What camera should I get for making movies at home?

well first you need to know what your budget for both the camera and computer is.....then u need to learn about the different video formats....their is a lot to learn about video cameras so take it a step at a time....take ur time to research wat you need and want...there is a camcorder guide at bestbuy.com but its not that indepth....search on google for camcorder buying guide and then join a forum where you can meet other "directors" and learn more about filming and then once you know most of the basic stuff set out to get a computer depending on your needs (not too good at computers) and then find a good camcorder and after your used to ur camera you should try editing with some basic programs such as final cut and windows movie maker which are included i think....if you want you can buy more advanced programs such as adobe premiere elements but make sure you know what system the software runs on...there are good programs for macs and pcs

Well, you can go down two roads. If you have a lot of money, you can go for a professional camcorder. These are reliable, have GREAT picture quality, good low light performance and color reproduction, and they have all the manual controls you need to improve your video. They range anywhere from $2,000 all the way to $10,000 and beyond. Very expensive stuff. Now if you still want good quality, but lower prices, and you are willing to sacrifice some features, then you should go for a high end consumer camera. The good ones have 3 ccd's for better color quality. They range anywhere from $500 to $1,000. If you were going on the professional side (perhaps your videos would be broadcasted on TV, distributed on DVD, or if you do other proffesional work), I would recommend the Sony DSR-PD170. It is a good camera with all of the specs that are standard on most pro cameras, but it also has XLR microphone inputs so you can have good sound quality with external microphones. New, they run about $2,500. You might be able to find one on eBay for around $1,800, though. Buying a consumer camcorder is a lot cheaper, and you can find some really high quality cameras. For consumer cameras, I would recommend the Panasonic PV-GS400 or the PV-GS500. The GS400's are expensive ($1,200 on eBay) and hard to find, but they have really good picture quality, they have zoom rings and focus rings, and a load of manual controls. The GS500 is pretty much the same thing (the video quality is actually a tad better), but besides the focus ring, it lacks some external manual control (it is mostly through menu). The PV-GS500 runs at about $700 (I actually just got this camera because of its 3 ccd's, microphone input, focus ring, and manual controls). These cameras do great on their own, but with accessories like an external microphone, good lights, and filters and other on camera accessories, your videos will be looking pretty good. As for software, I recommend Final Cut Pro or Sony Vegas on the expensive end (you can find it anywhere from $300 - $700), and something like Adobe Premiere Elements on the cheaper end ($100, I think). In my case, I have a Panasonic PV-GS500 as well few other accessories like a UV filter, tripod, lavalier microphone, and shotgun microphone. I use Arcsoft Showbiz, which came free with my HP Media Center PC, to edit my videos. In all, I only spent $850 for my setup. So, to sum it up, if you want to spend some money and go pro, I would take a look at the Sony DSR-PD170 ($2,500). If you are more on a budget, you should go for the Panasonic PV-GS500 ($700). You can find loads of information on these sites: http://www.camcorderinfo.com - Probably the best camcorder site ever, all the information you need about any camcorder is here http://www.pana3ccduser.com - message boards with a lot of info reguarding 3ccd panasonic camcorders, as well as others http://reviews.cnet.com/Camcorders/2001-6500_7-0.html - like camcorderinfo, has a lot of camcorder reviews and videos http://www.videomaker.com/ - website dedicated to digital video in general, you can find a lot of information here. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ - video sales. Lots of selection, not always the best price, but they have great customer service, and you can almost never go wrong with them. After you get your equipment, you should learn the basics of DV and how to become a better videographer. Just by searching around on google, you can find so many tips and tricks that make your videos look a lot better. Hope that helps, and good luck with videoing!

A VIDEO camera!!!

If you want to invest in something and you have the money I would recommend the Panasonic HVX 200. It will cost you about $7000, but it shoots true HD which you'll want to be shooting in a couple of years, but it also shoots SD onto miniDV tapes, which you'll want to learn on. It won't matter if you edit on a mac or PC. I would recommend a PC because it's easier to pirate software for PC than mac. Or you can go Linux and get Ubuntu Studios which is completely free. Or you can use Avid Free DV. Avids a name you'll become familiar with if you become an editor. I would say that your best bet is to also visit sites like Indieclub.com and meetup.com and find people in your area that make short movies as well. Team up with them and you'll learn a lot from working with others. Plus it's a great way to find someone to do the sound, editing, and actors. Good luck.