Thanks for the responses!
I'm really surprised at them. I thought DSLRs were what everyone was getting. I had purchased a Canon XF100 HD camcorder that shoots in 4K. Then after finding out it was made in 2011, it was clunky, and that nobody uses DSLRs that I know, I decided to return it. It was $2,000 also and that seemed expensive.
I CAN spend a little more but I thought I could get away with less. This would be my first doc - you never know how something will turn out so I hate to risk a ton of money up front.
But now I'm thinking about going for a camcorder again. I didn't think about the battery life as being a major issue but I guess it is and I've been an actor on sets where the battery runs out and it is frustrating, especially in freezing weather.