Hello. I'm in the market for a new camcorder and am confused with which format to go for, i.e., Hard Disk Digital or Mini DV. I'm not a professional and would primarily use for basic family shots..birthdays, events etc. however I may need to edit occassionally and always want to use the best technology out there if it makes the whole process easier and I want to use the format that will allow me to tranfer from one medium to the next with the greatest of ease. I've heard pros and cons on various web-sites for each format. For example, Hard Disk may be easiest to xfer to your computer, however picture quality and recording time suffers. However I also don't want to waste money on a mini DV camcorder if Hard Disk is going to be the main supported format going forward.
I would appreciate any advice on which format to choose as well as any suggestions on specific models out there that are the best in the $600-$900 range...
If you use the Hard Disk camcorder, it would be a lot simpler to transfer and edit. You can transfer the data directly to the PC and not have to worry about changing formats and recording media. The final media is determined by the end user.
Right now all I have seen is the JVC Everio and some from Sanyo. Sony is supposed to have one out in the market but I haven't seen it yet.