Canon HV30 - What's my next step up?

[Studmuffin]

Hi everyone, first time poster here, so please be gentle with me.

I currently own a Canon HV30 camcorder and while the results are ok, I'm searching for better. I'm not a video professional, but I'm trying to produce professional quality on a limited budget. Usually I'm shooting short presentations to camera against a green screen. The results usually, but not always, end up on the web.

My feeling is that I want to uprgrade to the next level, hopefully get sharper pics and better colour. My friends in the business tell me I'd be better off with a 3 chip camera and that HD is not essential. Well, I can see the logic and benefit of 3 chips, but going for a camera that's not HD in this day and age makes me feel like Betamax man!

So what cameras should I look at right now? One final consideration is that I edit on Premiere Elements, so my choice should "play nice and not fight" with that program.

I can probably rustle up about £1200 at the moment. I'd be happy to look at s/h options if I can get more bang for my buck.

Oh - sound quality is not an important issue. I normally record my sound separately and synch it up afterwards.

The HV 30 is OK, but a couple of generations of green screen processing and no matter how careful I am with codec choice, the pics start to degrade.

Any and all advice would be very welcome.

Many thanks

[senu]

Canon XH A1: sadly there is no inbetween

[A n d r e w]

Originally Posted by Studmuffin

My friends in the business tell me I'd be better off with a 3 chip camera and that HD is not essential.

= Panasonic DVX-100B.

[chrishull3]

Your cam must be a poor one having used both the machines above and although they have far more on cam controls as does my FX-7 MY HV30 in no way gives poorer colours it has the best accuracy of any cam i have owned,last cams being sonys 2100 hc1 fx7 sr 12,i dont agree with your friends it has to be hd, by the way by all acounts the panasonic lumix DMC-GH1 top of the range has i have heard a brilliant picture.

[ade4all]

i'll 2nd chris' suggestion of the gh1, manual controls & a great lens, it is a dslr (or 4/3 stills camera) but has an excellent movie mode with more dynamic range than just about all the prosumer cameras up to 3 times its price. for your budget & needs it would be ideal - for mini dv the dvx100 is your best bet but dv is not good for green screen, you will get a much better key from hd, also progressive will give you the best results

[Studmuffin]

Thanks all