Which Digital Video Camera Should You Buy?

As a former instructor in television and video production and still employed in the field, I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked advice on, "Which brand of video camera should I buy", or, "what video editing software should I get?" In this installment, I will try to answer the first question. I will get to the second question in another segment. To get a better idea of how a camera actually works, I recommend reading my article How a Camera Works:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/606541/careers_in_television_and_video_production.html

In any case, what should you buy? Well, I could list a bunch of different camera brands and models, or tell you what my favorite camera is, but by now, you have heard a thousand suggestions for your question. Besides, next year's model will have even more features than the one you buy this year. Here is my advice. This is what I do when spending my hard earned cash for anything, especially if it is electronic. First off, find one to three cameras that you are interested in, and research them. Do not look up the manufacturer's opinion of the model. You know what that will be. Research the web message boards about the camera. Read how one compares to the other by people who actually own them or have used them. Read about their opinions on camera functionality, sturdiness and reliability. Also, do not just ask questions already answered in past posts, it irritates some people. Put in a little effort on your part and search through the archived posts. It is just being considerate of others who are providing the information.