Professional Video camera for a beginner freelancer
 

Hi, I'm looking to a good video camera for freelance (beginer) shooting. The Sony PMW-EX1r is quite tempting with his light sensibility (3x1/2 CMOS sensor) and versatility, but I can't really afford it. The Higher I could go is CAD$ 4000, unfortunately. The Sony HXR-NX5U NXCAM is quite tempting, but there is some issues with the timecode that can't be set correctly, the video transfer that have to go through a special made software so there is no jump cuts between the video files (automaticaly separated at 2 GB each files) and also the light sensibility of the iris that is quite lacking (especially in low light places like a theater when you've be hired to shoot a dance show). I also prefer something with memory cards so I can travel light instead of carying mini DV cassettes.

So, what would you recommand ?

Generally speaking, a "professional" camera has interchangeable lenses.

There's also a tradeoff between price and low-light quality. The better the light performance, the more expensive the lens and CMOS/CCD chipset.

I've never found a professional video camera for less than $5k, and most of what I like is $10k+ up into the $20k range. These days, most of what I shoot is done from Nikon DSLRs, for short-term bursts. Eventually, I want to upgrade, but it's unclear if I'll ever be able to afford one of the truly nice professional cameras. I don't shoot video for a living -- that's one of the few video aspects I reserve purely for fun and hobby.

The Sony HXR-NX5U NXCAM is from Q1 2009, almost 3.5 years ago. For HD video cameras, that's a bit old.

Cameras like these are more like advanced camcorders, similar to how a $500-1000 DSLR is an upgrade for a point-and-shoot. Nice serious hobby cameras, but you'll end up in a bind for professional work use, as it's sure to disappoint under several common lighting situations.

I read about some Canon cameras that came out in late 2001 and/or early 2012, but don't recall the models offhand. I pulled the articles, but they're in a big box of unsorted research materials. (I'll be sorting them in July sometime.)