Q&A: What camcorder would be good for beginners and short films?

Camcorder

Panasonic AG HPX171E Camcorder for Hire

Image by AV Hire London
Rent Panasonic AG HPX171E Camcorder from £0.0000 per day or £0.0000 per week.

Compact, Lightweight HD/SD Camera-Recorder
The AG-HPX171 debuts as the lightest member of the P2 Series of camcorders that have revolutionized news gathering and video production. Thanks to an exclusive, P2 card recording design, the new model weighs in at only 1.9 kg, assuring exceptional mobility. The AG-HPX171 also introduces a newly designed camera section that features a 28mm wide-angle zoom lens — widest in the class — plus a newly developed 1/3-inch 16:9 progressive CCD that provides low-noise, low-smear performance. These high-end features combine with use of the DV CPRO HD codec, with its proven track record in broadcasting, to provide exceptional HD recording quality.
Features

Weighs only 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg) and has a compact handheld size.
13x zoom lens with 28mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle setting, 72mm diameter and cam-driven manual zoom.
Newly developed 1/3” 16:9 progressive CCD for high image quality and sensitivity.
Eleven-step frame rate selection in 720p mode for variable-speed shooting in the 12 fps to 60 fps range.
Selectable gamma including Cinelike mode.
Broadcast quality DVCPRO HD recording in 1080/720 HD multi-format.
Two P2 card slots allow up to 64 minutes of continuous HD recording when using 32GB P2 cards.
Hot swap rec, loop rec, pre-rec, one-shot rec, and interval rec functions.
SD (480i) multi-codec recording in DVCPRO 50/DVCPRO/DV, with 16:9/4:3 aspect ratios.
Standard-equipped HD/SD-SDI output terminal.
XLR 2-channel audio inputs with 48V power.
IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 terminals for PC interface.

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What camcorder would be good for beginners and short films?

I’m looking for a camcorder that would be a good starter kind of thing. I want to be a director when i grow up, so I just want a good camcorder to practice with. I need a camcorder that has good altitude and depth. I just want something that would look legit, not some crappy version that makes the video look like it was filmed in the 80’s. Please help. The highest I can go with the price is $ 300. Thanks guys.

camcorder best answer:

Answer by Holden
I have a Flip mini HD. The video quality is great, and the sound is above average I’d say.

This video I posted in the web source section was made with my Flip camcorder.

It was a school project. There were no extra mics or anything so everything you see and hear are from the camera.
I recommend the Flip, but I would only get the HD version. They might be cheaper than what you are looking for though. An 8gb Mini HD will only run you about $ 140