Hey dudes, new here! Live in Chicago.

So, I'm going to be filming bands, basement shows. Some low-light. Some not.

Budget of about $3,000, maybe more.

So, I leaned towards a higher-end Canon Vixia, one that's decent in low-light...a good external mic, and a 7d (that I could also use the mic with)

This would let me do 2 camera shoots and such, with the 7d still being decent in low-light.

I also have a tascam field recorder.

However, now that MarkII is calling my name. Given it's full-frame, and better low-light...i'm having a really tough time deciding.

i want to take photos, as well.

i've used 7d's for a while, and while great, i find zooming and such to be kind of clunky.

having the easy zoom quick focus hd vixia cam AND photo aspects of the 7d as well would be nice.

a 5dmkii however could be two greats in one, but....i feel like i'll miss the video only of that vixia.

i'd love to do some high end work, and portraits, but i'm thinking i'll need the 7d for fast shooting at shows more often.

Do I go for 'good' 2 cam setup and get a full on good hd vid cam + 7d (which could act as a great still cam, and good video cam)

or just throw some extra $$money$$ in and blow out a great 5d mkii and use solely that?

Any other suggestions?

An inexpensive video recorder and a DSLR makes sense. Use the video recorder as your master. Use the DSLR for the up close details. Otherwise, you get a single tripod shot. Ho hum. And if you don't have a video camera for your master, the DSLR footage will probably have holes or bad patches.

Regarding audio, consider recording into a laptop or PC with an add-on soundcard. Get a feed from the board as well as a feed from a mic or two. Mix to taste to get the right balance of canned and live sound.

Beware the ultra wide angle shot - I recently saw an example where a photog was getting into band video and I got dizzy watching the pans on ultra wide angle shots. Some things are different with video.

Agreed. Not going to over-do wide angle.

Leaning toward the two.

I can always invest in glass for the 7d anyway.

Definitely wouldn't go with a Canon DSLR as your only camera, what with their overheating issues and all.

Is there a reason you're thinking 7D instead of 60D or T3i? The flip-out LCD's are very nice for getting those high and low-angle shots.

To further complicate your search, you could consider a pair of GH2s. They're not as good as the Canon DSLRs in low light, but fare better than the VIXIAs, don't have the overheat issues, and can shoot for about two hours straight if need be (limited by the duration of a stock fully-charged battery). Both can work from a shared set of lenses. Two bodies plus a Lumix 20/1.7, Olympus 14-54/2.8-3.5 plus adapter, spare batteries and cards should get you in under budget