Anyone have any ideas about what the least one could expect to pay for a Mini-DV camcorder that would give at least marginally professional image quality? Price range? Most reliable brands? Any good luck with used Mini-DV camcorders? Thanks.
some of the newer range of Panasonic have broken the price barrier of three CCD camcorder bringing then into the consumer price point of sub $1000 something of a world fisrt! To produce broadcast spec you need a comcorder that produces around 800 TV line resolution, and also has to be withing legal broadcast color, amonst other thing. however the miniDV format has a maximum limit of 540 Line resolution and in reality, very very few camcorders dont even come near this resolution. If you want to broadcast using minDV then you should be looking at camcorders like DVX100 or the new DVX100A This is arugubally the bet camcoder in its class and technically it a prosumer i.e its neither consumer nor professional as it sits between. also SONY DSR-PD150 (alway used by big broadcasters like BBC, CCN and other major network) however this is not really a miniDV format it i called DVCAM a broadcat format. Other camcorders include Canon XL1 or XLS Or the cheaper version (conumer version) of DSR-PD150 is the sony VX100 (its old) or the newer VX2000 or even newer still the Sony VX2100. Camcorders have many factors, and which one you use will depend on your requirement, and you will have to weigh all the different factors to come to a comprimise as no camcorder will give you everything you want Hope thi helps!! -----Anhar Miah
