little advice on digital cameras needed...

[lagref]

Hello there, im looking for a bit of advice here. Im on the market for a digital camera unfortunately of fortunately (whichever way you look at it)there seems to be so much to choose from that i get all confused and flustered. The thing is i already have a Hi-8 camcorder but i think its time i went digital.I hear mini dv is very good , Then i heard about something called digi-beta but methinks that may be quite expensive.?? i hope to make many short films with this camera..im a wannabe independent filmaker whos 21 years old and went and dropped put of my two year history degreeto make a start on this film malarkey.I dont have a terribly large amount of money but im working pretty hard at the moment to save up for a camera. BASICALLY what id like to ask you guys is this..I cant afford really high end equipment but what wpuld be the best buy for me digital videocamera wise.. I reall want a nice digital videocamera and im just a little lost at the moment. I would be so grateful for any advice .I have my eye on the Panasonic NV-GS400. tHAT would set me back about 1,400 euros and i could stretch to that but if anyone knows of a camera cheaper than that which would be as good as then that would be great. I think it ought to be 3cc and have manual features as well as a mic in socket and decent image stabilization capabilities...

[Shaiya Studios]

MiniDV seems to be the way to go at the moment. I have a Sony camera, quality is excellent. I just need to have that same quality from DV take to DVD!

I am very much a beginner!

[whoisit?]

My personal opinion, though hopefully you have found something by now, is to look for a used canon GL2. You should be able to find one in decent shape for about 1000-1500 euros. I love the ccd chips in the canon and panasonic cameras, the colors are natuarally warmer and the GL1 and GL2 have enough manual overrides to keep even a pro happy. Make sure you get a 3CCD it is the only type that will give you broadcast quality so you display your film on something larger than a 14 inch TV set.

good luck