DON'T get an HD camera. It is resource intensive (disk space) and with a minimal budget, you will only hate yourself afterwards. The max you should go is a 720p type like Panasonic's DVX100B, the earlier versions of which were already used to make commercial films!The real key is post-editing software. Invest more in that side of things. That's where ALL the fun stuff happens. Mac comes with some good tools. On PC, absolutely get the Adobe suite (After Effects, Premier Pro, and DVD Encore).In video, you film everything with good, average level lighting, then you use your post software to tweak the images, reposition the frame (if needed), add special effects, etc. You can even manipulate depth of field using post software.I'd highly recommend the Panasonic AG-DVX100 or 100A, which you might find cheap as a used or leftover stock item. It is a phenomenal Prosumer video DV camera and creates film-like images. If intending to shoot a lot of dark, low light films, Sony is the best for that.But really, I also have a Sony camcorder (