For the price the DVC7 will work for you with the proper lighting and care...

AG-DVC 7 (by artistmiller.com)

The Panasonic AG-DVC 7, 1 chip (CCD), is the little brother to the DVC 10 and DVC 15, 3 chip cameras. Believe it or not my clients make fun of my GL1 and L1 (hi8) cameras on shoots. So I was looking for a larger, full size shoulder mount camera that wouldn't break my bank. Inside the 3 CCD world I couldn't find anything under $4-5,000. Then came the Panasonic- DVC7…

The camera is very lightweight (almost too light weight) but feels pretty solid overall. The 1 CCD chip puts out about the same quality image as say a Canon Elura 1 chip and a little better than my Canon L1 hi8, but not quite the quality of the Canon XL1. I would classify this camera as a little "hot" in auto mode (auto focus, auto WB, etc.). For example, I have noticed some red and blue outlines appear on hot spots at times when shooting in direct sunlight, as well as noise or grain when shooting in very low light in auto mode. Therefore I recommend going totally manual whenever possible. The RGB colors are not separated as they are with a 3 chip, but the progressive scan, "next gen" chip, as Panasonic calls it, does a pretty good job all in all -if you know how to properly adjust the white balance and focus. But remember, good lighting is always best with any camera to get the most out of the subject. I would recommend getting the wide angle conversion lens accessory as well as purchasing a good stereo microphone to mount on it before shooting. The microphone that is pictured with the DCV7 does not ship with it.

With the DVC7 I was very pleased with the location of the controls overall. For example, on the top of the camera handle is another record button and zoom toggle switch that comes in very handy when trucking or panning by hand. I would recommend keeping the camera still for at least 2 seconds after pressing pause before your next shot. As with the older Hi8 / beta-cam SP cameras, if you move the camera from it’s locked down position too quickly after pressing pause, you may get that last split second movement on tape. The DVC7 seems to successfully generate the façade of a $5 – 7,000 pro camera in regards to amateur consumers and clients – so that’s cool. Panasonic brands this camera as “Proline”, and I think there is a misconception on that issue. The “Proline” name stems from the naming convention based on using Mini DV tape and all the added manual controls as opposed to the overall level of image output quality. Basically it looks pro, but without the other 2 chips, falls short of broadcast quality. However, the average TV viewer most likely would not be able to identify the difference.

In conclusion, if you are looking for an inexpensive mini DV camcorder but need all the pro-face controls, as well as a larger pro-face look and feel for weddings, web video projects, company interviews or event capture projects, this is your camera. If you are looking to produce music videos for MTV, get a loan.:)