I know very little about the latest on camcorders. I don't want to spend a ton of money--hopefully less than $300.00 USD--either. Is a Canon ZR100 for $264.90 sound like a good deal and is Canon a reliable quality company? Here are some of the specs I picked up for this device at a site: DIGIC DV color processing technology maximizes video quality on a TV 16:9 widescreen feature allows you record true widescreen videos and photos for playback on home theater systems Electronic image stabilization minimizes shake and vibration distortion Programmed AE settings include sports, portrait, spotlight, sand & snow, easy recording, auto, low light, auto slow shutter and night mode; manually control focus, exposure levels, white balance and shutter speed Night mode automatically boosts the sensitivity of the CCD and lowers the shutter speed to help brighten the subject Fader effects include fade trigger, wipe, corner, jump, flip, puzzle, zigzag, beam and tide scene transitions; skin detail function softens close-up shots for improved image quality PCM digital sound (16-bit/12-bit) and stereo condenser microphone for rich, detailed audio IEEE 1394-compliant DV in/out terminal for fast, simple transfers to your PC for viewing or editing, or directly to your IEEE 1394-compatible DVD recorder for sharing and archiving; USB 2.0 interface for easy image transfer Easy dubbing lets you connect to your VCR or TV to copy your favorite VHS home videos to MiniDV Warranty Terms - Parts 1 year limited Warranty Terms - Labour 1 year limited Product Height 3.7" Product Width 2" Product Weight 15.2 oz. Product Length 5.1" Format MiniDV LCD Screen Size 2.4" Image Stabilization Yes Optical Zoom 20x Digital Zoom 360x Night Recording Yes Special Effects Art, black-and-white, sepia, mosaic, ball, cube, wave, color mask, mirror Editing Features Fade trigger, wipe, corner, jump, flip, puzzle, zigzag, beam, tide Lines of Resolution 525 Manual Focus Yes Number of CCDs 1 Video Resolution (CCD) 1/6" CCD image sensor; 680K total pixels, 340K effective Auto Date/Time Stamp Yes Audio Recording PCM digital sound Recording Speeds SP/LP Color Viewfinder Yes Line Input Recording Yes Exposure Control Manual, programmed AE (sports, portrait, spotlight, sand & snow, easy recording, auto, low light, auto slow shutter, night mode) Connectivity IEEE 1394/ i.LINK|USB 2.0 Rechargeable Battery Yes AC Adapter Yes Accessories NB-2LH battery pack, CA-570 compact power adapter, stereo video cable
Here's a review: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-ZR100-Camcorder-Review.htm That site has great reviews on almost every camcorder around
