I've been thinking lately about getting an HD camcorder at some point, but unfortunately I'm kind of strapped for cash right now. That being said, I was at Staples the other day and I saw a Sony Webbie HD camcorder for $180. I looked at some reviews online that said the image quality isn't great, the automatic focus and exposure don't always work well, etc. etc. Still, I think that it may be a notch above the typical Aiptek or Flip cheapo HD camcorder. However, I'm not aware of all the options out there. So, what is the best HD camcorder out there for under $200? I'm well aware that I'm not going to get something top quality for that price, but I think it would be better than nothing. I might also consider a really nice SD camcorder in that pricerange (like a professional one), but I don't think any exist.
I don't think your going to find a HD camcorder with optical zoom and that in my oppinion is a must along with image stabilizer because what good is HD resolution when it's just a digital movefest blurr. Personally i've had very good experiences with the sanyo xacti series, they seem to offer more spec for less money then most big names like sony.
My friend bought a Sanyo Xacti camera from Best Buy for $300. Has optical zoom, widescreen viewfinder... In outside daylight, the video quality is great. Indoors, it's a yellowish blur. In later times of day, the picture is so god-awful it's completely unsuitable.
