Took me a long time to buy a really high quality camera (many years in fact), but I now own a Panasonic DVX-100A and love it. I have ambitions to do some outdoor videography (as I can find time) and really wanted to do it in as close to filmlook as I could afford. I've had this 24p camera now for about a year and have shot maybe 15 tapes worth of footage altogether, so I guess I have invested about 250 bucks per tape so far. I also bought a "DVRig Pro" shoulder mount for this camera and use it almost as much as the camera - It is really an excellent addition to any 3CCD camera if you want near steadycam shots in a fast action format.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is be sure you get what you need, but maybe not exactly what you want. I don't regret my purchase for a minute, but over the years I've learned to enjoy some toys that do actually cost more then I really needed to spend. And, I am still going to do some of that videography .

-Rodger