[mackandproud]

Yeah, that's it. I looked at jvc gz and panasonic hdc. It looks like they are using non .mov files of some kind, making it necessary to convert video files everytime.

So what are the best camcorders in this price range which are compatible with macs?

[mduell]

Pretty much all proper camcorders (above Flip competitors) are Mac compaible; they produce AVCHD (lite) recordings which are supported by iMovie and Final Cut.

For $400 I like the Canon VIXIA HF M30 HD. I'm quite happy with my older HF100.

[jmiddel]

I have a wonderful Sanyo Xacti Amazon.com: Sanyo Xacti CG10 Dual Camera HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Red): Electronics

Great stills and escellent video. I shot a family ceremony, looks great on my HD 47" TV. For $149, can't beet it. For $30 more the Amazon.com: Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom: Electronics is even better, mostly the pix are higher res and the zoom is 12x as opposed to 5x. The video in both is 1080p

What I love is how small it is, very easy to hold unobtrusively, easy to hold close to body to avoid jitter, and the price is amazing. This thing is to a Flip camera as a BMW to a Yugo!

[Chris@JVC]

Hi,

I work for JVC and would like to try and help.

All of our traditional HD camcorders work great with MAC. As one other poster indicated, most brands these days--including JVD--record AVCHD, which will be fine with any newer MAC that has an Intel processor. With the new iMovie, these JVC cams are pretty much Plug n' Play.

Also, the new 2011 HD cams just started shipping and we now are the first brand with a 40X Optical Zoom on an HD camcorder. Definitely worth checking out, and many models available for under $400.

Chris

[mackandproud]

Chris, one of the features I need is the ability to record (hd video) for up to 3 hours at a time. Actually, I would prefer not to have any time limit at all, except for whatever limit is imposed due to the size of the memory card.

Do any of your camcorders under $400 fit the bill? I certainly can't use a regular camera for photos to take longer videos.