Canon XL1s or Panasonic dvx100a?

[Hank Parker]

I'm a relatively inexperienced filmmaker. I've done only one five-minute film for a five week film program at the north carolina school of the arts. We used a panasonic-dvx100a there, and now I'm looking to buy my own camera. I can't decide, though, whether I should get the canon xl1s or the panasonic. The canon is cheaper, and has interchangable lenses. The panasonic, though, has 24p, which makes a huge difference. If I want to shoot a 10 minute film with only a very short low-light scene (which will be lit with a 500 watt CTB gelled light to simulate moonlight), which camera would be better, keeping budget in mind? I have a year and a half until I go to film school for undergrad, and I'm looking for a camera that will get my through that time.

 

Thanks a lot for any of your input.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Personally I'd go for the Panasonic, if only because of the more advanced image processing options; the removable lens on the XL series is only interesting to me on the basis that you'd replace it with the 14x manual lens, and I've always argued that if you want to go there, you should be looking at a JVC GY-DV5000 or Panasonic DVC-200 anyway.

 

If you were to think about an XL2, that's a slightly different proposition since the widescreen is much better and you don't lose the 24p.

 

Phil