For about the same price I can get either an HD700 which I really like it for its size, flash recording, and still picture quality OR A Canon HV10. Its bigger but still small, does 1080i, but uses Mini DV which isn't too bad since I have quite a few Mini DV tapes but not quite as easy for transfering to computer than flash. So what would YOU buy if you had $600? I'm taking a trip next weekend and need to decide today.

Well I went with the HD700... I decided small is better.

Flash memory is generally wonderful. You won't regret leaving the world of tape.
Neither of them have an external microphone.

An external mic is not something i'd use, so that's fine. I bought it from Amazon so I can always return it if I don't like it (or exchange for the HD1000).

Should include Panasonic SD7 on your list.
I would buy SD7 over HD1000 because it is made as a video camera.
But I also have HV20 and it is so useful to have a small camera that does 24p to match with my other 24p capable larger size cameras.

edit:shoot, didn't realize that they don't sell SD7 outside of Japan. I played around a bit and I was certain it had english language selection.

I agree with Kaku. The SD7 seems to be a great alternative to the HD1000. Reason being that it has 3CCD and a similar form factor (pistol style). It seems more box shaped than the HD1000 and lighter (plastic feeling body).

I played around with it at Yodobashi Camera the other day as well and it does allow you to switch over the menu system to English.

I don't know how the video quality is compared to the HD1000. I'll take an SD card with me to the shop and see how the footage works and see if it's compatible with Mac.

I nearly bought an Xacti to play around with. How is the footage ?

On SD7, I think it won't be much less in quality as the HSC1U.
HSC1U didn't break up as much as HD1000 when you pan the cam.

Over the weekend Amazon had the Sanyo down to $400. I think the sale is over though. I personally like the Sanyo better since k really don't like tapes anymore. For consumer uses the flash media and the Sanyo seem better.

I wanted to add a pocket vid/cam to my kit as I seem to only carry a camera with me if there's some specific purpose in mind. Missed a lot of stuff by not having a camera with me. I was first thinking a pocket still camera that also shot video, Kodak V1253 does HD, but after testing it decided that a video camera that shot stills would be a better way to go.

I was looking at the Sanyo's and liked the HD1000's specs but when I got to play with one I discovered that it's too big for my pocket and would end up with my other gear after the first couple weeks of newness playing wore off. Searched the net and found a nice HD700 user review with sample stills and footage on Steve's Digicams. Then Amazon did their Black Friday thing which pushed me over the edge and I went for the HD700.

Just got it Friday and ran some tests yesterday. Shooting 4:3 stills with it is interesting but the image quality and videos samples I shot are quite nice. Definitely think it will ruin me for tape.

I plan to see of I can rig something up so I can use a 0.5x with it. So far, I like the camera.

As of this second Amazon dropped the price of the HD700 to $299.99. No idea why or how long, others are still selling them for $550-599. I liked mine before but with the $100 refund I have coming, I REALLY like it. :-)

They also increased the price of the HD1000 so it must be a more popular seller at Amazon. Sanyo is extremely lucky that Panasonic haven’t released the SD7 to the U.S. yet. That camcorder should have been out by now.

They also increased the price of the HD1000 so it must be a more popular seller at Amazon. Sanyo is extremely lucky that Panasonic haven’t released the SD7 to the U.S. yet. That camcorder should have been out by now.

I'd like the see the Panasonic SD7 but I'm quite pleased with the HD700 I bought. I like the way it feels and I like using it. I bought it to be a pocket carry camera as I have other cameras but never seem to feel like taking one out with me. The HD700 fixes that.

That price drop makes the HD700 only 100 bucks more than the Aiptek GO-HD camcorder and considering the HD700 retails for 600, you’re literally getting it for half that. Now if only Amazon would offer this type of price drop to their more expensive camcorders.

That price drop makes the HD700 only 100 bucks more than the Aiptek GO-HD camcorder and considering the HD700 retails for 600, you’re literally getting it for half that. Now if only Amazon would offer this type of price drop to their more expensive camcorders.

It went up a bit more today -- $30 to $80 depending on color. It's like buying stock. :-)

I'm going to work on rigging up a wide angle adapter to mine. I really like it. Shooting on tape tomorrow and it feels primitive. :-)

I bought a brown one today...still $299. The silver, probably the most popular color, had jumped up in price but the odd colors, brown and red, are still at rock bottom prices. Odd, isn't it, to be choosing a camcorder on the basis of color now.

I bought a brown one today...still $299. The silver, probably the most popular color, had jumped up in price but the odd colors, brown and red, are still at rock bottom prices. Odd, isn't it, to be choosing a camcorder on the basis of color now.

As of this second the brown one is $350, silver is $518, and red is $380. Silver used to be the least expensive one, who knows what they're doing. No where else are the prices fluctuating or dropping. I'm glad I got mine from Amazon. :-)

I've used both, I feel the HV10 has a better picture and feels better in the hand. However the HD700 is nice in the pocket. I do like going to tape because hey, hard drives crash too... would hate to see my footage gone forever. That and you can playback all the mini-DV tapes you acquired over the years.

On a technical side I think the HDV of the HV10 looks better than the compression of the HD700. Much cleaner, look at a waterfall then you'll notice the quality instantly with out a doubt.

Just a thought to consider, how much you shoot will also affect how much storage you'll need with the HD700. With HDV tape an hour of footage will cost you about $3 to store forever.

I do like going to tape because hey, hard drives crash too... would hate to see my footage gone forever. That and you can playback all the mini-DV tapes you acquired over the years.
...
Just a thought to consider, how much you shoot will also affect how much storage you'll need with the HD700. With HDV tape an hour of footage will cost you about $3 to store forever.

Hmm. The HD700 uses a SD/SDHC card, not a hard drive. Not sure cards crash. Also, the cards aren't expensive, just saw a 8GB Class 6 for $30 after rebate -- smaller cards are cheaper. On the HD700 you can record 2 hours and 46 minutes on a 8GB SDHC card. Cards are reusable over and over and over, they're very small in size, and 32GB ones are on the way -- that's a LOT of video. Cards take less time and effort to load on the computer, and data can be burned to DVD, DL-DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray, or whatever for archiving. Not to mention the decent quality stills you can take and store on the same card as your video.

Tape does not last forever, it ages, and can have all sorts of problems. Even if it did last forever if you change cameras, formats (SD, HD, HDV, AVC/H.264, et al), you may or may not be able to read your old tapes on your new gear. How's that 8-track tape collection working? :-) Heck, when was the last time you saw a record player or cassette recorder?

Tape is on the way out. Not today, but soon. I have three miniDV cameras and I have to say that using my HD700 has spoiled me. I grumble when I have to use tape now.

A REAL big difference between the 2 cameras is image quality and in that regard- the HV10 is leaps ahead of the HD700....at the price of some inconveniences with tapes.

In plain simple terms, looking at two large-screen tvs side by side with one projecting HV10 footage and the other HD700, what would the untrained eye notice? (I ask this because I am going to do a backpacking documentary using the lightest possible gear...but I don't want to compromise much on image quality. And my HD 700 hasn't arrived yet.)

The HD700 uses a SD/SDHC card, not a hard drive. Not sure cards crash. Cards can crash. I've had more than one SD card go bad on me. Cheap cards are easily corruptible, but I've also had a SanDisk SD card go south. It can happen.

Hm, Chris, you could be the unlucky one to have two crashed.
So far I never crashed any compact flash nor SD cards.
But hey, I had more than few brand new Barracuda ES's crashed on me.

Cards can crash. I've had more than one SD card go bad on me. Cheap cards are easily corruptible, but I've also had a SanDisk SD card go south. It can happen.

Whoa. More than one?!? I've never had a card cash, even left one of the old SmartMedia cards in a pair of pants that were washed and dried, data was intact! I'm serious. I knew that the microdrives can crash. Learn something new everyday.

Memory Card Error: Card Locked!

...this from a SanDisk 256MB SD card with the card lock switch in the open / unlocked position. Also, a 1GB SanDisk Ultra II with a stripped housing (card housing fell apart). Despite these problems, I continue to use SanDisk cards without complaint. Will try to dig up the boggled 1GB card and photograph it for you.

Memory Card Error: Card Locked!

...this from a SanDisk 256MB SD card with the card lock switch in the unlocked position. Also, a 1GB SanDisk Ultra II with a stripped housing (card housing fell apart). Despite these problems, I continue to use SanDisk cards without complaint. Will try to dig up the boggled 1GB card and photograph it for you.

Now I have seen a card locked glitch like that. Turned out to be my camera and a firmware update fixed it. I use whomever's on sale. Kingston has a $15 rebate on a Class 4 8GB SD card so that's what I'm using. I have other assorted other brands and, so far, not hassles.

Amazon has the price of the HD700 back down to $299.99 on two of the models.

My grandmother turned 85 several days ago and she's getting week so I along with a few of my family members are thinking about visiting her next month in the Azores, Portugal so I really need to save my money for a plane ticket but Amazon needs to calm down with these sales because I’d go berserk if they did something like offering either the Panasonic SD5 or the Sanyo HD1000 for $500 within the next 2 weeks.

HG10 does have an external mic option, and 24P and 1080i I would now look closely at a hd1000 also with a mic option, and 1080i or 720p no 24 though.

edit sorry misread it at first you were comparing the hv10 not hg10 never mind.