When I do decide to buy the FX1, is it better to get the PAL version since I would like to do indie films with it and it is close to 24fps - or does the 60i NTSC version work just as well down-converting with DVFilmmaker or Magic bullet?

I've heard that 50i is a little better, and that cf25 and cf30 are also cleaner than cf24 (but no personal experience there). However you will be limiting yourself by owning a PAL camera in an NTSC country if you ever want to shoot regular video. If you feel you really need 50i then you should consider getting the Z1 since it can be switched between 60i (NTSC) and 50i (PAL).