Skimp vs splurge: get the best deals on video equipment.

Every videographer and independent filmmaker struggles with hard decisions when it comes to acquiring equipment. Along with talent and persistence, getting the most bang for whatever bucks are in your budget is one of the most crucial skills anyone in this business can have. Here are a few tips on getting the best deals when you're shopping for new video gear.

COMPUTER HARDWARE

Buying new equipment is ideal, of course, but most types of production equipment maintain their relatively high prices. However, post-production equipment--editing computers specifically--offer some money-saving opportunities.

Computers drop quickly in price as soon as a faster one is released. When you buy the latest and greatest, you pay a big premium for that privilege, a privilege that will disappear within a few months anyway. When shopping for a computer, look hard at the models a tier or two down from the top to save a bundle while still getting terrific tools to work with.

SOFTWARE

Computer software tends to drop even more dramatically in price whenever a new version is released. Check one version back from the latest release to see if that package will meet your needs at a greatly reduced price.

Just be sure not to wait too long to purchase older versions since they become scarce quickly. Also, be sure that any older package is compatible with your other hardware and operating system, …