I would go for the XH A1.
I own an XL1s and I think it's a terrific camera, but an XHA1 should be able to give you a better picture then an XL2, and you have as much manual control as you have on an XL camera, it's only different, the ergonomics are different.

I love the controls on an XL camera, everything has its own button, but the XH A1 is just a tooo good bang for the buck.
You can shoot SD now and later you don't have to upgrade to a new HDV camera.

Hopefully I can get it next year if I get enough money.

Hi Mel,

If you want to keep your GS180, why not either buy a shoulder mount unit to mount it on, or build one yourself ??

I've made my own shoulder mount unit to use with any of my 4 small Sony D8/MiniDV Cams.

The Mono-Pod mentioned, in my experience, will work for some applications, but the shoulder-mount is better suited for others.

Eirvin, I've still got one of the Panasonic S-VHS Shoulder Cam units that still works like new, at age 18 yrs.

Harold

my 2cents please...........

After all my reading, searching and questions I have come to the conclusion that..............BUY WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD!

I think someone here told me that too!lol

It's hard to know what you can afford, even if you have an exact figure on your bank statement. There are always so many accessories that can make a difference that it can be hard to know how much of your budget should be the camera. If you already have a good set of sticks and you have enough left over for a good case and at least one extra big battery, you can probably blow the rest of your budget on the camera. Of course, there are filters and lighting to think about, but that's a different story.

The great thing about even a low-end professional camera is that it retains some value. I doubt an XL2 will have quite the same resale value in five years as the XH-A1. It's already an older model and SD will start to fade some day.

"Hopefully I can get it next year if I get enough money."

In that case, I think you might want to listen to Chris Hurd and get a nice little consumer camera now so you can at least start shooting something. By next year, the XH-A1 may not be the best option so it is premature to be making a decision now.

I'm going to get it around February 2008. But I already have an Optura Xi, I just am going to get a lot better camera that I can keep for four years and then upgrade again before I go to college.

Based on this review:

http://www.videomaker.com/article/10057/

I'd say that the Optura Xi is already a perfect camcorder for cutting your teeth on.....(save the loading from the bottom bit).

It's hard to say right now what's going to be a good choice in Feb. 2008 -- a lot can happen between now and then. The Optura Xi is an excellent little camcorder and it should serve very well for you between now and then. No real need to change in my opinion, and you can wait until Dec. before thinking hard about a Feb. purchase. It's way too soon right now. Shoot with what you've got -- it's not holding you back from making great images today.

Yet another question on which camera
 

Hello.

Hoping for some help with camera recommendations.

Purpose: Film a documentary for mass distribution on DVD. Shots are mostly outdoor interviews w/ about 15%-20% of athletic motion.

Would like recommendations on 2 price ranges.
1) less than $2500
2) $2500 - $4000

Essentially I am looking for an idea of if this can be done well with a lower priced camera and if so, which one. Sound quality is also a major concern.

Thanks for any help & advice.

One important question is whether you want to shoot in 4:3 or 16:9...

1) Sony PD-170 for 4:3
2) Sony V1 (slightly over budget) or Canon A1 for 16:9

1 had better low-light capabilities, 2 is HDV, but can be down converted to SD for DVD purposes.

Have a look also at the Sony HDR-FX7

Thanks for the help so far.

As for 4:3 vs 16:9, that does not make that much of a difference in this purchase.

I prefer 16:9 but 4:3 could work for this project and the majority of my projects.

My biggest concerns would be picture & audio quality. I'm sure those are everyone's main conerns though! :)

what framerate do you want to shoot? Since your distribution is in SD, you may consider getting an SD camera, even if it's "service life" may seem shorter than an HD camera. Truth is, the current HD cameras will be quite obsolete by the time people start moving to Hd-DVD or Bluray en masse.

For outdoor interviews and action? Why not try a DVX-100? You can pick them up used VERY reasonably and still have plenty of cash for additional sound equipment/a decent tripod. Small, light, battery efficient, very usable audio, easy manual operation, flexible framerates. The other thing to consider too would be a used XL-1s or XL-2 with the Canon manual lens. People are whosale dumping SD gear right now, so you can certainly find some great deals on equipment that will knock your socks off for your purposes. If you're doing 60i, you may even be able to find a betacam or DVCAM with lens for less than a prosumer HDV camera.

Remember that your final product is DVD, and while it could be argued all day long the merits of shooting HD and downconverting, the workflow of SD for SD delivery is easy and proven in all current NLE's.

Yet another question on which camera
 

I like Jaron’s thinking about staying SD. I’m planning to make straight to video movies. As I prepare to purchase a camera (I’ve been in love the XL2 for years), I keep asking myself why shoot HD? Yeah, it sounds cool, looks great and sounds impressive to announce at parties but do I really need to be shooting HD?

My current Mac (with FCP) is geared for SD. It can handle SD with no problems. With HD I’ll probably have to upgrade my computer even further (more RAM, bigger hard drives, maybe even a new graphics card). If I stay with SD, I can use all that extra money to buy more lights, a better tripod and a better boom mic and so on. And while everyone is rushing to HD, keep in mind, many impressive projects have been shot in SD. Most of the time, it’s not the tool but the talent. I can have the world’s most high tech camera and Steven Spielberg will take an 8mm camera and still make a better movie than me.

So again, as I prepare to buy my first camera, I keep asking myself why shoot HD or even bother with an HD camera? Lord knows my target audience (urban America) don’t have HD televisions or HD players and won't for years to come.

So why should I shoot HD?????