Newbie buying a camcorder - analog or digital?

[shunpyo]

Hello Everyone! I have just joined ClubSnap as a new member, please bear with me as I fumble around with the little details.

I have been shooting 35mm film for some time, and I want to try my hand out at videography. I understand that analog camcorders are definitely more fiddly, but I do enjoy the grainy, washed-out effect that the 8mm tapes provide. I am also open to using digital camcorders, but I can't decide which model + brand to start off with? I foresee myself sticking with this for an extended period of time, so I do want to get a decent camcorder that can last me some time. Apparently, Sony and Panasonic are tops in the camcorder market?


I will super duper appreciate your help :'-( Very headache-inducing is my search for the perfect camcorder, all relevant advice and comments welcome.

Thank you all

:- ))

 

[Bamboopictures]

Welcome to Clubsnap! It will be rather difficult to find a new analog camcorder these days. Factories have stopped making Hi 8 tapes for a over a decade and even HDV tapes are now end-of-life. But if you are transitioning from 35mm film, these are exciting times!
How about a camera that shoots 4K with 12 stops of dynamic range and gives you beautiful footage up to ISO 50,000?

When push comes to shove, the Sony A7s mark II sits at the pinnacle of price/performance all-roundedness, feature set and bang-for-buck.

If you do not care for 4K, the older Sony A7s will save you a handsome bundle.

The low light performance of these two cameras are legendary, and will remain unmatched at their price point for some time.

If you have a collection of 35mm lenses, you lose nothing by way of crop factor with the A7s. There is an adapter for any make of lens.

The joy of shooting with an almost infinite well of ISO power, is the freedom to use slower, smaller zooms without giving away much in terms of IQ.

With so much praise heaped upon the lowlight miracle of the A7s's, you might be forgiven to think of them as one trick ponies. But I assure you they come with all the bells and whistles that will satisfy the most picky professionals.
XLR expandability, 5 axis IBIS, eye-detect autofocus, headphone port are but some of the features that make using them such a joy.

Almost perfect the A7s's might be, the full-frame format may not be for everybody. You do pay a penalty by way of lens heft, shallower DOF, zoom range, and of course, price. AF is not as snappy as their APS-C brethren.

If you want a smaller sensor camera that still ticks all the boxes, the Lumix FZ2500 super16mm is the king of the hill for now.
With full-articulating touchscreen, 4K recording, V-log, mic and headphone ports, unlimited recording time, built in ND, this is a camera that is hard to fault. The 25-400mm built in zoom lens will make you bloody lazy in no time. Certainly, the tool of choice for someone looking for peace-of-mind. At just SGD1300, it is also a steal.

No camera is perfect but the A7s II and FZ2500 come really close in their category. Other notable contenders:

Super35 sensors:
Sony A6500: 4K, S-log2, IBIS, touchscreen AF,Multi-Interface Shoe
Canon EOS 80D: Killer Dual Pixel Auto Focus via a fully articulating touchscreen; Audio IO ports, no IBIS and no EVF though
Canon EOS M5: Almost an 80D – but half the size, comes with EVF and 5 axis IBIS, no headphone ports, though

M43 sensors:
GH4 and GH5

PS: The perfect video camera may be just around the corner in the form of an A7s mark 3 or an RX10 mark 4 (if they sport touchscreen Phase Detect AF)

PPS: If you are a hardcore film aficionado, just get the Fujifilm XT-2 and relive the splendour of your favorite Fuji film stock. Truly breath-taking!
[video=youtube;pJU0GkP3BNk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJU0GkP3BNk[/video]