more, and for comparisons with others

mentioned above: www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/sony_dcr-vx2000.htm).

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com