A few years ago I got interested in film making and motion photography, my principal tool was my trusted DSLR camera which has hd video recording capabilites. However, as I became increasingly absorbed with this new passion of mine, I felt that using a DSLR to take videos was a bit limiting.

One problem I have with my DSLR camera is that they can only shoot video clips of short length. At the same time, DSLR cameras typically can record at a speed of 24 frames per second or lower, instead of 30 frames per second which average video cameras are capable of. But, the biggest nuisance was that my camera didn\’t support external microphones and thus I was forced to use the limited recording capability provided by the in-built ones. The built in microphones also picked up the sound of the zoom motor and removing that noise was a pain. Unlike some of the newer DSLRs, mine didn\’t have compression codecs and filters, and the lack of such featues was starting to become a handicap.

For these reasons, I shopped around for a video camera. Before shopping for one, I already decided that I will be getting a professional yet affordable camcorder. I also did some research to determine which capabilities are essential and which features I am willing to pay extra for so I do not get persuaded into buying something more expensive by a sweet talking salesperson. One of the features I considered to be a must-have is the ability to take video in low light.

Also, it should be able to record in true 1080 and 720 formats and have a high resolution LCD monitor and viewfinder. As I mentioned before, audio quality was a major issue with the DSLR, therefore I decided that my newest camera should support external microphones. I also looked for models that had relay recording capabilities so I can film longer HD videos.

After a few weeks of reading forums and review sites, I decided to buy a Panasonic AG-AF100 because it affords me the depth of field and field of view comparable to that of 35mm movie cameras but with a considerably lower financial outlay. At the same time, the Panasonic AG-AF100 has an interchangeable lens mount. This makes it possible for me to use a wide array of low-cost camera and film-style lenses with my Panasonic Ag-Af100 video camera in order to achieve the effects I want. Also, Panasonic Ag-Af100 video cameras have 20 different frame rates which make it possible to take slow or fast motion videos.

Remember what I said about storage being a limitation, not so with the latest Panasonic HD professional camcorders, this one supports a whopping 2 terabytes of storage. Just like other Panasonic HD professional camcorders, the AG-AF100 is stylish, durable, easy to use, and has a 3-year limited warranty.