Looking for a good quality HD camera with lots of customizeable settings

[johndud]

I need a camera to make short films, but I was thinking of a scene I want to do and I don't feel I could do the scene as well as I want to if I can't customize the speed at which I can zoom in our out.

I would need to be able to zoom out and still have clear picture and no frame adjusting or focusing like some old cameras do. Thank you in advance.

PS: first time camera buyer

 

[kenrivers]

What kind of budget to you have (max. you are willing to spend)? To get the most manual options you are probably going to have to look in the pro range and not the consumer range. For keeping focus as you zoom you will want a camera with a manual zoom. It helps to zoom in and focus on the furthest object in view (or the subject you are shooting) and then manually set your focus. This way when you zoom out and back in the focus remains clear without the need to constantly adjust focus. Of course what I just mentioned depends on the quality of the lense as well.