Best $800-900 camcorder for home:CANON or SONY ?

[GEOrifle]

Hi guys.
Now i'm REALLLLY confused because it's new for me.
First i choose Canon VIXIA HF S200 but it's to big, then Canon VIXIA HF M31 32GB Flash
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-409-_-Product
Then someone told me SONY is the top one in Camcorders and Canon in Digital cameras. So i find Sony Handycam HDR-CX500V 32 GB Flash(it's 2010 model ?)
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Handycam-...3190069&sr=1-1

Hard to decide, wanted new 2010 model and with 32 Gb Flash memory one.
They should be not biger than 5.4 x 2.6 x 2.5"
Above camcorders are good but for same price maybe you can recommend beter one ?

 

[theblackbox]

it's too bad the hf s200 is too big for you, it's a great camera. i prefer canon over sony, canon cameras offer more features in my opinion. sony has the market on easy to use consumer cameras, though.

if you get a camera with internal flash, realize that you'll have to plug the camera into power in order to transfer footage off. if you just use a camera with sd, you can remove the sd card to download footage, its a lot easier.

 

[GEOrifle]

I like Canon VIXIA HF S200 too but first i wanted it for my daughter and CNET complaining about Optical Lens protectot blinder's cheap construction...

 

[TridenT]

I like Canon VIXIA HF S200 too but first i wanted it for my daughter and CNET complaining about Optical Lens protectot blinder's cheap construction...

lol, personally... I would never get a $800-$900 camcorder for my daughter if I knew she wasn't super careful with that stuff.

 

[tdawg]

I know this decision can be agonizing and I don't mean to derail your research so far, but in that price range, you may want to look at the new Panasonic TM700 (I believe). Gets strong reviews on camcorderinfo.com, though I can't personally confirm their reliability; I just found them a couple of weeks ago when I really started digging into buying a new camcorder.

I ended up with the Sony CX150 after going between that and the Canon M30 (same as the M31 with less built-in memory) mostly because I couldn't justify the extra $100 of the M30 and I liked the smaller size of the Sony.

 

[GEOrifle]

Isn't Panasonic TM700's fan noisy? Product Dimensions: 6 x 8 x 5 inches ; 3 pounds
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds -Big and HEAVY...
Canon VIXIA HF M31 Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 2.7 x 4.9 inches ; 4 ounces
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds.
I'm loocking for better than Canon VIXIA HF M31 but same size or little smaller.

 

[mmntech]

I've used professional Sony gear (XDCAM) but I've heard mixed things about the Handycam line. I like Canon's stuff. If it's for your daughter, $800 is a lot to spend, especially if she's new to videography or is just using it to film family stuff. A good SD camcorder might be better. They're about half the price.

 

[ZXT]

I go for Sony when it comes to camcorders and Canon for DSLR's or Digicams.