First ever video camera?

So I have been doing some research and I've come across the Sony FDR ax33 handicam and it seems almost like what i have been looking for. Any thoughts?

Check out the stickied thread from 1337, that will help any of us give you a good answer on anyting.

I'd recommend a mirrorless camera and a lens or two. I've used the Sony a6000 before and it's a great camera to learn on and can be bought for super cheap second hand. If you want 4k and have a little extra dough, go for a Sony a6300/6400/6500 or a Panasonic G7 or GH5

JezzaI'd recommend a mirrorless camera and a lens or two. I've used the Sony a6000 before and it's a great camera to learn on and can be bought for super cheap second hand. If you want 4k and have a little extra dough, go for a Sony a6300/6400/6500 or a Panasonic G7 or GH5

I wouldn’t go with this route. These cameras have a pretty large learning curve.


OP I’m guessing you just want something you can point and shoot and pass along to ur buddies and film each other right?
the camera you listed is just shy of a grand so if that’s your budget I would look at getting something like a Panasonic hmc40 or 150, they’re relatively easy to use, have a great servo zoom and you can produce quality content. Get a fisheye lens and you’re set for anything you wanna do. These will be kinda shitty for night shots so make sure you get a light.


hmc40’s are just shy of 500 dollars used while hmc150’s can run you 7-1100.

My first camera was a canon t2i then upgraded to a gh3 and I did the whole dslr thing for awhile and yeah it’s fun and you can get some really stellar shots, but after I switched to a camcorder I realized nothing beats being able to zoom. The amount of money you’re going to have to put into everything for a decent dslr set up, multiple lenses, stabilizer and a tripod will probably set you back 1500 dollars. And you’re gonna have to dedicate some time into learning how dslr’s function. Not that it’s not worthwhile but if you’re not super passionate about it, it can be a drag and kind of confusing, especially when you want to pass your camera off to somebody who has no idea what they’re doing with it.

Thank you chef. I do want to pass it around so this helped.

MaimHelpThank you chef. I do want to pass it around so this helped.

I'd actually disagree - I'd go the mirrorless route for better future proofing (lenses regardless of format hold more value than cameras/camera bodies). It's also relatively easy to set up and once you figure out the settings you can pass it off to your friends with no issues.

**This post was edited on Nov 25th 2019 at 9:18:59am

GH3 or a6300, both are extremely affordable in 2019/2020. Extremely easy to use but packs a bunch in a camera. External mic port and 1080 60p. Plus there is room for upgrades down the road in either category, both in emount and m4/3