There are lots of non-grey market dealers out there that sell the FX1 for sub 3K, in the mid 2900.00 range. For 400.00 more than your budget, you could get an HDV cam...well worth the slightly extra expense, IMO. No DV camera can touch the quality of the FX 1 in terms of the FX can shoot HD, then output SD, and you'll have a cam you can do HD with, or archive for later as well.
Otherwise, there is the XL2 (used) in your price range, or new GL2 with a Beachtek for good audio. The Sony's are quite good too.

I love my VX2000, which I bought on eBay last year for $1,750. The camera delivers a gorgeous DV image and can see in the dark better than I can, which is very important for my documentary work. It also appears to be nearly bulletproof. What appears to be a "plastic" case is actually magnesium.

My next camera will probably be the Sony HDV camcorder, but I'm waffling a bit because its low-light ability is nowhere as good as the VX2000.

If you don't mind buying used, I'd suggest a look at eBay. I've never been burned (yet), and you can probably find a very clean VX2k or VX2100 for maybe $1,500.

If you buy off eBay either use a credit card DIRECT, or an escrow service. Don't risk that much money without taking at least some precautions.

I bought my VX2000 from Vanns. Good return policy, authorized Sony dealer, low shipping charges. Currently they are selling the VX2100 for $2391.79 with free shipping.

John

$2900 for a PD170 - wow are you lucky. I live in Canada and here it costs a couple of THOUSAND dollars more!!!! Yikes. Nevertheless, I'm very happy with it and highly recommend. I believe it would be worth the extra "splurge" of $400 out of your price range.

I shot a little film today (directed by a 9-year old!!) of farm animals, inside the barn in dim light and outdoors in bright sunshine and then cloud and changing conditions throughout the day - and every shot looks fabulous. This camera has never disappointed and the picture is soooo sharp, I don't know how HD could be any better.

If you are going to buy new I would definitely get the FX1, unless you need the absolute best low light performance. No DV camera within three times its cost can touch it in HDV mode. It produces an excellent DV image that is native widescreen. I would only buy a DV camera if $2500 is the complete maximum you can spend. Even then I would buy a used VX2000 or equivalent instead of a new one. They can be found fully loaded with lenses and filters for under $1500 since many people (like myself) have upgraded to HDV. I still have my old VX2000 boxed up in my closet. What are you going to be using the camera for?

I've been meaning to do (for about the last 18 months) exactly what you are planning to do. If you don't go for the HDV camera, and if you want something that would be instantly familiar, I'd stick with the Sony. If you don't need the extras (mostly pro audio) of the PD family, go with the VX2100. I don't see how you can go too wrong with that (at least for event videography), although the Canon cameras have amazing lenses and wonderful zooms. If size is an issue, you could try the Sony DCR-HC1000 MiniDV Handycam® Camcorder which I guess is their replacement for the TRV-950. It has three chips, manual focus ring, and several other higher-end options, but retains much of the size advantage of your current camcorder.

Thanks for all the suggestions, greatly appreciated. And I never even thought about buying used and the possibility that they may include other accessories as well.

I went by Fry's after posting and got a chance to play around with a:

Canon GL2
Sony HC1000
Sony FX1
Panasonic GS400

I see why everyone (including all the magazines) are making a big deal about the FX1, I was definitely impressed. In fact, looking at some of these in person has got me re-thinking the whole money spending issue. Perhaps it really might be better to expand the budget upwards towards $3000.00 plus.

I am finding in magazines and online that the GS400 is getting great comments for its image quality, and it's far less expensive, but then again, it seems to be only a few steps above the consumer models with its' 3CCD.

But what really caught my attention the most was the Canon GL2 because of the easily adjustable audio levels and the fact that there are VU meters on the side of the camera, in the viewfinder and on the LCD screen. Being a musician, the audio features of the camera are going to be high on my priority list, right up there with the "sharpness" of the image.

I guess I really need to go try and find all of the camera's mentioned and actually check them out in person to see what kind of impression they leave me with. It seems that perhaps all of these 3CCD cameras have really good image quality...so it's some of the other features that would become selling points one way or the other. The FX1 definitely seems the way to go for thinking to future possibilities, but I'm still going to have to obviously do much more homework on this stuff.

I have a PD-150 for sale. Used only 6 times! MINT condition!

If you like, just drop me an email

amorias@sympatico.ca

I am in Toronto, Canada.

Don't forget the Z1. It has a high list price, but it is coming down, already.

If you can, bring a tape or tapes and record some images and then bring them back to review them.

Not going to work with the FX1 obviously, but the others it will.

If you get down to 2 cameras, I suggest trying to rent both for a day and do some real hands on.

You should also consider what you are going to do with the camera. The VX2100 does not have XLR inputs, only one 1/8 miniplug for audio, doesn't have DVCAM, SMPTE time code. etc. etc. Like its bigger brother, the PD170, it does shoot great video with really good low light capture. However, I think SPOT had the best idea. HDV is what everyone will eventually be doing, and watching. 'course, there are some out there that are still watching B&W, and probably totally satisified with it.

One thing that swayed my decision on a GL2 was 20x zoom.

Jon

Back in Nov '02? Canon XM2 (PAL version of the GL2):

1/- 20 x Zoom

2/- 3 sets of visible Audio Levels + Independant control Lft/Rth knobs

3/- Easy XLR add-on

4/- FEEL!

5/- Cheap enough to give me "budget-headroom" for SenniK6+66 mic, WD58 lens, tripod & bag!

. . shame it wasn't black though! . ..

Grazie

. .. oh yeah got another one as backup and 2 cammie option.

Nathan,

Don't underestimate the Panasonic AG-DVC30 if you don't plan on HDV anytime soon. It's gotten great reviews. I don't own one yet, but I've played with them at trade shows and was pretty impressed. The low light performance and color rendition was quite good, and for me the ergonomics were much to my liking. The zoom is very nice and variable from a crawl to a bullet. It does not have XLR input as it comes, but Panasonic does have an adapter that mounts on the camera. I liked the balance better than the Sony 2100, and it's now at about the price I paid for my single CCD TRV-9 a few years back.

Hey Oratek, thanks for this idea, it never even crossed my mind, but you're right, I could actually take a tape with me then check it out at home even before renting one to try. Great idea!!! Thanks...

Reply by: Orcatek
Date: 5/23/2005 2:14:11 PM

If you can, bring a tape or tapes and record some images and then bring them back to review them.

I was doing more online research about the GL2, because it really does apeal to me, but then I found a couple links to forums DVInfo and CamcorderInfo that spoke about the tape mechanism giving trouble and rejecting tapes for many Canon products. But I downloaded the GL2 manual and like what I'm reading so far.

http://usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11630&ENGINE=GOOGLE

$1,449.00 for HDR FX1 ?
Of course I know nothing about this dealer , but it seems to me that maybe if you held off awhile and searched real good maybe the FX1 could be within your grasp. I'm in no way saying you should buy from above vendor but only using the price as an example.(what will the price be across the board in a couple of months? )
That's exactly what I'm doing is waiting for the right time to jump up into a HD cam.

Good luck
Jon

http://usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11630&ENGINE=GOOGLE

$1,449.00 for HDR FX1 ?
Of course I know nothing about this dealer , but it seems to me that maybe if you held off awhile and searched real good maybe the FX1 could be within your grasp. I'm in no way saying you should buy from above vendor but only using the price as an example.(what will the price be across the board in a couple of months? )
That's exactly what I'm doing is waiting for the right time to jump up into a HD cam.
=============
Or into the fire..............

Strike One: They are located in New York City (Home of the most dishonest vendors in the United States)
Strike Two: The have a horrible resellerrating because they have lived up to the reputation that goes along with their location
Even a simple Google groups search would have revealed their dishonesty.
Of course you could try one of their other aliases.

John

Just got a Panny DVC30. Good looker, good feel, good colour, good lens and pretty impressive in low light. Good little SD performer. Probably the value pick if your not going HDV.

Craftech
<<Or into the fire..............>>
Whatever!!!
You still boycotting Vegas 6?

Jon

Hi Nathan,

I have a TRV22 and a friend of mine has the GL2. I can tell you that the GL2 is fantastic. I see a lot of reviews that say that the GL2 isn't great for low-light conditions, but compared to the TRV22, the GL2 looks great in low-light.

If you're not going to up your budget for an FX1, then I think the GL2 offers the most bang-for-the-buck.

-joe