Newbie needs some purchasing advice

[J the Ninja]

Looking to get my first "real" camcorder after swearing at the built-in video on digital still cameras enough times, but need a little advice. Do you guys think the Canon ZR930 is worth it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120248

If not, any other suggestions? Trying to keep costs well under $500, as I'm a student working on a shoestring budget here. I figure HD is probably more than I can afford for right now. This will be used for amateur short filming and the occasional school project when the opportunity arises. Mic input is important to me (I want to get into audio post-production someday), I want grid markers in at least the view finder so my production quality isn't complete garbage.

 

[DPA]

MiniDV (at least for camcorders) is going out of style. Look at HDD cameras (cameras that record to a hard drive). They record in HD and usually come with a good sized drive. They can be a bit more to quite a bit more but are usually worth the extra money.