so which camcorder ?

[tumbar]

Okay I admit it, I came to this "hobby" assbackwards.

That is DVD "backups". So now I pretty much get the concept and want to get my own video.

Figured there would be some knowledgeable folks here.

1. Its my first camcorder
2. budget is $600-1000
3. what features are a must, remeber I'm entry level and if its too complicated the special bells and whistles may be wasted on me.

thanks in advance

[yg1968]

Sony TRV-18 or TRV-25 would be a good choice.

[hard worker]

JVC DVL 725 and use Sony DVtape

[Thorn]

I'm not sure which options are available in that price range, but here are some things to consider if all other things are equal (if you can see the specs to compare):

Lux: a lower number means you see better in low light. High-lux cameras have crappy video in low-light indoor/nighttime shots unless you get a camera light.

Optical zoom (nobody should have less than 10x, but just in case...) optical zoom is way better than digital zoom.

CCD size: usually somewhere between 1/6" and 1/3". Bigger is better, but cameras in the same price class should be similar.

Sound: recording in 16bit 44.1KHz or 48KHz is better than 32KHz. Not sure if they still screw around with 32KHz but my camera came with it a few years ago

Remember I'm not a professional, so these are just the first things that come to mind. Just a note, big brands like Canon (has a great rep), Sony, and JVC will have better products, and you'll be better off getting a good camera with fewer extra features than an off-brand camera with lots of 'features'. There's no substitute for a good ccd in the camera, and unfortunately that's rarely compared.