This is, by the way, the major reason why there hasn’t been much CPAC footage from me: the video came out awful, and the photos aren’t doing much better. I’ve had this camera for a while; I shouldn’t be shocked that it’s starting to fade.
Suggestions on a replacement? I don’t need something as light as my current one, but I need good video recording quality and I don’t have the budget for a $2K camera. Or $1.5K. Or $1K… actually, I don’t really have a budget at all, but I can scrounge up a decent amount by August.
Moe Lane
PS: Only because at least one person will nag me:
What the hell? Are you really willing to pay $1,000 to $2,000 for a camera? Are we talking about a stuido-level camera here?
Kinda depends on what you want. I’m pretty happy with the video quality on my Canon Rebel DSLR T3i. But then again, I’m a gadget nerd, so having a DSLR lets me get lots of addons to play with. I’ve spent waaaaay too much money on lenses and such, easily 10x what I’ve spent on the camera body. You might be happier with something integrated, though, and I don’t have a lot of experience with those.
BTW, if you do decide to go that way, Canon sells refurbs directly, which are sometimes a good deal.
Got this for my wife a few years ago and is excellent:
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-LX5-Digital-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/dp/B003WJR69E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364220972&sr=8-1&keywords=lumix+lx5
My advice would be to keep an eye on it–every now and then it goes on sale in a big way (Glenn Reynolds’ linked to it a couple Christmases ago when it was down to like $250–an absolute steal).
You can get really good deals on Nikons right now. They just updated their consumer line so the previous gen is selling cheap. Nothing wrong with the either 3100, 5100, or 7000 camera kits, all will give great still and video images.
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as Skip said, you may be better off with a superzoom camera, but I can’t give advise on those.
I also have a Canon Rabel DSLR for crossover video use. Be prepared to spring for a proper microphone if you go that route, as onboard audio is…. left wanting.
Otherwise the kit is pretty good if you’re just doing interviews and convention stuff, especially if you spring the whole $K and get the high-end side of the model.
This probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: If you’re going to be taking still photos or videos at events, especially political events with crowds, use a camera with a flip-out-and-rotate viewscreen. That way if you’re stuck inside a crowd that’s blocking your view of something interesting, you can raise the camera above your head and see what you’re aiming at. (Image stabilization goes without saying, too.)
Canon makes several models with this feature. Here’s a representative one that seems to be on sale: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T3i-Digital-Imaging-18-55mm/dp/B004J3V90Y/
I am very happy with my Sony Nex-5 …go for the Nex-6 for about 1000 with lens.Great photos in a compact form factor.