need dawn & dusk nature camera

[deerhunt44]

I’ve been creeping on this site, trying to get an idea of what camera to buy. I am an art teacher by day, but I basically work for free at night. Get your minds out of the gutter. I create anniversary slide shows, compile wedding video and pics to dvd, video and make deer hunt dvd’s, etc. EVERYTHING is free for family and friends. Some day way down the road, I would like to be a stay at home mom…possible documentary…I have lots of ideas about this generation who is raising themselves. This camera could become part of a stay at home mommy business. Or, it could continue to be my hobby with the best home video productions in the neighborhood.

I would say that low light performance and zoom are my two most important considerations since I will be filming a lot of dawn and dusk hunts out in the woods. I really don’t think that I will be lighting the woods! I underlined reasons why each camera is being considered:

VX2100- 1/3” CCD as opposed to ¼” in the other cameras, best in low light (1 lux), not so good with the 12X zoom

DVC-30- ¼”CCD, good in low light (4 lux), middle zoom with 16X with middle price

GL2- 1’4” CCD, ?? low light (6 lux), best zoom with 20X

Or, should I go lower end with

GS400 off of ebay- 1’4” CCD, low light (5 lux), 12x zoom, Cheaper
-Why is this so much cheaper? All I had before was Canon ZR65 which had the 20x zoom, not sure about CCD (probably 1). Would there be a big difference?

THEN, I found DVXusers.com…Should I buy a DVX100 used off of this site? How is it for low light situations? Zoom? Good? If so, a or b? I’ve got the money to do whatever, I just wanted to get the best bang for my buck, while taking into consideration that this camera may just continue to be a hobby getting hired out by family and friends from time to time. I was pretty impressed with the stricken footage by the DVX.

I am not sure what 24p looks like. Would you use it sitting in a tree stand, filming a deer walking around? Anyone have a good camera for me?

 

[Bus No. 8]

The DVX is lovely camera, but it's not so hot with low light, especially when you apply the 24p setting. 24p provides more of a cinematic quality because it shoots at 24 frames per second, like film. Whether that would be desirable for your purposes, I don't know. It's an aesthetic decision more than anything. If zooming in on doomed deer, nervous brides and the Lord of the Flies from a great distance is important, you might want to look for a camera that allows for interchangeable lenses, like the Canon.