Sony Handycam DCR-DVD408

Summary: This camera missed the boat. It was introduced just as the bottom fell out of cam-corder pricing. It delivers the best non-HD picture out there. Problem is for what it costs you can get HD. If you simply plan on watching uneditied vid, fine.
If you plan on doing editing, get mini-dv. Dvd as a recording medium is amatuer. You spend more time intializing, then finalizing, then finally uploading to your pc that your head will spin.
Fundamental flaws out of the way, this camera is a masterpeice of ease of use and the zenith of Sony Camcorder technology. Picture quality is crisp, bright and excellent at all light levels, including near dark- try that with HD.