My nephew just turned 1 year old, and I realized that no one in the family is recording video of the amazing things he does. There are plenty of still pictures, but they can't capture his true character the way video can. 
So, I'm interested in getting a camcorder.
My desires/purposes are as follows:
Decent all-purpose capture of family moments
Forgiving with shaky handling (I don't have the steadiest of hands)
Fully compatible and easy to use with Mac
Compact/small design to make it easy to take with to events
My brother competes in inline and bike races, so being able to capture these types of events would be great, too
I'm hoping to spend <=$300 (closer to $200 would be even better). I know this is a low price range compared to what others have posted, but I'm not looking for a professional-level device. If I find that I really get into video recording, then I'll upgrade later.
From the other posts I've read, it looks like MiniDV is the way to go with Mac and iMovie compatibility.
I've seen a few people recommend the Canon ZR850, which I've found for $209. I've also come across favorable reviews of the Panasonic PV-GS85 on other sites but haven't seen it mentioned here. I found it for $230.
So, of these two, which would you recommend. OR...is there another one I should consider other than these.
I greatly appreciate your advice!
So, I'm interested in getting a camcorder.
My desires/purposes are as follows:
Decent all-purpose capture of family moments
Forgiving with shaky handling (I don't have the steadiest of hands)
Fully compatible and easy to use with Mac
Compact/small design to make it easy to take with to events
My brother competes in inline and bike races, so being able to capture these types of events would be great, too
I'm hoping to spend <=$300 (closer to $200 would be even better). I know this is a low price range compared to what others have posted, but I'm not looking for a professional-level device. If I find that I really get into video recording, then I'll upgrade later.
From the other posts I've read, it looks like MiniDV is the way to go with Mac and iMovie compatibility.
I've seen a few people recommend the Canon ZR850, which I've found for $209. I've also come across favorable reviews of the Panasonic PV-GS85 on other sites but haven't seen it mentioned here. I found it for $230.
So, of these two, which would you recommend. OR...is there another one I should consider other than these.
I greatly appreciate your advice!