HD camcorder..??

Hello world

Im looking to finally upgrade from the old SD cam to the HD cam. I've been looking around trying to find something for a decent price. I've been looking at the Sony HDR-HC9 and the Canon HV30. I've also looked into the HDD, AVCHD format cams. From what i've read, having a camcorder with this new format is not easy to work with when editing. How true is this, and is it worth it to go this rout? Or is it easier to stick with minidv?

I've also ran across some sites selling the HDR-HC9 and the HV30 for very cheap (300-500 dollars) They are not mainstream sites and seem a little sketchy to me. Anyone know how cheap is too cheap when looking for one of these cams?

Sorry for all questions, just trying to find the best product for my bucks. Thanks in advance for all the help.

Most of those real cheap sites are 100% scams... like Broadway Photo which has numerous other sites and many legal complaints pending. Search them first but I'd stick to B&H.

I have a Canon Vixia HF10 and love it. It is VERY easy to edit the footage using iMovie. I record all of my footage on a 4G card then use a card reader to get the footage to my Mac. It is a breeze and the footage is amazing. Most of my footage is on facebook so if you have an account you can check it out. I really love the HF10. It also takes decent stills which lets me avoid dragging around another camera most of the time.

Rob,
Thanks for the info man. I did run across that Broadway site, and many others. I did a quick review on them and they were all negative comments.

So, with the flash memory, that records in AVCHD format correct? and you havn't had any issues with editing? Do you use iMovie 08'? or the previous version?

Just curious on peoples thoughts about using HDV and AVCHD. Trying to decide on whether to buy an HD camcorder using tapes or the newer HDD and/or flash memory formats. Any info will help me out. Thanks