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For film people... (camera question)
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What sorts of specs are you wanting? Are you looking for a Camcorder or a dSLR that can do video? What resolutions and framerates do you want/need? Do you need a camera with low light performance? How much do you want manual control and over what features? Are you looking new and/or used? Do you have a preferred storage format (ie: HDV, HDCam, SD, HD, P2, etc.?) Do you have external mics? if you do, what kind of connections do they require (I assume XLR, but there are some that have stereo mini connectors on them)? Assuming you're doing your own editing, what software do you plan to use?
Need a bit more information before quality advice can be offered... There are plenty of great cameras out there, but more data on your needs would help weed out cameras that might not be exactly what you need.
Need a bit more information before quality advice can be offered... There are plenty of great cameras out there, but more data on your needs would help weed out cameras that might not be exactly what you need.
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You say for "film" people, and then mention digital in the same breath. I won't assume anything but what do you really mean? You can easily spend as much on a film camera as on an DSLR.
What are your needs ? What level of photographer are you ? What will you be shooting ? What do you hope to be shooting later on, if you're not doing so now ? All of these things are relevant to the end purpose.
If you're a beginner, I'd tell you to not be so quick to spend $2k, that's first off. I don't care if you have $30K to spend, it's not going to make you a good photographer if you're not one already. I'm already kind of guessing that you're not a pro, else you'd not be asking the question that you are.
That said, there are plenty of great deals to be had on lower priced DSLR's which will let you spend your money on better things such as glass (which is more important than a camera body in mostly all cases for even an intermediate photog level) and let you worry about better things such as how to master your craft (ie; composition, framing, lighting, subject interest, how to achieve proper exposure and UNDERSTANDING how exposure works in respect to aperture, shutter speed and ISO rating).
Believe me, people whom only worry about gear and are less concerned with the outcome of their shots usually wind up spending just as much time post processing their crappy photos because they couldn't get it right the first time around. I learned a heck of a lot by using an Canon S3IS which is a 'bridge' camera of sorts. Has full manual exposure control, which is what helped me learn a LOT. When I finally couldn't do any more with it, because it IS limiting, I moved on to an Nikon D300.
I decided on it after having used several significantly higher priced Canon's due to personal choice. Price wasn't one of them. That was a couple of years ago. And now, I'm ready to move a bit further, and go on to using a full frame sensor. The D700 fits my needs exceedingly well, but am waiting to see if Nikon releases its successor soon.
In any case, you should answer the questions I asked, as those things will help others assist you in a decision.
Doug
What are your needs ? What level of photographer are you ? What will you be shooting ? What do you hope to be shooting later on, if you're not doing so now ? All of these things are relevant to the end purpose.
If you're a beginner, I'd tell you to not be so quick to spend $2k, that's first off. I don't care if you have $30K to spend, it's not going to make you a good photographer if you're not one already. I'm already kind of guessing that you're not a pro, else you'd not be asking the question that you are.
That said, there are plenty of great deals to be had on lower priced DSLR's which will let you spend your money on better things such as glass (which is more important than a camera body in mostly all cases for even an intermediate photog level) and let you worry about better things such as how to master your craft (ie; composition, framing, lighting, subject interest, how to achieve proper exposure and UNDERSTANDING how exposure works in respect to aperture, shutter speed and ISO rating).
Believe me, people whom only worry about gear and are less concerned with the outcome of their shots usually wind up spending just as much time post processing their crappy photos because they couldn't get it right the first time around. I learned a heck of a lot by using an Canon S3IS which is a 'bridge' camera of sorts. Has full manual exposure control, which is what helped me learn a LOT. When I finally couldn't do any more with it, because it IS limiting, I moved on to an Nikon D300.
I decided on it after having used several significantly higher priced Canon's due to personal choice. Price wasn't one of them. That was a couple of years ago. And now, I'm ready to move a bit further, and go on to using a full frame sensor. The D700 fits my needs exceedingly well, but am waiting to see if Nikon releases its successor soon.
In any case, you should answer the questions I asked, as those things will help others assist you in a decision.
Doug
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to the OP - Also keep in mind - Doug_b is assuming your looking for photographic gear, where I'm assuming you're looking for video gear - that's another thing you need to clarify. Plus if it is photography instead of video you probably should get your question moved to: Images, Graphic Design, and Digital Photography - Mac-Forums.com which focuses on photographic gear 
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I just got the Canon EOS 7D for about 2k with a 18-135 lens from B and H.
You're going to need multiple batteries and mem cards. Also, the onboard audio isn't fantastic so I got a Zoom H4n handy recorder to go with it (~$300).
Quality is awesome! If you want to see output of the camera, search vimeo for movies made with the 7D...they look great.
You're going to need multiple batteries and mem cards. Also, the onboard audio isn't fantastic so I got a Zoom H4n handy recorder to go with it (~$300).
Quality is awesome! If you want to see output of the camera, search vimeo for movies made with the 7D...they look great.
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