Consumer Camera: Best quality, no matter which format.

Hi all,

I want to buy a video set up ... and i dont want to buy a equipment, that does not meet certain standards.

i've been reading a lot in this forum about a year ago, before i went working for a year in maldives. That time i could not make a decision and just kept on doing photography for a year. now i'm back in europe for a month or two and definetly want to buy this time ... i've been reading a lot but still i want to open a new thread: so sorry for any double/stupid/beginner questions.

1. First of all i want to spend something about 5000$ ... if there are good reasons, i can also spend 1000 or 2000 more. but of course not more than necessary.

2. I work as an instructor and have lots of opportunities to use my gear: so it will not be a little toy for 3-4 weeks a year, but something i am gonne use every second or third day. so a certain quality is a must.

i've been videoing before. never seriously, but about 20 dives with cameras , so i now i want to keep doing it.

3. The main point is the camera: At the moment there is only HD cameras coming up ... i mean in the upper consumer class. Do i have a choice? Is there no good 3chip option? As i look at it now: there are the HC1 and HC3, thats it. They have the new format, but i read a lot of low-light problems and things. anything better is too expensive if you think about housing, lights and lenses that come on top. How abot the quality of these conumer HDs when using them downgraded to DV? are they better than a normal DV or a normal DV 3chip lice the pc1000? this is my main question. Because at the moment i own a 3 year old Ibook Laptop, which is definetly not an option for HD ... so at first im gonna be using DV: and there i need good quality. what you recommend me there? I know only the sony range ... is there maybe something else?

i just dont want to buy something, where the manufacturers concentrated only on the HD and a little bit less on the rest ...

so. long speech. i hope someone got my problem: i want to find a good picture quality while using DV: shell i go anyway for a HC1/HC3 or is there something better for me. >> and it should be something Gates, Amphibico or L&M offer a housing for.

thanks for some help.

serge

well.... if you can wait on the housing i would suggest the new FX7 offering from Sony, but not sure when the housings will come out. All the major manufacturers should be making a housing for it. There is a thread about that offering here:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15081

Ronrosa has bought the camera and seems to like it but obviously has not taken it underwater yet....

I would suggest you get the camera and then wait a few months for the housing, i think you will be very happy with it over the HC series.

What Mike said.

Only a short time before housings will start to appear for latest offerings from Sony - well worth waiting for in my view.

Thanks alot. nice cam. very nice. but expensive. and i guess housings will be as well.

i think i just go for the HC1. unfortunatly Gates does not produce the housing anymore ...

Also consider the Canon HV10. Fewer manual controls but the picture quality is excellent. There are a few housings coming for it including the budget Ikelite and Seatools.