Camcorders

[Jim Colman]

Blackjack,
Tom Well's advice is right on. One of the smaller cameras that uses Mini-DV (Digital Video) tape will give you terrific footage. Personally, I like a camera that doesn't have a whole lot of automatic features...because I turn them off anyway, but that's just me. You might look for a camera, like the Sony DXL1000 that features an image stabilizing system that helps smooth out camera shake and vibration. I used this camera several years ago to film the in car scenes in "Bitten by the Snake".

There are plenty of cameras on the market nowdays to choose from. Find the one that feels comfortable to you and doesn't have a whole lot of features that you probably won't use anyway.

As for low light... most cameras today can deliver acceptable images in fairly low light, however if you're looking to film the remains of your house and it's a one time thing, then you can rent portable lights from video rental or production companies that run off of battries. This will save you a bunch of money and the lights will usually be better than what you could buy at Circuit city.

Cheers
Jim