Is it HD or HDV? If not, keep shopping. Look at the new Sony or Panasonic HDV. 1080i is what you are looking for.

www.upressplay.com

Keep in mind I don't have but around a $550 budget for a camera

I picked up a Canon ZR100, its a no frills mini DV camcorder. As far as I know it has the same video quality as the ZR200/300/500 but lacks the features that the higher models have like the ability to take pictures and store them on an SD card. Keep in mind this camera does have limitations as far as not having an external mic input. I think the video quality is pretty good and it can shoot in widescreen which is a plus. Also I was able to pick up 2 extra batteries for $40 CND. I paid $420 CND for the camera plus taxes a few months ago.

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Check out my photography site at
www.jphphotography.ca

I don't care either way for widescreen, but it's perferred. Also it needs to have an external mic hookup for a boom mic.

This should be a fine camera. I've got a PVGS65 and it works quite well for a budget camera. I just wrapped photography on a feature-length film using it.

Keep in mind that entry-level HDV cameras only have 1 CCD as compared to this camera's 3 (for better color reproduction and low-light performance), and I believe this model comes with a Leica lens, which is going to be nice and sharp compared to the cheap optics on an entry-level HDV camera. The Canons have the advantage of true widescreen, but they are also only 1-CCD.

Besides, HDV isn't the best of compression codecs and it isn't very well-supported out of newer versions of iMovie or expensive high-end software. It'll be ready soon (in fact, my next camera will probably be HDV or high-def of some sort), but it's just not quite there yet.

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Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my vodcast on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=96931870

Ok, thanks man, hopefully I'll be ordering one in the next week or so.