Canon GL1

A few years ago Canon was probably the first company to understand that miniDV was about to change everything for indpendant film makers, passionate people and a few others.

What did they understood ? They understood that people were aware that it was now possible to build camcorders capable of doing high quality material and even professionnal footages if used correctly, for a much lower price, size and weight than in the past.

So those people were waiting for the baby to be born. And here it came : The GL1. Back to the day it got on the market you got get it for around three thousand if I remember correctly. 3000$ and capable of doing professionnal work ? That's what I'm talking about !

3CCD, amazing lens, great stabilization, impressive sound quality also, easily carriable with its two pounds. This camera was dreamt, Canon built it.

It was a new age for inpendant reporters, indpendant film makers, small companies / videographers. So many people used to struggle with equipment too heavy, too difficult to use and mostly too expensive. Before that new age some had to use crap or spent fortunes renting. Now they were using an affordable camera that was solving all of their problems and offering so many possibilities...

And now, almost ten years after that, that Camera and her little sister the GL2 still have their fans. JVC released the Everio, Panasonic the PVGS series and all of them claimed to be today's equivalent of the GL1. Anyone with a shooting experience with the GL1, and even if the Everio is "HD", will tell you those toys have a long way to go before thinking they might be able to compete.

If you have enough money to buy a REAL HD camera, go for it. If you're on a budget and need something reliable and still giving amazing results for around a thousand. Buy the legend, don't even think about JVC's crap or the cheap PVGS series and all the others. Because legends never die.