Dan01,
Six months ago, I purchased a Sony DCR-TRV840
for a gift. It was Sony's top of the line
Digital8 camcorder. I think I paid around
$700 which is a little over your budget.
It has ALL the bells and whistles(firewire,
USB, memory-stick,etc.). I went the Digital8
route since some of my friends and relatives
already have that format. BTW, tapes are also a little cheaper than Mini-DV.
I think Sony may have discontinued that model. So if you can't find it, I suggest
model DCR-TRV740, (which has most of the
same features, but has a 2.5" instead of 3.5"
screen). Both cams are 1 MP.
Sony has a new cheaper model DCR-TRV350,
but is of lower resolution, and sells for
under $500. All of these models have a feature
called "pass-thru" where you can connect
your VCR to the cam's analog inputs, and
the signal will be digitized and be sent
to the computer via the firewire link in
real time. Older models required that you
record from the VCR to the camera tape first,
rewind the tape, then play it over the firewire to the computer.
[This message has been edited by Vquestor (edited 07-09-2003).]
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