[pgreenwell]

I am finally in the market for a new DV camcorder. It's about time! I know I will be using it for everything, from weddings to vacations to skiing. So I would prefer it to be pretty compact. Yet, the most important thing to me is quality. I am new to this market, so I really don't understand the quality differences between cameras. I want it to be in the sub $700 market, but a little up or down from that could work. Basically, I don't know much, and the Best Buy people suck! I trust you guys, so what are the cameras you guys have? Do you like them? I need recommendations! THANK YOU!

[konakazi]

$700 will get you a decent consumer camera, but if you're that concerned about quality you might want to consider something more pro, but at least get a 3CCD camera. 3CCD Cameras have 3 color chips as opposed to one and producer truer colors, as opposed to leaning towards blue or red (consumer Canons or Sonys).

As to which camera you get, you're better off checking some more dedicated sites. Camcorderinfo.com is a great resource with an active board and tons of reviews. Also check out http://dvspot.com/.

I used a Canon ZR DV camera for a few years and was very happy with it's performance. I've since graduated to a PDX10 but that is blowing your budget. Good luck!

[Brian McHale]

The following website is great for general camcorder info:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/

I decided I wanted the best video quality for the money, which led me to the Panasonic 3 CCD models. The following is a good website for more info on this line:

http://www.pana3ccduser.com/

[Dale Sorel]

Canon ZR series... you can't lose