Camcorder buying help please !

[matheran1]

I want to buy a camcorder. I am interested in a model my preferences are:
Spending around £200- £275.(preferable)
Use for holidays and family day outs
Need Mini DV format
Should be able to transfer old videos on DVD (if possible)
Wide screen recording.
I shall be using a MAC hence it should be compatible.

I am NOT interested in still pictures .

I have seen following models are they what I am looking?
Sony: Dcr hc 45E --£259
DCR HC 27: £ 199

Panasonic
NVGS 27 : £149
NV GS 60 :£179
NV GS 80 : £239

Please help !

thanks

[Badger0-0]

Canon MD-101 was recommended to me, by Redsocks (I think, apologies mate) and seems fine.
Maybe one to have a look at, until the expert answers you, as I'm sure he will

[redsox_mark]

Should be able to transfer old videos on DVD (if possible)
This requires a camcorder which as AV-input and can convert it to DV format; there used to be several of these, but none of the current range of DV cams has this feature.

All DV cams use Firewire to transfer the video which works on a MAC.

Wide screen recording.

All today’s camcorders will have a widescreen mode, but only some are “true widescreen”. This means you get widescreen without losing quality (others simply cut a widescreen shape out of a 4:3 picture so you lose detail).

What is confusing though is some companies don’t clearly tell you which models are true widescreen, and even those that do use different definitions of what this means.

The Canon MD101 is true widescreen, and tests/reviews show it really is.

The Sony HC27 and HC45 are not true widescreen. The HC47 is.

For the Panasonic models I’m not sure.

In this price class I like the Canon MD101 best.

[matheran1]

T|hanks mark & Badger0

Do I take you would recommend this canon? It will let me do all these functions I need?

Sorry to be a pain

[redsox_mark]

It can do everything except convert your old analogue footage, which none of the current models can do.

If you can still find a Canon MV960 it is similar to the MD101 (actually more similar to the MD160), and has this AV-in function.