This is one of the most common questions asked by new filmmakers, and unfortunately there is no simple answer.
Probably by far the greatest guiding factor will be price. In an ideal world, we’d all be able to afford pro kit on our meagre budgets, but the reality is that we just can’t. We have to make do with what we can get our hands on.
The second most guiding factor is a little dose of reality. It is incredibly unlikely that your first film, or even your second, third, or fourth, will be any good, so in that respect it doesn’t really matter what you shoot it on. Getting hung up on not having a pro camera is just a waste of your time, and it would definitely be a waste of your hard-earned cash for you to try and fork out for one.
Remember that it is the filmmaker, not the camera, which makes great films.
To a large degree, it's unimportant what your film is shot on, particularly in the early stages of your career, because if you film is any good, then people will want to watch it. If a film is engaging, five minutes in to it, no-one will care about the production values.
If you are going to buy a camera, you should be looking digital. If your budget can stretch to it, you should be looking at cameras with 3 CCDs, using the MiniDV or HDV format. The most popular cameras are made by Canon and Sony, but Panasonic also has ome models which have proved popular with indie filmmakers. Expect to pay USD $3,000 - $5,000 for a new camera at the prosumer level, however you may be able to pick up second hand items in places such as eBay.
As with everything, the lower the price range, the less features and quality you will get. If your budget is challenged, try to get yourself a camera with the most manual overrides you can afford. Consumer cameras tend to be designed with the holiday video in mind, and consequently have "auto-everything". As a filmmaker, the ability to control your camera is key, so look into any cameras that let you manually control the focus, aperture, and shutter speed. And again, you should be looking at cameras that use the MiniDV/HDV formats for maximum ease of use.
Another important consideration is how to get your video into your computer for editing. More expensive cameras will come with Firewire (Sony calls this "iLink"). Fireware allows you to literally "copy" your video straight into your PC without the need for expensive capture cards (although you must obviously have a Firewire port).
If you're confused about video formats the different video formats out there, check out
Exposure.co.uk's Rough Guide to Camera Formats. And don't forget, if you absolutely positively must have a pro camera – consider renting it!
