Question

I got a dvx for sale :) with 3 batts, and a century optics fisheye :)

How much?

Panasonic TM700 is an awesome video camera for under 1200. Has more manual controls than the CX550 and has 1080 60p.

Looking for a different style, thanks though.

JUST GO WITH ONE WITH A HANDLE YOU CAN'T GO TOO FAR WRONG
Seriously though the DVX is a really sick camera but just make sure you know what you're getting into with tapes. They're ridiculously impractical for playing back, uploading to computer, etc. The TM700 is really sick and shoots 1080/60p and has good manual control. The DVX has more professional features but it is out of date. There's a reason you can get them so cheap nowawdays.
TAPE!


With $1200 you could begin a t2i setup if you're into that, keyword there is begin, it wouldn't be worth it unless you want to invest more into it later.

Oh and if you already have a tripod and some other necessary things you could pull-off an hmc40 for around $1200, thought I better add that since it's a pretty cheap flash memory non-soccer mom cam you might want to look into instead of a dvx

I for sure understand what you're saying. I didn't mean DVX like handle and skate style but just something a step up from a camcorder, something I can learn to use to it's potential. That hmc40 looks like a good option, I've seen people post them around here lots. You said a tripod is necessary for that camera? Care to get into detail a bit? Any other recommendations are appreciated! I don't think I want to get into tapes or anything dated like you were mentioning. Thanks for the help man.

Just looked up the hmc40 a bunch more. Reading through features it sounds perfect for me. Small and not overly expensive with a good image and various other things. What are some Cons that you know about it?

I consider a tripod necessary for any camera, you get perfectly stable shots. There are some pretty big cons about it, but having an hmc40 myself I can say they aren't too hard to avoid. The viewfinder is small and shitty, so is the lcd screen, they're low res and make it hard to check focus and exposure. This is what peaking (or lcd/vf detail as it is called on hmc40) and zebras and waveform monitors are for. Peaking outlines objects in focus with an electronic line, zebras make diagonal bars show up on the lcd/vf on anything that's overexposed, and the waveform monitor shows a detailed graph of the whole images exposure. The waveform monitor is the best tool to judge exposure by. The other big downfall to the hmc40 is its lowlight capability, it's not a very sensitive camera. It handles gain pretty well but if you're looking to do night urban shooting it won't hold up very well without a light. The lens is also not very wide, your cx550v's equivalent is like 30mm i think but the hmc40 is 41 - you need a wide angle adapter if you want to follow cams. It doesn't have any controls on the handle but since you're coming from a handheld you won't notice this. Check out the hmc40 forum on dvxuser.com to learn more and if you buy one definitely get the HMC Book by Barry Green.
Overall it's an awesome camera for the price and really portable; perfect for skiing.
/rant

I did read all about the lowlight issue and personally, I don't feel like it will be a problem for me. I never shot any night time stuff with my sony except the odd evening timelapse. I would for sure be getting a wide angle for skiing/skateboarding uses. Would you recommend buying it new or looking for a used one? They seem to be going for around $1800 brand new. What did you pay for yours, if you don't mind me asking.

oh an evening timelapse would be fine on it, i shot one the other night and it worked pretty well, it has interval recording built in to it which is really nice. Definitely get a used one, mine was $1200 with a 32gb and 16gb card, uv filter, and hmc book. it had only 18 hours on it. i ended up paying like 1650 because the cock sucker didn't ship it as a gift like i asked (i shipped from states to canada). just dvxuser search for hmc40 and there's quite a few used ones, usually around $1300

Alright well everything you've told me has been awesome, so thanks a lot. 10/10 for sure

Hate to bump this but, I have no idea where to find these things used. I checked ebay and amazon and found 1 used. Sorry. If you don't know just dont't reply

Found a bunch on ebay, so disregard my other post

dvxuser.com

my b, didnt see you responded back to this thread, like 600 with 3 batteries and fisheye

I got mine off of ebay from adorma in excellent used condition for only $1300

Yea I've seen a bunch of good deals on there in the last couple days. I have to wait until I can sell my camera though.