Panasonic Camcorder SDR-H200

We took the plunge into the 20th Century this past week and bought a camcorder. I agonized over the best one to buy, and after several weeks of search and research, settled on the Panasonic SDR-H200 Palmcorder. Deciding factors were:

• Hard drive recording format (rather than MiniDV or some other tape format) which makes downloading select clips and working with manageable sections of video possible. Apparently with MiniDV etc., the entire tape has to be downloaded in order to burn or edit the video. With a hard drive, I can just download the clips that are worth keeping and delete the rest without having to download them first.
• Image stabilization was a significant factor. The Panasonics, and especially the H200, have the best image stabilizing features which is important to me as a novice with shaky hands.
• Ease of use. The camera itself is very easy, with clearly marked controls for video recording, still photos, and special features like zooming, external light, manual focus, etc. The software that comes with it for editing is also very easy to use - I was able to figure out the stuff we'll use most frequently just by using it without having to refer to the user manual. One other positive that I didn't think much about in advance is the size - the H200 fits my hand perfectly. All of the controls are within reach of my thumb or index finger, and it only weighs 1 pound.
  
• Rave reviews from Consumer Reports. We were almost going to buy the SDR-H18 which CR ranked as the best value in HDD Camcorders, but decided that the better video quality and built-in light of the H200 was worth a little more money.