I would like to buy a 3ccd handy cam. preferably sony. budget around 700 usd. which one i should buy. mini dv?

Question

I would like to buy a 3ccd handy cam. preferably sony. budget around 700 usd. which one i should buy. mini dv?

Answer 1

I agree with you that Sony makes some of the finest camcorders, but they are generally the most expensive. For a budget of around $700, I would definately go with the Canon HV-20. Its actually $800, but I believe it is worth the investment. For one thing, it is a High Definition camcorder, meaning that it has superb image quality, and in my opinion, unmatched in any camcorder under $2,000!

    I also agree that miniDV is currently the best format. It is the easiest to edit- easier than miniDVD at least, a much much better than the silly SD cards. Other hard disk formats are emerging, however, they are more expensive and just a little more convenient. Fortunately, the Canon HV-20 is miniDV!!! I would recommend buying the professional quality miniDV tapes to fully utilize the HD.

   The Canon HV-20 however, does not have the best audio, however, you can simply buy a shotgun, or lavalier microphone to fix this.

If you do not like the HV-20, Sony has a great camcorder in the Sony HDR-HC5. It is under $700- so actually within your budget, and it is also HD!!! However, I am not too familiar with this camcorder so I cannot comment one way or another. One thing I can say is that it is NOT miniDV. That does not mean the quality is any worse though...

Here are some cheaper alternatives (standard definition):

-Panasonic PV-GS320

-Canon Optura 10 (older model)

-Sony TRV900 (older-but Excellent model)

Hope that helps....

oh yeah, and try www.bhphotovideo.com  

After shopping at B&H, I've never shopped anywhere else!