Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Canon GL2 good for starters?

S

SDunleashed

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 12, 2008
23
0
Ok so I am going to go to a community college after i graduate high school to take digital video production classes. While I am going there I want to buy my own camera so i can practice and make things of my own out of school. my uncle let me borrow his sony vx2000 for a few months and i learned a few things about it.
I was just wondering if a canon gl2 would be a good camera to start out using being that ive only owned little handycams.
So Im asking is it a good camera for the price, able to learn alot from it then upgrade to a better one? thanks
 
The GL2 was/is a good little camera in its time. Lightweight and some prosumer features made it a handy cam for handheld work. The only drwaback was that it was a Canon product, and Canon cameras don't often play nice when forced to share a Firewire bus on Macs.

Is it a good camera for the price? Without knowing what the asking price is or the condition the camera is in, it would be anybody's guess.

You may want to consider starting out with current technology and video; HD.

-DH
 
a GL2 is ok, but a used Panasonic DVX would be a better investment. it's an all around better camera and can be found relatively cheaply on Craigslist/eBay/DVXuser Marketplace.
 
The GL 2 would make a fine camera to learn from. Just remember that it isn't the equipment that makes the film or video - it is the person using it. You can use any camera to learn from.
 
Before you buy anything go the school and see how much you can use their gear and/or see if any of the friends you make have gear that they'll let your borrow.


Lethal
 
bigbossbmb said:
a GL2 is ok, but a used Panasonic DVX would be a better investment. it's an all around better camera and can be found relatively cheaply on Craigslist/eBay/DVXuser Marketplace.
Click to expand...

IMO a used XL1 would be better, and its around the same price used and you get the option later on down the road to swap lens's onto it and it can be shoulder mounted without an additional accessory. He did say he is going into a video production course study, not a film. That and IHMO I think the DVX's image quality is less then the XL1. Then again my schools current line up of DVX's are beat up, while the XL1's I've used were in pristine condition.
 
the XL-series' ability to swap lenses is severely overrated... it's not like you get a 35mm DOF when using EF lenses on it, just different focal lengths

I've always preferred the color reproduction of Panasonic cameras over Canon and Sony, but it is totally subjective.
 
bigbossbmb said:
the XL-series' ability to swap lenses is severely overrated... it's not like you get a 35mm DOF when using EF lenses on it, just different focal lengths

I've always preferred the color reproduction of Panasonic cameras over Canon and Sony, but it is totally subjective.
Click to expand...

still, gives more lee-way then the DVX. Sure, its not a nice as some JVC's with the bayonet mounts. I will agree with you though, Panasonic's color reproduction definitely trounces Sony's. Not a big sony fan myself.
 
It's okay, but depending on how much you are paying for it you could get a different cam.

Like others have said, check out what the school/classmates have available when you get there, and check other sites and used markets.

The GL2 I've seen for around $1500-$1700 used, but for a few hundred more you can get the far better DVX. I agree with anyone that speaks highly of the pana color reproduction on either their DVX or HVX or HMC, etc bodies.

If you are spending $2000 or so, there are other options that give you XLR inputs, 3 chips, miniDV, and Firewire.
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back