The Best Camera for a Filmmaker on a Budget – The Canon HV40 and HFS30 Cameras

Welcome BACK to the DOJO!

Due to health issues, way too much work and my daughter being born, I’ve been just a bit absent from this site for the past two years! Gah…it’s insane that I’ve been gone for that long. Even more insane that during that “hiatus” MovieMaker magazine named the site one of the Top 50 Blogs for Filmmakers earlier this year. Of course, I’m not sure what it says more: that the Film Sensei is a pretty darn good resource for indy and guerrilla filmmakers or that there are just a lot of really bad film blogs out there. Either way, I was pleased to get word.

For my first post back I want to address the question I get asked more than any other here at the Dojo: What is the “best” camera for an indy / guerrilla filmmaker?

The pat (and, actually, incredibly accurate) answer I like to give is: whatever camera you can get!

The funny thing is, a lot of indy guys don’t realize the truth behind that statement. I am constantly talking to guys on message boards who want to be filmmakers but haven’t actually gotten around to shooting anything because they are in “research” mode. For a ton of guys, research mode becomes their focus instead of filmmaking itself. They spend weeks, months, even years researching, learning and comparing the specs of every camera out there, constantly updating the information as new pieces are released, constantly putting off investing in their filmmaking because the next new camera has been announced – the one they are convinced will give them the perfect results – but they just have to wait another few months for it to come out.

It’s all crap.

Here’s a fact: there is no such thing as a perfect camera, especially when you’re working on an indy or guerrilla filmmaker’s budget. There are positives and negatives about every single piece of equipment out there. The key is learning how to use the instruments you have and in learning how to make them play jazz the way you want them to.

My advice is this: go out and shoot your film with whatever camera you’ve got or whatever you can get access to. That should be where you start. Learn to light for whatever medium you’re shooting in (be it film or digital) because the most expensive camera in the world is still going to give you crappy results if the footage isn’t set up correctly. On the flip side, someone who knows what they’re doing can work wonders with some of the lowest end cameras. It all goes back to that old saying “trash in, trash out.”

Yeah, yeah. I know you didn’t come here to have me tell you to just go out and start shooting with whatever camera you had access to. You want my thoughts on what the best budget camera for indy and guerrilla filmmaking is.

So, here we go:

The Best Camera for a Filmmaker on a Budget – The Canon HV40 and HFS30 Cameras

The CANON HV40: One of the absolute best low cost video cameras out there is the Canon HV40. The HV40 is the last in the line of badass budget HDV cameras that Canon started years ago with the legendary Canon HV20. The HV40 is essentially the same camera (and takes all of the same amazing upgrades and add-ons) with one major bonus: native 24p.

The Canon HV40 is simply fantastic for the money (easy to find for under $800 new) and can take some great footage, especially now that it can shoot 24p footage without the hassle of the older HV20/HV30 cameras. The other upside, as I mentioned, is the fact that it has an incredibly active user-base and some incredibly sick after-market upgrade add-ons.

The reason I recommend this camera so highly is because it is perfect for a filmmaker on a budget. You can buy the core of your new camera package – the Canon HV40 itself – and then slowly build it up to something that rivals higher priced cameras over weeks or months. The modular aspect of this particular camera and its add-ons/upgrades is the reason it is so desirable. If you want a Canon XHA1, you have to pay for it all at once. With something like the Canon HV40, you can upgrade to something very similar, one piece at a time, as you need it or as you have the funds.

Sure, if money is no option, I’d always go with the best camera your money can buy. But, if you’ve got limited funds and are working on a budget, start with an amazing base system for your camera package and pick up the Canon HV40.

THE CANON HFS30: Now, if you’re not really interested in shooting HDV or on tape, Canon has a very similar offering for solid-state cameras with the Canon HF S30 for under $900 new. It’s essentially the same camera as the HV40, except it has an internal 32GB flash drive and slots for 2 SD memory cards. It also comes with native 24p and a solid Canon lens. You can also use a lot of the same modifications and add-ons from the HV40, which gives the Canon HF S30 a ton of options and expandability.

If you’re on a tight budget, but still want a camera that will grow with your needs, then check out the Canon HV40 and Canon HF S30, they’re worth taking a look at.

That’s it for today. I’m starting slow on the new updates. Look for a new post later in the week and, once I start feeling a bit cockier again, some video posts in the near future. As always, feel free to post your questions or comments, or send me an email. If your question is interesting I may even do a full post on it!

Thanks for stopping by and, until next time, keep shooting!

-Mat Nastos, The Film Sensei
http://www.FilmSensei.com

Mat

Mat Nastos is a filmmaker, writer and comic book artist, with work produced for the SyFy Channel, Cinemax, Disney, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and more. He also wears a pig hat.

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Related posts:

1. No Budget Filmmaker Profile: BS Entertainment – HV40 Feature Filmmaking
2. Feature Filmmaking with the Canon HV40
3. My Canon HV20 Camera Rig – still in the works
4. My Killer Canon HV20 Rig – now complete
5. Indie Equipment Review: Steadicam on a budget – the Atlas Camera Support System

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