I'm in the market to buy a full HD camera. I work as a trainee camera operator for a TV production company. I use a Panasonic P2 HPX500.

I'm interested in taking on more freelance work.

The work I aim to produce on this is camera would be web based, exhibition and gallery content and corporate.

My budget is around £4,000 - £5,000, although I have been reading about the Canon XF105 (thoughts?)

My post workflow is in Final Cut Studio 3, using mostly FCP, Motion, Colour, Compressor and DVD Studio Pro.

I have a Canon 7D as a B camera, for the pretty/shallow stuff.

I'm looking at the Vinten Vision Blue sticks too...

Thanks in advance,

Think about fitting some mics, tripod and other accessories on you budget. AFAIK, the XF105 only makes sense if you expect to get another cam later, if not just get the XF100.

BR, Erik

Check out the new panasonic HPX250 it is a full AVC Intra P2 camera in compact form factor.

Gary, I have literally just been reading about this!

Seems like a great product.

Think about fitting some mics, tripod and other accessories on you budget. AFAIK, the XF105 only makes sense if you expect to get another cam later, if not just get the XF100.

BR, Erik

Good advice.

Could you recommend any tripods for the XF100 or Panasonic HPX250 size?

Could you recommend any tripods for the XF100 or Panasonic HPX250 size?

The XF100 is so light that almost any tripod will do. Manfrotto is a good brand and on their page you can see weight and max load of the different tripods. You buy tripod and head separately.

Even if the camera weighs only 1kg, you should get a tripod that suports 6-8kg: First, you have to add the weight of the head, second, a good trick is to stabilize the tripod further hanging your gear bag or some other dead weight on the tripod - there's actually a hook for that on many tripods.

The tripod needs to be more stable for video than for photography, I suppose that's why they use the double tube design for video tripods. I use a regular photo tripod. For height, you need to be able to film in eye height of the subject for head shots. remember that the head adds another 10cm.

As for the head, get a fluid head, the best you can get, the problem with the head is to get smooth pan and tilt. A bad head doesn't start to move smoothly but rather starts with a sudden shift and then goes into smooth motion.

If you do run'n'gun a monopod may be a good idea, weighs less, faster to set up than a tripod. Not as stable but allows a smother or faster movement and much more freedom. I discovered I needed a monopod when I tried to track monkeys in the canopy in Costa Rica, and later took a long hike with my tripod.

However, no need to get everything now, as you explore and learn you will discover things you need rather than stock up stuff you don't.

BR, Erik