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Camcorder purchase advice

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I just made the switch to Mac and am interested in getting a camcorder (my wife and I are expecting our first child). The problem is, I have no experience with video camcorders or editing. I want to be able to take indoor/outdoor video of decent quality and be able to do basic editing. I'm looking to spend $400-600.

First, is there a particular format that works better with a Mac (miniDV, DVD, HDD, etc)?

Second, are there any particular camcorders you would recommend?

I know these questions are pretty broad, but I'm having difficulty getting any answers (folks at Best Buy, Circuit City, etc were clueless).

Thanks in advance.
 
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15" MBP 2.4 GHz C2D 160 GB HDD 2 GB RAM
I'll direct you to a thread on a similar topic. I recommended the Canon Elura 100 to the thread starter and I think it will suit your needs as well. Good luck with your camera purchase. Its a miniDV camera so it would work for you. Some people have been complaining about HDD cameras not working with iMovie. And since you wanted to do some basic editing DVD cameras wouldn't be ideal. DVD cameras record straight to a DVD and are really meant for non-editors.
 
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I just bought a Canon ZR700. It seemed to have similar quality filming to the newer Canon camcorders, but I really wanted the analog-digital pass through capability. As killedbytheinterne mentioned, the Elura 100 is highly recommended and does have an external mic option, something that most of the other Canons don't have. The problem is that, at least in the US, it is only available "refurbished". I got cold feet over that, but if you still want, you can find them refurbished on Ebay for $300. It actually seems that there are very few options in between those that are a bit under $300 and those that cost close to $600. I suggest the MiniDV camcorders. For great info look at www.camcorderinfo.com. I am hoping to have the camcorder in hand by the end of the week.
 

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