There are three things that are VERY important when getting a
camera:

Three CCDs or CMOS
Manual controls for the iris, shutter, focus and white balance.
A microphone input.

There are the cameras Ive taken out for a test drive that come in
under $1,500.

JVC HM400
This is my favorite of the sub $1,200 cameras. The 1/2.3-inch CMOS
is really nice and it has a 1/8-inch mic jack. Unfortunately that
jack is in an awkward place. Like many recent cameras there is no
viewfinder but I also understand that most people just entering
the field dont really need one. It doesnt shoot in 24p which to
many is a deal breaker. Like most HDD cameras this records AVCDH
files which can be unwieldy to edit.

Canon HFS11 and HFS10
While this camera has nice manual controls for some reason there
is no independent control of aperture and shutter speed. It has a
1/8-inch mic jack and a nice lens. The single CMOS is quite large
at 1/2.6-inches. It shoots 60i, 24p and 30p.

Panasonic HS300 and TM300
Excellent manual controls, but the touch screen system is awkward
- maybe really cool for beginners, but for more advanced users
this is a strange way to adjust controls. Both the mic input and
headphone jack are poorly placed. But over all an excellent
camera.

Sony XR520
I guess the touch screen is the new thing. I dont like it. On
this camera there are no direct control of aperture, shutter speed
or gain. I liked where the mic and headphone jack were placed.

Check this: http://video-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Thank you so much! That's all very very useful.

Sometimes people call me a freak but it doesnt bother me. I just say respect people as they are."