I'm in the market for a consumer HD cam with sdhc card capability. What cam would you recommend? Do you currently use one and what is your oppinion? I am going on vacation in July and would like to take one with me.

I have the canon HF11 and it is just superb, 1920x1080i 50i or 25p at 24mbs onto 32gb internal memory and SDHC card slot. Small enough for a pocket and the stills option means my holidays are well covered.

It also has a mic input and manual settings for more creative videography and at 25p the pictures are stunning.

I paid £550 ($800) for mine so it was a bargain too.

I have four Canon HD cameras. An XH A1, HV10, HV30 and my most recent addition, an HF100. Each of them are high quality pieces of kit that create high quality images. Although not directly of import for you, in good light, the images from each are quite similar and match well when combined in my final projects. What this tells me is that Canon's quality is pervasive across the line and that should translate to a long life of quality video for you.

Now, is that different from Sony, Panasonic and the rest? Not really. All the major brands should do a good job for vacation videos.

What I would recommend is that you go to your nearest retailer and play with the products from different makers that interest you. You may find the ergonomics of one brand more to your liking than another. For example, my Panasonic GS-400 has controls that are nearly inscrutable and Sony's propensity for touch screen menus borders on maddening. But that's just me.

Find one you like to work with and you should be good to go.

There are a lot of consumer HD camcorders out there, that record to SDHC cards. The various models have different strengths and weaknesses. You really need to be more specific about your needs (and budget), if you want to get useful advice.

I use the Canon HG20; a little cheaper than the HF11, because you've got 60GB of hard drive internal memory, rather than 32GB of solid-state, but for the price, it doesn't make a difference, and I can record to flash-media anytime anyway.

I am also thinking of buying a small camera for holidays as well as using it, sometimes, in my professional work and I can't decide between the two: Sony HDR-CX12 or Canon HF11. Please help me out.

Stelios

Robert your right, I want an hd cam that I can use for family events but to be able to also use with weddings or whatever project comes along as a 3rd camera. My budget would be under $1200. I will look into some of the ones suggested.

Stelios, Lalo -
You should take a good look at the new Sony XR500V. The Canons typically have more manual control but the XR's have some advantages for "casual" use.

The CX12 is a neat little camera (I hope MAYBE Sony will release an update with the XR's "R" sensor, but I suspect the CX12 may be the "end of the line" for that particular small format in the Sony line), the XR isn't that much bigger or heavier, and the new "R" sensor and super OIS is worth the price of admission. There are quite a few other "bonuses" too, like a VF, bigger LCD, and a big hard drive (you can still use the Memory stick Duo slot to record stills or video).

The XR's represent a very capable camera for casual/family use, but the image quality keeps up with much more expensive cameras, particularly in low light conditions where the smaller cams typically fall down hard... It's one of those cases where spending a bit more will get you a lot more useful camera, IMO, expecially for 2nd/3rd cam use.

I can't speak to the Canon HF11 as I haven't had hands on one, but it's got a pretty good reputation, and it's got more adjustability and I/O than the CX12 (which I have owned, and retired for the XR500), so if you're set on one of those, the Canon might be the "better" camera, but the XR500V/520V should be on your list.

Actually the Sony XR500 is on my list. Been comparing it with Canon HF S10 and the Pan HS300. To be continued...

Moved from Open DV to AVCHD.

Robert your right, I want an hd cam that I can use for family events but to be able to also use with weddings or whatever project comes along as a 3rd camera. My budget would be under $1200. I will look into some of the ones suggested.

I'd suggest taking a serious look at the new Panasonic TM300, if you can stretch your budget to $1300.

Take a look at HF S10/100,
Amazing camcorder, from this year models it has the largest imager, lens and the highest data rate; I have one, and I can tell I'm still surprised with the picture quality,
good luck:)

I just ordered a Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 . It's quirky because of its pistol grip form factor, but it got an awesome review elsewhere and it has some great features: 1080/60p @ 24mbs - that's right; also does a 600FPS slow mo but at a reduced size. It has full manual control, 1/8" audio in with manual level*, and a headphone jack. It's OIS sucks, so it's not a good hand hold cam, but I always use a stick or three.

I never even considered this camera before, but I bought one new off Ebay today for $600 with extras. I wanted the Panny 300, but at less than half the price I figured it's worth a try.

I want to see how it will match up with the HMC150 I have on order.

I like Canon. I've got a couple HV20s, that can shoot stunning footage in the right conditions (think good lighting). The Canon's don't give you the kind of manual control that something like a Panny TM300 (or sister models) offer though. Also, the TM300 should do better in low light conditions. The price tag on the new TM300 is a bit hefty though. I'd like to get one, but I'll just hang on to my HV20s awhile longer, until prices drop.