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Note: The first 5 cameras on this page were used in my video business from 1978-2010.
The Panasonic AG-450 was the best camera (of these 5) and lasted the longest (20 years).
RCA C002: 1978 - 1984
Vidicon tube. Very low resolution. Not my worst purchase decision ever, but not a happy one either. Cool but a bit of a disappointment. This was my first Focus Group camera which allowed me to get my video business underway.
Quasar Color Newvicon: 1984 - 1988
Newvicon tube: better resolution but still very low resolution. The quality was good enough for about 5 years. This was my second Focus Group camera.
Panasonic S-VHS 350: S-VHS camcorder: 1988 - 2005
High resolution "chip" capable of 2x resolution of previous tube cameras. This camera had the best color of any camera up to the Canon HF R800 (bottom of this page). It was even better than the AG-450 in most situations (especially in terms of color saturation under low light conditions).
Panasonic AG-450 Proline: Professional S-VHS video: 1990 - 2010
High resolution "chip" capable of 2x resolution of previous tube cameras. This camera did the bulk of the last 20 years of my 32 years of Focus Group work. I later used it in conjugation with an S-VHS recorder with Time-Code capabilities.
Sony V5000 High 8mm Professional: 1993 -2003
I used this as a high-8mm camera on video weddings and also as a high quality camera "head" for some of my S-VHS recording of Focus Groups when located behind a one way mirror. Eventually the electronics failed in the mid-2000s so I went back to using the Panasonic AG-450.
Hobby Cameras (below: not purchased for, or used for the business).
A 480i Sony DVT-HC32 Digital Video tape: 2006 - 2012
Maybe capable or 480i medium resolution, this camera was very good for SD but when I tried the 16x9 setting and saw the final video on an HD set I realized I would need to upgrade to 720p which is about 4 times the resolution. I was amazed that I could do this for 1/4 the money and also lose the digital and analog tape technology at the same time. This camera had the shortest useful life of any other video camera.
Canon A810 - 720p HD Video/Still: Fall 2012 - 2014
A point and shoot in manual mode. It's 8 oz instead of 18 pounds (my Auricon) and looks as good as 16mm, maybe even Super 16mm. $90 and no tape. The amazing thing is HD resolution is 4x (four times) the resolution of the Sony 480i camera and maybe 8x the resolution of the first couple of video cameras. The choice of 25fps was a bit odd but it works.
Sony DSC-W830 - 720p HD Video/Still: Fall 2014 - Now
A point and shoot with manual mode. It's 4.3oz instead of 18 pounds (my Auricon) and looks as good as 16mm and Super 16mm. $100 and no tape. This is the second non-film camera I have owned with 16mm or better quality. Even cooler is it has optical image stabilization which makes for perfect videos and 30fps which smooths the action better than the Canon A810. Great video, smooth video, smooth (finally) zoom and a Carl Zeiss 8x lens. I still use this sometimes.
Sony DSC-WX220 - 1080p HD Video/Still: Spring 2016 - Now
A point and shoot with manual mode. It's 3.7oz instead of 18 pounds (my Auricon) and looks better than 16mm. $150 and no tape. This is the third non-tape camera I have owned with 16mm or better quality. Even cooler is has optical image stabilization which makes for perfect videos and 30fps which smooths the action better than the Canon A810. Great video, smooth video, smooth (finally) zoom and a 10x Sony lens. It also shoots in the AVCHD version of MP4 for Blue-Ray display.
Canon Vixia HF R800 - 1080p HD Video: Spring 2018 - Now
This camera was between $200 and $250. It exceeded my expectations by so much. Many of the features (including the VU/Peak Level meter) came as a complete surprise. The auto-focus and exposure are smooth and neither updates too often so it looks great. There are enough "P" or manual controls to work for me and the full HD is wonderful. The microphone input is nice for my YouTube videos and I added a lens hood. I have spent 5 to 10 times as much for less camera than I have with this. A perfect retirement camera.
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