This is a compilations of answers I gave from another thread.
What you need to look for when buying a camcorder:
1. Camera size vs. CCD Sensor size: The smaller it is, the smaller the CCD is going to be, the worse quality it's going to have. Making it worse, no DVD camcorder have the same quality as a mid-end miniDV camcorder.
If you HAVE to go with DVD, then the Sony model 403 is for you. If you can go with miniDV, then the Sony model 90 is for you. Everything else is a compromise.
Most camcorders come with only 1/6" CCD sensors. Those Sonys I mentioned come it 1/3" CCD sensors. The fact that they have 4x the surface area means taking pictures/videos in darker lighting more of a breeze. (much less digital grain, better resolution, better colour rendition).
2. make sure that the microphone is IN FRONT of the camera and NOT brushing with your fingers when you're holding the camcorder. There are too many camcorders with microphone closer to the back of the camera and/or having the risk of brushing with your fingers while recording resulting in bad audio recording. (imagine hearing scraping sound or getting ambient noise instead of your kid's singing)
3. I'd recommend: The miniDV is HC-90 and the DVD is the 403.
These models are going to be replaced (already are, at some locations) with DCR-HC96 (miniDV) and DCR-DVD405 (DVD). The high definition model number remains the same (HDR-HC1)
4. miniDV and D8 both using Motion-JPEG compression. DVD using MPEG2 compression worse than miniDV. That's the problem with interlaced video, there camera captures half a field/frame.
5. 3 CCD vs 1 CCD, if everything else is the same (CCD size, type of lens etc) are the same then the 3 CCD tend to be better in colour accuracy. However, Panasonic's CCD are smaller in size than the two models I gave you hence the low-light performance (indoors, Disney parades, etc) is still worse. Also the Sonys I mentined utilizes Primary Colour Filters to mimic (but not too succesfully) 3 CCD performance.
All in all, with the larger sensor and a somewhat similar colour rendition as the 3 CCD, the Sony is still better (I've tried Sony, Canon, Panasonic and JVC priced at $1200 and lower) with JVC to be the absolute worst.
As much as I love Canon and dislike Sony in general, for camcorders (consumer and prosumer models) there is nothing out there that best Sony just yet.
PS: Panasonic widescreen mode is not "real widescreen" (although they actually advertise it as true widescreen) and just simulated. So instead of having wider angle in widescreen mode, it actually chops off the top and bottom of the screen whereas the Sony and Canon camcorders use real widescreen where the recorded angle is actually wider in widescreen-mode.
6. Please, please, PLEASE moderator, we REALLY need a camcorder sticky.
