What Hard Disk Drive camcorders do you guys recommend?

[szsiddiq]

I'm looking to grab an hard drive camcorder in the next month. What do you guys recommend? I'd like to stay under $500, and so far am considering the Sony SR42.

Any thoughts?

 

[gauchogolfer]

Honestly I don't know of any HDD camcorders I would buy. The difficulty of converting the video to be useful in iMovie seems like too much of a pain in the neck. I'm sticking with DV/HDV for the foreseeable future.

 

[Maui]

It costs more than $500, but I love my Canon HV20. 3 Megapixel chip, shoots in HD. 10x optical zoom. 24p Cinema Mode. Shoots still pics with ok quality.

It replaced a Sony DVD-403. I far prefer the flexibility of the HV20's digital tapes, and it works very well with iMovieHD -- I just plugged it in, pushed one button, and it pulled the video off of the camera.

 

[gauchogolfer]

It costs more than $500, but I love my Canon HV20. 3 Megapixel chip, shoots in HD. 10x optical zoom. 24p Cinema Mode. Shoots still pics with ok quality.

I think the OP wanted to know about HDD camcorders, not HD ones.

But I agree, I think the HV20 is going to replace my Optura60 here pretty soon. It looks like a great little cam.

 

[iToaster]

As soon as I get enough $$$$ I'll be buying the HV 20. Don't know about any HDD ones though.

 

[Maui]

I think the OP wanted to know about HDD camcorders, not HD ones.

But I agree, I think the HV20 is going to replace my Optura60 here pretty soon. It looks like a great little cam.

Ah, correct, my mistake. Sorry.

(But buy an HV20 anyway )

 

[szsiddiq]

Ah, correct, my mistake. Sorry.

(But buy an HV20 anyway )

I'd love an HV20, but it's a bit out of my price range. Canon chooses not to make hard drive cams for some reason, and the next best company to make anything is Sony, and their hard drive cams have gotten bad reviews.

*sigh* miniDV it is.