In the Market for a Digital Camcorder

My older Sony miniDV camcorder is giving me some problems (randomly powering off and always zooming in) so it’s probably time for a new one. I began doing some research on digital camcorders figuring they’re about all the same. Boy am I wrong. There are miniDV, DVD, and hard drive camcorders. Of course, now HD camcorders are available, but the standard versions also offer a widescreen option. It’s hard to narrow down choices.

I was looking at getting a Canon camcorder since I had a Sony, but Sony seems to have more of a selection. My Canon still camera uses SD memory cards so it would be good if the camcorder used the same format. But I also have Sony batteries that may or may not be compatible with newer Sony products. Too many factors!

Anyone got recommendations?