Best camcorder for amateur?

Question

I'm just starting out filming and I'd like a camera that's of good quality but reasonably priced. I'd like it to be able to connect directly to my computer through firewire or USB. Has to be Mac compatible.

Answer 1

You did not say what your budget is. You did not say what you want to use it for.

entry:

Canon ZR800, ZR900, ZR930. All have a mic-in jack but no manual audio control. All are DV only.

mid:

Canon HV20, HV30, Sony HDR-HC7, HDR-HC9. All have mic-in jack and have manual audio control. All can record in HDV and DV.

high:

Canon GL2, XL2, Sony DCR-VX2100, Panasonic DVX100B. All are in the "Prosumer" range. All record in DV only. There are several other high definition camcorders that will also record in standard definition DV... like the Sony HDR-FX1, HDR-FX7, HVR-A1U, HDR-HD-1000U, HVR-V1U, HVR-Z1U, Canon XHA1 and Panasonic HVX200 - among others.