Canon VIXIA HV40

Pros: Mini DV tapes are cheap and reliable, produces good quality HD recordings, on board mic is not bad, menu setting are ok and work well, Good still pictures, small and easy to carry around but still gives very good results. Will record from external devices

Cons: Mini DV tape takes as long to put onto a computer before editing as it does to record (flash memory like SD cards import to a PC much more quickly). Build quality is not the best but it is a low price for the video quality. Slightly more bulky than a flas

Summary: If you don't need the speed of flash memory when transferring your footage to a PC and can put up with the slightly shoddy build quality, but still want a cheap camcorder that records quality HD video, then just go out and buy this camcorder. I own this camcorder and think it is very good for the price, it records very good quality High Definition footage and is cheap for the quality pictures it can produce. The build quality could and should be better from canon, but it still records like a semi pro camcorder costing three times more and will probably never let you down. Good for the money.