Consumer camera used for semi-pro filming?

jar2

Honorable
Oct 28, 2013
3
0
10,510
Hey everyone
I'm a student who's looking at shooting music videos for some of my friends and helping them with youtube channels and things like that. I already have quite a bit of experience with programs such as Premiere and After Effects, so I know how to properly edit footage and stuff. What I was wondering though, is if it was possible to get a camcorder for around AUD$300-400 that has things like hotshoe, mic input, headphone input and of course, shoots great footage which can be used for color correction to. I already have D3100, but I'm just not liking the quality of the video that is coming out of it and right now, I don't have enough money for something like the Canon XA20. As I said before, my preferred budget is AUD$300-400, but I would be willing to spend around $500 if it was a considerable upgrade.
Alternatively, if anybody has any other suggestions, that would be great!
Thanks
 
Solution
Comparisons:
550D vs. 600D:
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon_EOS_550D
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon_EOS_550D/specs
http://versus.com/en/canon-eos-550d-vs-canon-eos-600d

600D vs. 700D:
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon-EOS-700D
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon-EOS-700D/specs
http://versus.com/en/canon-eos-600d-vs-canon-eos-700d

Whatever you pick you may want to look into Magic Lantern. It opens options not available with the factory firmware. As always, you should research it first. I have a T4i and have Magic Lantern installed on two flash cards.
Canon 32GB VIXIA HF R52 Full HD Camcorder might be an option though it lacks a hotshoe it does have mic and headphone inputs. You can get an adapter such as the Vello CB-510 Dual Shoe Bracket with Silicon Rubber Grip to mount cold shoe accessories.
 


I see no reason that it wouldn't be a good choice for the money. One advantage is the interchangeable lenses. To me this is a huge plus. It also has a mic input but no headphone jack (if that is critical). If you have the extra money you may want to consider a good prime lens (probably be able to find a good used one at a reasonable price).
 

jar2

Honorable
Oct 28, 2013
3
0
10,510


Yeah I was thinking of either getting a cheap 50mm, or an adapter for my Nikon lenses. I was also considering finding a cheap 600D or 700D if I could ad if they were worth the extra money. So far I've found the 600D for $450 and the 700D for $475 with a rebate. But I can't decide which is better
 
Comparisons:
550D vs. 600D:
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon_EOS_550D
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon_EOS_550D/specs
http://versus.com/en/canon-eos-550d-vs-canon-eos-600d

600D vs. 700D:
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon-EOS-700D
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Canon-EOS-700D/specs
http://versus.com/en/canon-eos-600d-vs-canon-eos-700d

Whatever you pick you may want to look into Magic Lantern. It opens options not available with the factory firmware. As always, you should research it first. I have a T4i and have Magic Lantern installed on two flash cards.
 
Solution