OK guys, I'm looking at getting my first camcorder and have narrowed my format to miniDV for the quality component. My next question though it what level of quality do I need to go. I'm looking at these three camcorders

JVC Compact Series GR-D750 ($250)- this is the lowest of the three, with 340k effective pixels, but has that 34x optical zoom.

Panasonic Palmcorder PV-GS320 ($500) - this is the middle of the pack with the 680 effective pixels, but only has the 10x optical.

Canon HV20 HD ($800) - This will have the best picture of the three and is HD, but the reviews online of the difficulty of editing HD without serious headaches is making me a bit hesitant and I want to make sure that, at the most expensive choice, it's the best overall pick. I know all teh TV's of the future will be HD, so am just wondering how much of a hassle it will be to go with one now vs later.

Thanks for any advice,

Andrew

 

For your first camera don't worry about the software that comes with them. Usually not user friendly. Start out with Windows Movie Maker which should already be on your computer.

Get at least 15-20 optical and don't put too much value in digital zoom. The bigger the lense the better. HD is a good feature.

I would look at Sony line of cameras also. In the $800 range they are hard to beat.

E-Bay is the cheapest place to buy cameras new.