Hi there,

I'm after some advice on which cameras you think I should look at. I want a mini-dv camera, and my budget is a fairly measly £250-£300, give or take. If there was something really exceptional, I could stretch a little further... It's a pity I'm just shy of the kind of price range for a 3CCD camera, but that's the way it is.

I used to have a Panasonic, but it's started chewing tapes, and it's not really economical to repair - might as well get a new one.

I've heard bad things about Panasonics doing this, so I'm tempted to avoid them if possible... unless anyone knows more about this and whether it was something aknowledged and fixed? Or whether you think I'm being paranoid

I'm looking for something that has the option for an external mic. Optical zoom isn't too important. Infa-Red ("night vision") would be a welcome bonus. I really don't like how cameras are getting smaller, so bulk = bonus :lol:

Any suggestions?

Thanks!




p.s. I'm mates with Mike who posts here, so you've probably got an idea of the kind of warped uses this camera will be in for