Will this Sony CX280 be good enough for video ?

I mainly shoot images and make audio but I would like to use my photo/video skills and get some unusual footage. As even the most basic phone cams have iproved so much over the years I was thinking if a HD video camera like this would be good enough for footage here. Again, not top of the range but good enough for selling here?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-CX280-Full-HD-Handycam/dp/B00AWME0QG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1392624945&sr=1-1&keywords=hd+video+camera

The other option is go the SLR route. I have a Nikon D200 so perhaps a newer Nikon that shoots video too and can take the D200 lenses :-)

Also, any decent editing software would be good to know too. I do have adobe lightroom and Magix.

Thanks.

I think the sensor in that camera is just too small. You are going to have a lot of noise problem.
This one looks better:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/843251-REG/Canon_6094b001e_VIXIA_HF_M56_HD.html

Hitfilm2 was doing a special free version. Looks pretty decent for editing/color correction, and even some FX.

Or a Nikon D610 sounds good.

If you are looking at a dslr with HD video capability there are lots of options. When you make a decision remember that the lens is very important. You will easily spend more on the glass than the body. At a certain point you may have so much spent on glass that you will be almost stuck with that manufacturer. Canon, Nikon and Panasonic all make good cameras. If you want the best quality with lowest amount of noise loot at the full size sensors. If you want weather proofing look carefully for a sealed body camera. Canon T5 kit starts at about $550 with similar Nikons about the same. If you have $2000 or more then the quality possibilities open up to many different models. Good luck.

The Nikon D610 looks good but I would need to spend more on a lens so it seems very expensive.

Whatever you do, do not think for even a second that you will get away with cheap. Be very careful, and read LOTS of reviews, and understand them before buying anything, ESPECIALLY if it seems like a cheap/too good to be true deal. Better yet, borrow or rent a camera and use it before committing. And money is not the answer either - one can still make atrocious mistakes. Buying into a quality lens family (if you go DSLR) is never a mistake. But don't get cheap knockoffs. Don is absolutely right about that. Glass is (pretty much) forever, bodies, well, you can almost always improve on whatever body you start with. Understand the terms "full frame", "crop sensor" before you buy - you don't want Micro 4/3 or APS-C glass when you upgrade to full frame body!)

If you are trying to get into video, make sure to give yourself a fighting chance. Go for simple and small, yes, I'm with that all the way, but don't pay for anything that isn't rock solid quality.

Ooh, I forgot to mention: Regarding lenses, and since you record audio:


A lens to an image is as a microphone is to a sound.


(Just got done playing with a Mojave MA-100 tube mic. Delicious!)

Marbury, I started out with a $160 used HD camera.that has given me thousands of dollars in revenue. Look into pawnshops maybe you find a decent start-up camera.

Cinecameratv, what was the model and original cost of that $160 camera? The used price is meaningless. But what you say really means is that yes, the operator/ artistry/ tagging, etc. and above all content! is what really matters. Of course, if this is really true (it is to a certain extent) , then why do we all seem to be so keen on spending thousands to upgrade our gear? Why don't we all use $200 cameras? Because we are unsatisfied with the crappy/ old stuff, and want the new shiny stuff that gives better results.

That said, I have sold more with the crappy HDV V1U than with the FS700. That could just be a numbers and time thing though.