I am looking into buying one and would very grateful for some advice. What qualities to look for, for optimum performance. :thumbsup:

i found for honest advice Jessops in meadowhell is pretty good, in there yesterday and theyve got a bargain sony for 249.99 and a canon for 249.99 both mini digital, hope this helps:nod:

Not really into camcorders,but a lot of the same principles apply.
Go round a few places and get the feel of a few.Optical zoom is always better than digital.image stabiliser would be good,abiity to take stills might be useful to you.Battery life and availability,ease of transfer to PC or TV etc.Camcorders come with a load of inbuilt effects which you may want or not.Try some and decide and then learn how to use and enjoy it.

Thanks alot for that useful information:thumbsup: I'll be taking your advice, I'll keep you posted:)