Which Video Camera To Buy?

Hi, First let me say congratulations on a job well done. You should be really proud of yourself. Now before you spend that hard earned money, make sure you check all available options. Here is what I would recommend. Go to cheapest prices search engine and read the consumer written reviews, they have over a million of them. Then go and check out the price comparisons. You can call toll free or email any merchant and ask if they have a discount for a first time buyer, they do this sometimes to get you to become a customer but you have to ask for it. Next I would see if any of the local stores, like best buy or circuit city can match the price or if they have any specials coming up. You should now be in good shape to make an educated decision on which one will best suite your needs. I wish you good luck and I hope this helps you. Keep on doing what you are doing in life and you will be successful! Sincerely, Lisa

I'm 37 trust Sony

Panasonic DVX100B is my favorite by far. It is reliable and looks amazing. I own one and my company owns three of them. XL2's look more professional because they're bigger, but a DVX is more portable and better for filming events and documentary style projects. XL2's have longer lenses for further zooming, but DVX has a wider lense for shooting in smaller places. DVX has marked focus so you can know exactly how far your focus is just by looking at the # on the LCD screen. XL2 does not. DVX has LCD screen for holding the camera high or low while filming, xl2 does not. DVX is not intuitive, but once you learn it, all the controls are easily accessible during filming and super comprehensive. DVX is smaller and much easier to take around in various places. But XL2 can rest on your shoulder if your arms get tired easily.

Beleive it or not, I was in the EXACT same situation as yourself just last year. After months of researching, I purchased the DVX100a. I couldn't be happier. The DVX has a much, much more "filmic" look to it, and packs a huge punch in a very small camera. The Canon XL-2 is similar, but just bulky. It's made to be a shoulder-mount camera, much more for journalistic types of video. I can't sway you enough towards the Panasonic. You won't regret it.