Best cameras for a college department

[konton]

I was hoping to get a recommendation from those here for cameras to be used by students. I recently moved to Vietnam and am now teaching in the multimedia design department at one of the only colleges that have international degrees. Every semester our department expands a little more. However at this time we only have two video cameras for the students to use, and that is not nearly enough.

The head of the department recently asked me to help decide on the next camera the school should buy. I have been pushing the DVX100, but the fact of the matter is that it is much more than the school wants to pay. Hell, I'd get 6 or 10 of them for the students if I could, but they just don't have the budget. And frankly as much as i would like, the students don't need 24p. However they do need a large enough lens to give them some depth of field and some manual controls to learn about the iris and shutter speeds and proper focusing.

Anyone got some suggestions for me? Or maybe a number at Panasonic I could call to try to convince them to help me get some DVX100's into my school?

 

[bilgami]

call panny and tell them your situation maybe you can work something. do they have to be brand new maybe you can find some dvx's on ebay or maybe even some dvc30 or 80's. by the way is that you on your lil icon pic and what are you using to hold your cam?

 

[konton]

Sorry for the late response there. It's busy here in Vietnam. Got final papers to grade. Sorry to say buying cameras out here for a college is not as easy in the states. No deals. Anyway thanks for the suggestions. I have a magiqcam IIa in the pic, but I traded up to a Steadicam Flyer. Sorry to say it's still in my closet in America.