New to filming.

For 200-300 bucks, a GoPro is probably your best bet quality wise. I freakin love mine and the video looks great. Definitely would recommend it.

GoPro for sure...as for the editing software, imovie comes with your mac, but its a real POS program...I would spend the money (or steal) Final Cut Express...its the bomb diggity

Alrighty! Thanks for the help everyone +k. What kind of GoPro would you recommend? see that there is numerous types. Also could you use it besides helmet filming? If so how would you go about doing it?

They make a bunch of mounts, helmet, goggle and a tripod mount as well...i would get the tripod mount, you can carry it around pretty easy if you get a small tripod, and when you wanna get solid shots, just set it up. Get the 1080 DUH! lol good luck!

yup

What does 1080 that say the 920 or 720 doesn't have? Is it just better picture quality? Also what tripod would be a good beginner one. I understand that there are freaken amazing tripods that awesome. But for a amateur filmer like me, what be one that would satisfy my needs?

1080 is the type of resolution is shoots in, so obvs 1080 is better looking than the 920 or 720...as for a tripod just go to radioshack or best buy and get whatevers cheapest

also the 1080 films at 60p. so you can get that super sick slow mo!

A go pro is not really the kinda camera you want if you think your gonna have half your shots on a tripod...

What were you thinking of?

get creative! the best part about them is that you can mount them anywhere. Putting them on a pole is an easy way to get them close to the subject, or low to the ground skate style, or like a followcam from above like a videogame. You can put them on the lip of a jump so the skier hits the jump with the gopro between his legs (look ate Abe Kislevitz's NS name = "abek" edits.)

they are so light and small you can put them places you could never get other cameras.

They aren't really meant to be put on a tripod, that would look kinda silly, but it could be done. They are distorted wide angles so it's best to get them close to your subject.

I would look into the gorillapod with the ball head if you want tripod shots, so you can wrap it around trees and branches, or on the end of a skipole that you stick into the snow. that way you don't have to carry around a big tripod.

You may want to look into a used canon hv20, or hv30 which you could pick up for $300. I just saw a used hv30 with a lens and lost of accessories for like $400 in the S/T so you might be able to get just the cam for less. With a full camera you will be able to do more things with it then a gopro.

Thanks a bunch! I took a look at gorilla pod and they look sick! Think I understand what you mean by tripod shots on a gopro, they are a smaller camera and would look a bit ridiculous.

A question on attaching it to a pole is there a mount that you can buy or is it just something else?

there's a pole mount you can buy.