I can either get a Sony DCR-SR40 30GB HDD camera or a Panasonic PV-GS85 MiniDV camera. I really am clueless when it comes to Camcorders and I am looking for the one with the best video and sound quality. I would really appreciate some help. Thanks!

MiniDV is a much better technology if you ever want to edit your footage.

Look HERE (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php) for camcorder ratings. The panny 85 is a good camcorder.

I have the Panny 320 (3 CCDs) and I like the PQ very much. It is one of the best Non-HiDef camcorders available today. Iwould recommend you do a lot of research. HD (HiDef) camcorders are a better way to go IMO. But I went with the Panny 320 because I do handheld and I feel the SD image is steadier than HD handheld.

Good luck!

The Sony one is a Hard Drive Disk camera not a HD camera. But does MiniDV give out a better video quality then a HDD?

The Sony one is a Hard Drive Disk camera not a HD camera. But does MiniDV give out a better video quality then a HDD?Yes, I know. I was referring to the fact that HD cameras are a better way to go now than SD cameras, PQ-wise. (They are the future.) Although SD is easier to edit with than HD material. AVCHD (another HD codec) is harder (more computer intensive) than HDV or MiniDV (Mpeg2) to edit. And the captured info from HDD or Flash memory Camcorders is not as good (or easy) to edit with as MiniDV SD (Mpeg2). A MiniDV tape holds an hour of footage at a little over 12 gigabytes. The codec of HDD Camcorders is not as easy to edit with as it is more highly compressed, and the Mpeg2 of MiniDv tapes is more universally utilized. Some people experience problems w/HDD technology. But I've never tried it. I've just read accounts here and in other forums.

MiniDV is better PQ wise perhaps only slightly than HDD. But archiving and/or editing with HDD camcorders is much more difficult. Do some searching and reading here and you'll see what the consensus is. I would say it is best to stay with MiniDV tapes. But the attraction of HDD and Flash memory (cards) is pretty strong. MiniDV tapes is a very good way to store the raw material. It's already archived once it is shot. HDD and Flash memory cards will need to be transferred to another media if one wants to save it.

There is more to all of this than I can communicate in a few sentences. Explore. :)

Good luck.

EDIT: I wonder if you clicked on the link I gave you in my first post? (The word HERE) Camcorderinfo.com is an excellent place to find the right camera for you. The whys and hows are clearly spelled out. And the ratings can be trusted I think.

Yes, I have been to Camcorderinfo.com several times for information on these as well as several different cameras. And It is the best review site I have been to. And I can not afford a $600+ HD camera. I only have a $350 dollar budget and there isn't an HD camera in that price range.

That is where I am at as well. I bought a Panasonic pv-gs320 last September for $400. I like the quality I'm getting. For a couple of years I had a Canon ZR200 that I had gotten for $200. The Canon had some good points to it but it is not very good PQ compared to the Panasonic. The ZR200 is an old camera now, I realize but I think its limited PQ is due, mostly, to a single, small receiving chip. The Electronic Image Stabilization reduced its sharpness a little, too. But not by very much. The Canon is actually pretty good to work with as a handheld. The zoom was exceptionally smooth and the variable speed started real gradually. The panny "starts" its zoom a little faster.
But, the Panny's picture is a little sharper and has better contrast. The color improvement is nice to see. Really nice color.

The Pannys Optical Image Stabilization is better for PQ than the EIS on the Canon. Although from a movement standpoint the Canon stabilization was very smooth.

Last summer I was haunting the Frys and Best Buy ads to see what I could get for my limited sum. I went the extra amount to get a better picture. I think the 3 CCDs really makes a difference.


I think I'd be looking for an HV20 on a real good sale now. (But, I want the 30P HV30.)
I wouldn't go for the HV10 because it is just too small for my hand and finger lengths. The controls have a real small working area. I've seen the HV10 going for a little over $400 at times.