[elucid]

student looking to purchase dv camera
price is an issue
is buying used an option?
what options should i look for?
what kind of quality sacrafice will be made with moderately priced cameras?
any advice on the current state of technology or buying options?

[supernature]

From an amateur, here's what to look for...

Stay away from digital8. Go with miniDV format. There are some pretty cheap new ones (not new models) out there.

I'd go for Canon ZR series for the cheap end. They'll range from $400 - $900 approximately. They house pretty small lenses, so you'll suffer from low light a bit, but nothing you'll noticeable.

Canon and Sony makes a few midrange models, priced in the low $1000 up to $2000. Most feature larger lens for more clarity and light, but the higher end models sport the 3 CCDs.

I'm a Canon fan, so here's my recommendations.
At sale prices:

For budget conscious - Canon ZR40 $569
Can Spend a bit - Canon Optura $1269
Can Spend a good deal - Canon XL1S $3779

or for Sony products:

Sony DCR-TRV18 $799 list
Sony DCR-VX2000 $2999 list
Sony DCR-IP5 $1299 list (MicroDV - mpeg2 format)

[elucid]

hey thanx for the recomendations
i'm that new that i overlooked lens size as a point of some interest(to the extent that money might allow me, and also interchangeability)
was pretty green question i know but i'm asking everywhere and everyone so thanx again

[skalie]

It's also worth considering getting a camera with digital in, it's more expensive, but it means you can store the movies you make in a pretty cheap digital format.