Please help me decide. The Sony cameras are really flashy with cool features, but I feel that they are very vulnerable to defects as well.
JVC seems more reliable and is cheaper as well. I am also thinking about Canon, because my Digicam is a Canon and I am very happy with it. But I’m not sure whether that necessarily means that I’ll be happy with their video camera as well.
Re: Video camera: JVC vs. Sony vs. Canon
I bought a sony handycam more then 2 years ago and indeed with wicked featurs such as onthego special effects and a touch screen. Its still working perfectly :k: I agree they are a bit overpriced but you get warranty with every camera you buy. But the JVC has some lovely camera’s awell but i never used one. Never liked the Canons though. Either go with the sony or the JVS (depends on the features and price)
p.s. didnt you open a thread a while ago about HD cams or dvd cams? 
Re: Video camera: JVC vs. Sony vs. Canon
I have a Sony HD camcorder, fist sony samcorder i have had .. and am very happy with it. previously i had panasonic which was decent except it kicked the bucket in 1.5 yrs, no complaints and prior to that it was some othe 8mm camcorder magnavox maybe, which was so-so. lasted a few years.
Re: Video camera: JVC vs. Sony vs. Canon
I have Sony MiniDV. Very crisp results, image stabalization etc. Their software for download isn't all that but I guess that will go for any MiniDV.
Re: Video camera: JVC vs. Sony vs. Canon
I've got a Sony MiniDV w High Definition Video. HDR HC3. I'm very pleased with it, and do give it a thought if you're buying a camera for the long term. If your house if equipped with High Definition, it might be a good call.
As for the DVD/Hard Disk/Mini DV debate, it really depends on how much time you want to spend editing your video. The easiest are dvds.
Mini DVs give you more versatility. The tapes are dirt cheap, editing is simple, and there is absolutely no quality loss.
I'll admit i'm not a fan of Hard Disk. Sure, you'll get 7 hours on the highest quality with 30gb, but the compression will show. If you plan on going on a vacation with it, make sure you have the patience to empty your cameras 30gb worth of video whenever you fill it up. You might not need 7 hours of video, but give it a thought if your camera is used for vacations. There is a long way before I switch over to Hard Disk.
Re: Video camera: JVC vs. Sony vs. Canon
yara, if i am making more tha 7 hours of movies on my vacation, then I am recording my vacation and not enjoying it.
and if I am gone for a long enough period of time that I will record more than 7 hours worth of video, then i will have my laptop with me to stay connected and there is no issue with downloading the videos on my laptop.
lastly as far as quality goes, it depends how much is enough for your purposes. From my perspective, it is okay, I am not recording anything that needs to be real high quality.