Am currently upgrading from all analogue to all digital system (Hardware and Software) so I have the luxury of starting with a blank canvas. From what ive read I should go for a mini DV system. With regard to the camcorder, I want to capture the best quality footage possible (am thinking 3 CCD's), want to shoot in low light without using additional floodlights and take stills of a reasonable quality. Previously I worked with a Panasonic NVS7B SVHS camcorder and loved it so I am a big fan of Panasonic. However, there's no need to get fixated with a brand name.

With regard to software I'm moving towards Adobe (Premier Pro + After Effects) which seems to cover all my needs. I also need to transfer aroung 100 hours of VHS video onto DVD (video capture card or DVD recorder? Bear in mind this is a straight transfer, no editing required)

Budget wise, $900 in the States would have got me a half decent camcorder. In the UK i'll have to settle for one in the £500 range. Any ideas?

Thx Rich