There are at the moment 6 types of media:

1) MiniDV; the most used media, nice and cheap and reliable tape system
2) MicroDV; not used much, except for 3 or 4 Sony models, expensive tapes
3) Mini DVD; become more common, expensive media, limited storage advantage is that they are playable on a regular DVD player
4) Digital8 / Hi8; older system, mainly used in old/cheap cameras
5) VHS-C; Compact VS tapes, hardly ever used any more except for those massive cameras places like Walmart sells
6) Solid state/Flash memory cameras; very recent technology, expensive and still pretty low quality compared to systems like MiniDV.

I recently purchased the Sony DCR-HC40 and recommend it. It uses the miniDV tapes and Memory Stick Duo. It's little sister is the DCR-HC20. This is a palm sized light weight digital camcorder with all the standard features. It can also double as a 1 mega pixel still camera in a pinch. There are better cameras but these are what I consider good quality/value cameras.

There were a couple of reasons that I purchased the 40 vs. 20. The only one I can remember right now is that it had the Memory Stick.

You can get good deals at BestBuy. Better deals can be had online. I purchase my camcorders at brick-and-mortar shops. I want to feel the camera, look thru the view finder, and be comfortable with how it works. I do buy the extended warranty, which covers the original battery and yearly cleaning & tune-ups.

If you buy at BestBuy, get yourself a Rewards card for the purchase. All together I got something like $40 in BestBuy rewards dollars I later used to purchase a 256mb Memory Stick Duo (on sale of course). I'd also suggest buying a longer life battery. Do NOT buy the extra battery from BestBuy or other retailers. Got to ebatts.com where you can get them for significantly less.

if total you could spend was $1000, does this affect/change your recommendation from the above?

Which is the best media in terms of reliability and cost?

Nope, cause the $1000 would get you a nice carrying case, a 2nd battery, some tapes and a replacement plan on it.

thanks much for the advice.

Well I'm finally going to pull the trigger on this. I think I'm going with the Panasonic GS120.

It is $699.99 at BestBuy.

I'll probably go with the extended warranty just for grins...don't normally do it but will here.

What other accessories would be good out of the gate? I'll be heading to Hawaii for a week shortly and will need to stock up on the media. Any other Gadgets ?

How long does a 1 gigabyte card last in terms of recording time?

You really won't need a 1Gb card, as these cards are only used for the photo part of the camera, all the video gets recorded onto the MiniDV tapes.

The resolution of the photo section is fairly low, so 1Gb card would hold well over 1000 photos. Plus, Panasonic has the nerve to charge $499 for a 1Gb card when you can find deals on them online for as low as $65.

No. See the review of all camcorders under $800 at http://www.camcorderinfo.com They agree with Scott on this one. I do too.

I'm a travel video junkie, and usually go on vacations with enough video gear to produce a moderate-budget Hollywood epic.

Here are some considerations for a travel video camera and accessories that may not be obvious:

1. Smaller is not necessarily better. Small camcorders use small CCD sensors. The smaller the sensor, the poorer the low-light performance, Some of smaller camcorders use sensors that are only 1/5" or 1/6", which renders them unsuitable for anything but bright outdoor video.

2. Smaller is not necessarily better, part II. The one factor which, more than any other, will make a video look amateurish is a lot of shake. All consumer and prosumer camcorders have some form of image stabilization (cheaper machines use electronic image stabilization, which can impact resolution, better camers use optical image stabilization). Larger camcorders have more mass, which results in more inertia, which means they are less prone to shake. If you don't mind carrying a somewhat heavier camera around, you'll get better video than with the tiny pocket camcorders.

3. For consumer camcorders, one-ccd can be better than 3-ccd. Until Panasonic came along with its GS series, 3-CCD camcorders cost a minimum of $2,200, and were restricted to prosumer models. These cameras enjoy a deserved reputation for producing fabulous video quality. Pansonic wanted to cash in on that reputation and came out with a budget line of 3-CCD machines. Though some of their later and more expensive offerings produce reasonable-quality video (though not on a part with Sony and Canon prosumer models), their budget line of 3-ccds are pretty dismal. Sony and Canon both make 1-ccd machines in the $1,000 to $1,200 range that will produce better video (sharper, more saturated and with better low-light sensitivity) than Panasonic's bottom-range 3-ccd machine.

4. No camcorder makes decent stills. The electronic requirements for camcorders (e.g. fast-recycling sensors) mean they use different approaches and hardware. Most all decent digital still cameras use CMOS sensors. Most all decent video cameras used CCD sensors. If you want a digital still camera, buy one. However, don't select a video camera based on its ability to take digital stills, as you'll be dissappointed. Accordingly, don't bother buying a 1 GB SD card for your camera -- your money is better spent elsewhere.

5. Sometimes it rains. I picked up an EWA-Marine rain cape for my camcorder (a Sony VX2000 3-ccd machine) for around $125. It consists of a polyethelene bag that folds up, an adapter ring for the lens, and an optical glass port on the bag that fits the ring. Before I got this thing I used to try to balance an umbrella on my shoulder while shooting video. The result was that I'd usually get wet, I risked an expensive camera, and more often than not, I'd simply put the camera away for fear it would get wet. With the rain cape, I've shot in heavy downpours and gotten beautiful video with my camera dry as a bone. It's light, easy to carry in my camera bag, and lets me capture my travel adventures regardless of weather.

6. Shake is bad, part II. My VX2000 has excellent optical image stabilization, but it's still not rock steady. I've found that a longer-than-supplied camera strap lets me wrap it around both arms and provide additional bracing for the camera, which helps steadiness quite a bit. A long strap is inexpensive, but really makes a difference in my video.

7. Shake is bad, part III. Adorama makes a very light, small and easy-to-use monopod for $99. Though not as steady as a true tripod, it's a vast improvement over no tripod at all, particularly if its braced against a low wall or tree. I also use it, fully extended, for boom shots, lifting the camera high over my head so that I can see over crowds, get differents perspectives, etc. I'll even use it to hang the camera over the edge of boats, over cliffs, etc. (though, of course, keeping hold of the camera with my longer-than-supplied camera strap).

8. Shake is bad, part III. There's nothing like a tripod for really steady shots. I carry Bogen/Manfrotto carbon-fiber sticks with a small Bogen fluid video head. The combination weighs under 4 pounds, and the sticks have four segments, so they fold up quite small -- under 20 inches. I don't take it everywher. However, when my wife wants to go off shopping, I go out shooting with sticks, and have produced some very high quality video that way. If you want to see some, go to www.ruyitang.com, scroll down to Lagniappes, and click on Venice at Night and Florence at Night. The only downside of this setup is the cost -- carbon sticks and a small fluid head will set you back around $500. If the idea of spending this kind of money doesn't appeal, don't bother getting a tripod at all -- cheap tripods with friction heads produce shaky, jerky video and aren't worth the expense or the effort in carrying them.

9. Getting in the shot (or, Shake is bad, part IV). There are a number of times when I want to get into the shot with my wife (who is the star of our videos ). I carry a very small, but sturdy, table-top tripod. It has a maximum extension of about six inches, but provides a stable platform that lets me frame a shot exactly the way that I want -- I set it up, turn on the camera, and then just walk in front. I've gotten some nice video of my wife and I dancing together at a New Years party in India, shots of us with Schloss Schonebrunn in Vienna in the background, etc. These little tripods are inexpensive (about $10-15), tiny and light. I used one for the "speeding cars" segments in the Las Vegas video at www.ruyitang.com.

10. Lenses are expensive, filters are cheap. ALWAYS keep a UV filter on your lens. A scratched filter costs $20 to replace. A lense can cost 10 times that or more. Be sure to get a multi-coated filter -- avoid the cheapy uncoated or single-coated filters, as they will introduce unwanted internal reflections AND will alter color.

11. Polarizers are cool. A polarizing filter does two things: it reduces reflections -- great when you're shooting windows or water -- and it darkens the sky for a dramatic effect. They're inexpensive, but can really improve outdoor video. You'll want a circular polarizer for a camcorder -- get a "super thin" and watchout when you're shooting wide -- you may wind up with vignetting.

12. You can't shoot without light. On-camera lights tend to be useless -- they result in flat, washed-out video and dark backgrounds. I carry a Sony 10/20 watt light. However, it uses the same batteries as my camcorder, so, when I need it, I don't use it on-camera, but hold it in my left hand off to the side. This adds shadows to my subjects, makes them pop out, and makes for better and more interesting video. I don't use it often, but there are times (for example, going into a cave in northern Spain, or exploring the catacombs under Paris) when it was essential.

13. Clean is good. Get a microfiber cloth (about $10), and use that for cleaning your lens and filter. A clean lens is critical, particularly if there's any backlighting, which will show up the smallest speck or smear.

There are a lot of other accessories and gear that I carry when I do travel video, but they are more in the realm of the video-obsessed. If you think you're going to be going that route, let me know and I'll post some more about it.

My newest question is this:
Is this media soon to be made obsolete by DVD's? The tapes that is. If so, how long in your esimate Scott?

I think my add ons will be:
several of the high grade tapes
an extra battery
a 128 mb card for pix
a carrying case of some kind
the magic wire remote control with narration mic

DVD is currently the worst quality you can get, it compresses too much, and the discs don't take much (lengthwise).

MiniDV is absolutely here to stay and will be the dominant media for years to come.

Reading through all the responses to this thread confirms my decision to buy the Panasonic NV-GS400 last month. I am very happy with it so far. It has a few extra features over the GS120 and GS200 models, such as widescreen format recording, larger lens, and can take 1.2MP stills while recording video (and 4MP when in still mode). But I do agree with the comments on the quality of stills from a video camera being less than from a still camera at the same resolution. But the NV400 is not too bad at stills.

Excellent choice.

Panasonic is IMHO very underrated in the Camcorder market by most retailers, thankfully the professional tests agree with me

So which is a good MiniDV camera in place of the gs120?