Buying a camcorder - Sony HDR-CX100, Canon HF10 or ?

[munzzzzzzz]

I'm in the market to buy a digital camcorder to record video of my baby boy as he grows up. I know very little about them so I'm looking for advice. I've done some brief homework and of the Sony's and Canon's, the two models I list seem to stand out. I definitely want flash-based storage, no Hard Drive because of weight and reliability. I'm not sold I need HD as I don't have a BlueRay player at this point but can't say what the future will bring. Of the two I list, the Sony is pretty much brand new while the Canon is one model behind. They are both about the same price. The canon was originaly more but appears to be cheaper because the new one is coming out. On Amazon the Canon has tons of reviews, all very favorable, the Sony only has a couple but they are all 5 star.

Other than the obvious stats (weight, zoom, built in storage, etc), can anyone offer subjective insight into the quality of these two camcorders in terms of overall video quality, ease of use, performance in low light, etc? And, if I'm not convinced I need HD, is it worth spending the money on one of these or should I just buy a cheap $300 model for now and get a nicer one when/if I decide I need HD? Either way, is there another model you would recommend over these two?

Any help is appreciated! (and don't suggest I get a 5dMkII, I'd love to but $600 is hard enough to justify!)

[Dooms_day]

ive used sonys for years and they have definately been the most reliable and dont screw up much. the handycam line is what i have expirience with, and for the money the HD version is definately the best. if you dont want an HDD, miniDV tapes are still sold almost everywhere and are used in 90% of home video cameras

[Zepher]

Go with a Canon.

[davidfig]

Only problem with Sony is Memory Sticks. Why do they have to force their type?

[Zepher]

Only problem with Sony is Memory Sticks. Why do they have to force their type?
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[bsaber]

I would go with Sony but that's only because they tend to have better low light capability.

[osv]

you are going to be hard pressed to beat the bang for the buck with the hf10... but take a look at this review of the sanyo, retail around $600: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sanyo-Xacti-VPC-HD2000-Camcorder-Review-36280.htm

if you can wait a couple of months for the new sonys and canons, it'll be a whole 'nother ball game.

[muscleflex]

canon 10! i have the sony tg3 myself but i bought it to bring alongside my 1D so i needed the size advantage. but if i was just to get a camcorder, canon hf10 or 11 definitely for their image quality

[stathunter]

I have been been a Sony Mini DV guy for a while-- but recently purchased a Flip HD----and not sure I will be going back to my other camcorders anytime soon. Love the ability to shoot in HD for 60 mins and have the camcorder in my pocket.

[kimmylixx]

the canon hv30 is incredible value.

[munzzzzzzz]

Thanks for all the advice. I ended up buying the Canon HF-100 - basically the same unit as the HF-10 but without the built-in memory. I got it from B&H for $529, and for $70 I could buy a lot more than the 16 GB that the HF-10 came with. For what it's worth, this model (along with the HF-10 and HF-11) came highly recommended by B&H, and the newer units that are coming out in April offer few improvements video-wise (the sensor is actually a little smaller!) but cost several hundred more.

If I had more time, I would have waited until the new ones came out and hoped that the price of the older models dropped even more. That wasn't really an option, though, as I needed something now.