Best Professional Camcorders in 2024

★★★★★ One of the best Prosumer cameras out there...none comes even close. This is easily one of the best HD Cameras on the Prosumer level of any kind. The quality of the image, thanks to the Zeiss lens is incredible. I shot on the run in New Zealand in the middle of winter, and was able to get great definition from everything from the foreground to the background. Leaves and grass are clearly separated and not like in most HD cameras all bunched up together. Stunning. Audio real good, but you need to buy an extra mic/mix as the one that comes with the camera does not work for filming, but it's good enough for quick stuff.To export footage into computer is a breeze, but time consuming. I use Final Cut Pro 7 and it took no time to get the footage into bins directly.F-stops/shutter/focusing is manual, which increases the quality of the picture shot. Zeiss lens is incredible. Low light is beyond believe and we pushed the grain as high as possible, and the range is quite big. Great for low light situation. We pushed it as far as a night shoot in a moving car with only the inside light on, and you could still get definition on the blacks. Granted in the end the image is way too grainy, but this is an example of how far you can push the camera.You can use up two mics at the same time. Cards are regular SD cards for media.Overall an INCREDIBLE camera for most indies and even a b-camera for bigger projects. It's light and portable. Only negative, if you can say that, is that you can't change the lens but then again for under $4,000 this is FAR SUPERIOR to the EX1 series (obviously not as good as the EX3).

★☆☆☆☆ the item was sold as good condition but it was. I was unsatisfated with the camara becouse it was all dusty and have so many scratched marks .the item was sold as good condition but it was not

★★★★☆ A solid performer that may be starting to show it's age in an industry that demands bleeding-edge tech. I bought this to use in my company's video production department and it has delivered quality video time and again.I bought this because of past reviews and the inclusion of XLR audio inputs. After several dozen uses, I have some pros and cons to share:PROs* Razor sharp video time and again. Bright, crisp images and great audio produced great results* The focus ring turns with just the right amount of resistance and response.* I like my iris to always be on manual and control the exposure myself. The NX5U allows me to do that.* Specific to my needs, I'm able to mount this to a portable teleprompter and then mount the entire arrangement to a tripod. Great results!CONs* Although I know it's well built, it still feels plasticky and hollow. When I grab the handle, it gives a little and worries me. Lightly tapping on the side returns a feeling of thinness and lightweight construction.* I like having the flip-out screen, but in this age of super cell phones, I think the screen should be far sharper and larger. What's there works fine, but I've used other cameras with sharper resolution screens and it would be nice to have this kind of screen on this camera too.* Although I knew this when I bought it, I don't care for the rear-mounted, center-located eyepiece. It doesn't help with shoulder-mounted shooting and forces my hands into an awkward position when using the camera off the tripod.Overall, the camera works well for it's intended purpose and I'm glad I bought it. In a year or so, this camera will become the backup/ 2nd camera in our department and we'll add something a bit more broadcast traditional in use. In the meantime, however, we'll do just fine with the Sony HXR-NX5U.

★★☆☆☆ I SO wanted to like this. The good: 20X zoom lens. Low light capability- AMAZING!!!The bad: AC power to the camera plugs in where the battery goes, so if you're using the camera on AC power and want to take the camera, you have to disconnect AC, then plug the battery in it's place. This may not be a problem for some, but this is a dealbreaker for me.

★★★★★ Superb Camera So Far. I am a professional videographer, video editor, 3D animator, effects compositor, graphic and web designer, and voice artist with about 15+ years of experience. This is my first purchase of my own for shooting video and I was under a tight budget. Even though I did my due diligence and homework, I was still worried that this wouldn't work for me. Within three days of arrival I took it on a two day shoot and it performed like a CHAMP! Easy to use, very customizable. It has almost everything I've come to expect from some $80,000 cameras i've used, and in some cases it has MORE. I bought a 64GB SD card to shoot on and was REALLY SURPRISED to find that this camera can shoot very good quality video on that card for about 350 minutes or so - TOTALLY NOT KIDDING! Also, the battery that came with it would've powered the battery for about 6 hours, if I had needed that much. I actually had to kill the battery just so I could recharge it overnight for the next day's shoot - only because I was being cautious to not run out of battery life the next day, but it probably could've handled that day's shoot as well. Importing clips took a few minutes to figure out, but ultimately a very fast transfer of data to my monster computer.I'm extremely happy with it and actually tried to think of anything negative to say about it and just couldn't. Sorry!

★★★★★ Great product. Flash Memory is a must. Ended up getting this camera for my Youtube channel that I conduct interviews on. I use this camera, along with a Sony HDR-CX700V for nightvision shots. The NX5U gives you great quality. It has two XLR inputs that I use wireless clip on mics with. It comes with a shotgun mic too, which is nice. You can full manual control over pretty much all of the settings, or set everything to auto. It comes with a few different filters for how bright or dark it is outside.

★★★★★ Great value for the cash. This camera works great. I was concern about the 1/3 sensor but it helps with low light. Great value camera for the over the shoulder market. Not a camera I would use for cinema style shooting (moving the camera around a lot). Face tracking is my favorite feature.Note: Audio is weak on the camera but planned to use a Zoom recorder either way. I still use the boom mic to help with Clapper stamping to sync audio.

★★★★★ Excellent. We already have two of these but needed a third. Couldn't find one, anywhere! Then this showed up. It says its used but it sure looks new and even has the big battery and a soft carry case. No power cord, though. Found that on Ebay. All in all, we're very happy.

★★★★★ Great shoulder mount camcorder. This is great for the price and if you want a camcorder that is a shoulder mount for more stability. However, if you are looking for cinema quality, I would look somewhere else. I bought it thinking I would get amazing picture, but that's just not the case. However, that was my fault for not doing the proper research and not the cameras.It's perfect for family videos.

★★★★★ Sony HXRMC200. This is a beast, and I don't mean maybe. An absolute work horse. We switch to this from the VX-2100 and I am amazed. Once one learns the ins/outs of the menu system, one can go full manual in no time flat and for the casual use, auto is just the answer. Once needs to have a heavier tripod - but that is to be expected. I am not a fan of the included mic as it is a 'stereo' and I prefer to use shotgun mics, but shotgun mics are no longer back breaking in price.This is NOT a camcorder for the novice - period. This is a camcorder for a working professional or someone who is very serious about video.I really dislike the stereo mic that came with it so I opted for the Rode Videomic Shotgun Microphone with Rycote Lyre Mount (Model: VIDEOMICR) .... Works like a dream. If you go for a different mic, just keep in mind you get what you pay for and don't believe the accompanying reviews. Spend the bucks and get something that is decent.One last thing, get the best tripod and head you can get. The camcorder is NOT light, by any means and you need a solid mount - period

★★★★☆ Affordable professional camcorder. I don't like the lens cover, I'm afraid I'll loose it or that it gets in the way. The picture quality is really good. Warning you need an additional software to edit and be creative with your film. I love that it takes the video from a distance and looks good. For the price you can't go wrong, good quality film

★★★★★ It works as advertised. I am happy with it only used a few times but over all did as it advertised I like the great filming at low lighting conditions

★★★★★ Great value and easy to operate. we use this for a High School Broadcast Team that covers sporting events live on stream and TV,. Easy to operate, durable and functions are easy to understand picture is sharp-

★★★☆☆ Video itself very good, sound quality didn’t work for us for trying to do music videos. We bought this to work out music videos for my son who is A songwriter and singer. But the sound quality is not good enough for that. But the picture quality is excellent and for other types of videos this will be a very good camera

★★★★★ Hi

★★★★★ My 1st ever professional camcorder and I love it! I'm not going to list all the specs and features that it has, because that would just take forever. But just trust me... This camcorder is loaded with goodies! If you want to know all the exact specs on this camcorder, just visit the Sony professional website. You can attach quite a few options on this unit. At the time of this review, this camcorder model is the latest of its model series. I do recommend to get the NP-F970 battery pack for this camcorder which is the biggest size you can install. It will literally last you forever before needing to be charged. I have made a YouTube "unboxing" video of this item on my YouTube channel. Just type in "Sony HXR-MC2500 Professional Camcorder Unboxing" on YouTube.

★★★★★ An excellent Camcorder with features that suit my applications.

★★★★★ Although its new to me, but I love the camcorder. Great picture Quality.

★★★★★ Timely delivery.Excellet product.

★★★★★ Unbelievable value in a prosumer camcorder. I teach media production at a private school, and do some freelance video production on the side. Over the past few years I've done most of my work with DSLR cameras and a separate audio recorder. I wanted all-in-one production solution for event videography and run-and-gun shooting. I finally chose the XA20, and am very glad that I did. Here's why:The video quality on the XA20 is really outstanding. The lens has a huge zoom range from 26.8-576mm (in 35mm equivalent). You can frame practically anything within 100 ft with the XA20. Even if aren't mounted on a tripod, the optical image stabilization is the best I've ever seen on a camera in this price range. I don't have much trouble getting a stable shot fully zoomed in telephoto. The color depth in the video is very good, and the footage looks very lifelike. This is also the first camera I've owned that will shoot full 1080 at 60p, which I'm really enjoying. Even shooting at the high framerate, the motion in the footage doesn't look "plastic" or overly smooth. Plus you have the option of slowing it down to 30 or 24 fps for dramatic slow motion effects.The auto-focus is lightning quick. When enabled, the XA20 picks out faces and focuses on them faster and more accurately than I can. The XA20 can also focus like a smartphone by tapping on part of the frame, and there's a manual ring which can easily be assigned to focus if you prefer.The camera shoots MP4 and AVCHD at bitrates ranging from 4mbps to 35mbps (for MP4), so you can choose whether you want high bitrate (example, for chroma key) or lower bitrate for smaller and more manageable file size. There are 2 SDXC card slots on the camera, and it will support shooting in 2 different formats or bitrates on separate cards. I thought that was seriously cool.I didn't know how I would like the touchscreen interface, switching from Panasonic DVX-100 series with manual buttons. There are programmable buttons on the body however, and once I got my most common settings assigned (which was a massive pain), I haven't had any problems getting the camera to do what I want.Having the XLR inputs up on the handle is great. It distributes the size and weight of the camera (which is negligible to begin with) more evenly, and makes an already lightweight camera even easier to shoot with all day. Plus it's very easy to remove the handle and XLR inputs if you need the camera to be even smaller. The LinearPCM audio sounds great, so an external audio recorder isn't really needed for most applications. I've even chosen to record voiceovers with the camera and an Audio-Technica AT875R, which is a 7 inch long shotgun mic that costs <$200, and they sound fine.The XA20 also has wifi. These features are obviously 1st generation and are mixed in usefulness. You can point a web browser to the IP address of the camera on a specific port and "remotely control" the camera. I use quotes because this feature sucks. Don't plan to do anything other than hit the record button or do the tiniest zoom with this feature. It's laggy, the video quality over the wifi is really bad. If the camera is switched to "media" mode for footage review, the feature is better, but not great. You can review footage in decent quality, with audio that lags, and you have to physically touch the camera to switch to "media" mode - so I don't know why you wouldn't just review the footage on the camera.There is one part of the wifi feature that is amazing and I love: uploading footage directly to an FTP server. It took me about 30 minutes to get the FTP and wifi connections all configured properly to work, but now that it's configured the feature is INCREDIBLE. At our school, we have wifi campus wide. So, I can send someone out with a camera, they dual shoot a high-quality copy on one card and a low bitrate MP4 on the second card. Then they can press a button and upload all of their footage directly to my NAS and another team can start rough editing immediately. After the edit is done and the shooting team is back in the room, we pop the other card out and Premiere will swap all of the low bitrate footage for the good stuff based on timecode. This workflow has already saved us countless hours by letting both teams work at the same time.Overall, Canon got it right on the XA20. If you're looking to upgrade from a tape or HDD based camcorder to something more modern, the XA20 has no rivals at this price point. All of the basic production features you would expect on a pro rig are present here (color bars, 1kHz tone, audio level meters, focus peaking, zebras, focus assist, etc.). And some of Canon's new ideas that they put into the XA20 have turned out to be really useful.

★★★★☆ It's all you'll ever really need in a prosumer camcorder. I bought this video camera to upgrade my HG20. The HG20 is hard disk based and is overall a good camera. Has served me well. But I wanted an upgrade. Some of the earlier Canon cameras did not come with a Wide Angle - so that was an extra 200 add-on for my HG20. This camera has a nice wide angle, and if you disable Dynamic Image Stabilization - it gets even wider. You can have image stabilization going on - just not 'dynamic'.Has XLR inputs, standard 3.5mm, USB, HDMI and all the stuff you'd expect. Also has dual SDXC slots. **By the way - if someone cares to explain this to me ... I bought a 128 GB card, b/c in the manual, on page 37 it says "SD memory cards with a capacity of 64 MB or smaller cannot be used to record movies". Lord must only know what they are talking about, because on page 84 it shows spec for 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB memory cards for both MP3 and AVCHD. Can someone kindly let me know what they may have meant? (Update : Thanks to J.Wales : I totally overlooked MB vs. GB. So, you should be fine with any card from 8-12 8GB, per the manual). I went with the 128 which was a $150 add-on.I did try calling Canon, but their customer service department only knows how to look up spec (the same spec I already looked up before I called). In fact, because they are generalists - you'll most likely know more than the person on the phone - so hopefully that gives you 15 minutes of your life back. Don't bother.The only complaint is the stock battery does not have a long life. So, like on my HG20 (that I had to buy an upgraded lens), with this camera - I'll most likely be dropping another $200 on an extended battery. Truthfully - for $2000 - Canon should have included one. I don't like being nickeled and dimed when spending this kind of $$ ...Oh - if you add the $200 for the extra battery and the $150 I spent on the SDXC card - you're another $350 into a camera. I do believe I read somewhere that they have this same model for overseas markets that have built in flash mem option. Not sure why they didn't include for US markets??? Again - goes back to being nickeled and dimed. I don't like spending $2000 to realize I have to spend another $350 to get the camera how and where I want it to be. (Note to Canon : concentrate on getting NEW customers, not milking your existing customers!!!)Other than that - I'm happy. I do honestly believe this is the best prosumer camera out there. Despite the extra $$ I have to spend, and despite the fact that their customer service and policies on what is included is not what I'd like it to be - I think this is a good camera. (Oh, did I mention optical 20x zoom? That's huge!!).And, for what it's worth - I actually returned the Panasonic x920 to buy this. The Panasonic had trouble focusing in low light (was very twitchy). Canon handles without any problem at all. Plus - when you flip the screen around to film yourself, (podcast, etc.) .. all of the controls are present (unlike the Panasonic).Overall - I'm happy. NOT happy about the battery life. NOT happy that Amazon.com now charges NJ Sales Tax. Not happy that Canon customer service sucks ... But I am happy that I have the right camera that will serve many years of top notch video.Hope this helps the next guy (or gal).Rock ON!

★★★★★ Perfect camcorder

★★★★★ Makes you feel like a professional. I've had this camera since 2007. I consider myself a prosumer filmmaker and not a cinematographer. My review is not applicable to professionals but geared towards a niche demographic who can afford not having technology be a culprit to better art.One of the first lessons I learned is not having an audience distracted by the quality of the presentation, i.e. video. I can't say the XHA1 makes a film look great. I can say it makes it look not cheap - not recorded from a hand held picked up at W-mart or B-Buy. Post process editing, lighting, cinematography aside you can find better cameras. However, the price point isn't gradual its a giant leap. Being a proponent of Canon, I was quite satisfied with my decision with the XHA1 knowing I couldn't spend anymore.While there are reasons to shoot in SD or even 4:3, there is no sense to deny yourself HD. Without explaining the advantageous of HD, I'll focus reviewing the camera and say the video looks great in capturing minute details. 16:9 is the only resolution with 24 or 30fps. Image stabilization helps hand-held look near tripod quality. Hint: do not use IS while on a tripod at risk of having the floating camera effect. Since I abhor the "shaky camera" style, I cannot review the differences between IS and not when looking to present that technique.The camera is as auto or manual control as you like. Many of my imperfections I remedy post-process. Because I compete in timed projects, I practice guerrilla style filmmaking not having the luxury for all the bells and whistles to set up a scene optimally. But they are there when I need them. I shoot mostly wide angle and choose to dolly in/out of my subjects. There is fish-eye effect, keep in mind. You can start shooting in two conveniently placed buttons depending how you wish to hold the camera. There are two levers to control zoom. One fast, the other slow. Favorable to your desired camera technique.Microphone: It's okay with a little tinniness. Probably one of the weaknesses. I purchased a third-party shotgun mic from Amazon and moved the quality from a C+ to a B.Durability: The record button on top of the handle is a little screwed up. The spring underneath is worn and sometimes the button doesn't pop up in its place and is pinned under the chassis. Disappointed since I don't use the camera that often and that button even less. Other than that, it holds up fine. Be very careful to never to touch the LCD with your fingers. The smears linger and any pressure smudges the image. The monitor is a guide, judge your work after you pull from miniDV.Still photography: Others are discouraged if not disappointed that Canon offered a simple, no-brainer feature to a digital commodity. For me, its a feature of convenience and not a substitute for professional DSLR photography. But it is nice on occasion to frame a subject in widescreen. The shutter is noticeably delayed and the quality is film grainy. You will need a separate memory card. I use the camera as a tool to capture moments. Sometimes, a still image is more appropriate.Battery life: I purchased a larger spare battery from a third-party. You also have the luxury to record and have AC power. The charger works quickly.I bought a set of filters, again from Amazon. One for fluorescent lighting, one for Neutral Density, and UV to protect the camera. Though the camera has a built in ND filter with feedback, I've encountered such bright days it wasn't enough. The UV lens seemed to make sense to protect your investment until I noticed reflections from the video in my video.Camera envy: I didn't buy this camera to look cool. I was serious about my endeavors in filmmaking. But since I acquired the camera, companies including Canon are coming up with HD cameras cheaper and of higher resolution as the XHA1. True, they're for consumers and tourists but I do wonder if the benefits of the XHA1 will depreciate. (In fact, I will acquire Canon's latest models after they come out in April). But I'll be honest. If you're going to lead a team of talent and film crew to shoot a project that will be shown in public in a cinema somewhere, best you look the part. No different than your actors. When you take this camera out for action it demands serious attention. Actors know at first sight this isn't home movies. When they see you spent money to capture their appearance and performance they'll feel as serious as you.

★☆☆☆☆ $4000+ Camera with $800 image. This camera is unbelievably overpriced.It's like they priced it by the pound or by the button.The imagers are 1/3". Do you know how small that is? Stink out your pinky and look at the quick, smaller than that. Three of those, one for each color is what your image is recorded through. That is what is gathering all the info. And that is why your over half your point and shoot photos are blurry without a flash. It is the same imager as your $99 point and shoot camera. Go buy a $200 point and shoot that takes HD video and you have the same imaging ability of this camera. Everything else is bells and whistles.If you were offered two cars, both had the same guts and performance, but one had a bunch of bells and whistles and cost more than four times as much, which would you buy?What is the rest of the money for? A big telephoto lens, that does not help gather more light. It doesn't, compare the f-stop between it and a prosumer camcorder and point and shoot. It does not even have a higher zoom ratio.The ability to shoot at different resolutions? Big whoop, so do point and shoots.The ability to shoot at pseudo frame rates? Point and shoots do that too. Most consumer camcorder do that too and the newer camcorders don't have to shoot in lower HD rez...HDV is only 1440 x 1080...not the full 1920x 1080. And the new camcorders don't have to fake it like this one.XLR hookups, so what, fine add $200. But they probably cost $50 to build on this thing.Manual controls of wb, shutter, etc. So does a point and shoot for stills, why should doing that for video cost you thousands?The ability to do slow zooms. WOW...not that is worth thousands more. Are you a zoom freak. Afraid of moving your legs. Afraid of editing? You're buying this thing and you can't edit. When was the last time you saw a slow smooth ZOOM on network tv. Probably a football game. Is that why you are buying this?What the hell does this thing do that warrants the price difference between it and even the Canon consumer model HD camcorders?I've used this camera, nothing warrants it.NOTHING except to look like a pro. And that is what you are paying for, a lame status thing. The ability to change settings with a button instead of a menu. The ability to manually focus with a ring. The ability to hook in pro mics. And the big "look at me" design. Kinda like driving a hummer. Hey I have a expensive car, I must be important.Unfortunately that is the stigma attached to videography. In order to sastify your clients ignorance, you must have a "big" camera, even though the same results can be achieved with a $900 camera.And instead of charging anything realistic to what's really built in this camera, Canon and the industry get together and make up an arbitrary semi-pro, pro price point. One that you really can't or shouldn't pay. This is half the cost of a new car. This four months of mortgage payments.Nothing in this camera is not in your average point or shoot, except the lens which arguably and comparitively $500 worth of gears and glass.And of course if you want to look like a pro, you have to buy one of these under-equipped behemoths.Will this camera make you talented. No. Will this camera, give you abilities you cannot get using something less expensive. NO.If you have skills you will do fine with a $900 camera.Are you a budding filmmaker? The only things you should be concerned with...are a 24fps frame rate...and the ability to change lenses.Neither of these are offered on this camera. 24f is not true 24fps and barely looks like it.

★★★★★ Little champ. I purchased the Canon XH A1 for a specific project. I received the camera only 1 night before the first day of shooting was scheduled. Be sure to read through the manual to learn what this thing can do. I usually don't read manuals but the custom color/contrast settings are a bit advanced and very helpful in getting the 'look' you want.I have only been impressed with this camera (as I often am with any Canon products). Battery conservation is excellent, audio is crisp, custom options abound, manual controls are easily accessible, low-light situations are not a problem (+6 to +32 gain! use sparingly, of course), and the image is fantastic for HDV.Some people have been complaining about the smaller LCD flip-out monitor. I have not found this to be a problem thanks to Canon's focus assist features (2x magnify and the high-contrast mode).I have one very small complaint: make the MIC->XLR switch a hardware switch! It's annoying to switch it in the camera menu. All the other audio control switches are hardware, so why not that?Overall, this is a 5-star product at a very reasonable price. 24f, 30f, and 60i modes all perform beautifully. If you're looking for the right hardcase, I have been very pleased with the  Pelican 1550 Case w/Foam (Black)

★★★★★ Excellent Camera. Ease of use. Great support. Short learning curve.

★★☆☆☆ Way Too Big and Heavy. It may take great pictures but it is huge, heavy and bulky. The lens alone weighs a TON! It weighs almost 6 pounds, approximately triple what my Vixia HF G40 weighs (2 pounds).I really wanted to like this camcorder. It's in a whole different universe than a consumer camcorder. If you're looking for a run-and-gun camera that's travel-friendly, this isn't it. I'm not sure I want to travel with it, it's so unwieldy.I would think Canon could do a much better job.

★★★★☆ XF305 Great Overall Camera. We currently own three Canon XF305s. After 4 months of constant shooting we've gotten to know this camera capabilities and limitations pretty well.The positives: The XF305 has a fast zoom and produces a great picture. It's durable. We've put our cameras through heat, cold, rain. You name it and these cameras have been through it. The XF305 offers a number of custom user features that allow the operator to set the camera up for their particular shooting style or application. It records at 50Mbs and delivers 4:2:2 color. Did I mention the 20X zoom that produces a 35mm equivalent 567mm. It's fantastic. Dual CF card recording, SDI out. The camera is broadcast approved by some broadcasters but not all. That brings me to the negatives.Negatives: The XF305 has a smaller sensor than the Sony PMW300 which makes it less effective in low light. We've struggled with low light issues on more than one occasion. The lens, while great, is fixed so you are limited. The camera can lose focus depending on movement and light levels.Our application may be different than yours. We've predominantly used the XF305 for sporting events and a few commercials. If you're not in a well lit stadium then you'll have some issues. If you're in a well lit stadium you'll love the this camera because of the lens.Overall it's a great camera and since the new XF205s have been released the price continues to drop.