I am considering between the Sony HC19 and the HC39. I think the 19 has 20x optical zoom and the 39 has 12x optical zoom. What is the difference (sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but I know nothing about camcorders)

The HC39 only has a 12 optical zoom and a 480 digital zoom (so forget about the digital zoom). I'm not 100 per cent sure but I think the HC19 has a 20 optical zoom so if it is the larger zoom that is the decider for you then go for the 19. The 39 on the other hand has a one mega pixel ccd to allow you to take still pics. But read the user reviews in magazines and on the web before deciding.

Thanks Greenbag. I was surprised at the difference, as I expected the 39 to have a higher spec in all aspects. But it looks like they have cut corners on the optical zoom in order to make way for other featrues, such as the still photo feature etc.

[melliott1963]

High optical zooms are good, BUT, the more you zoom, the more likelihood that any camera shake you have will become more noticable. To get the best out of it, you should really use a tripod or monopod unless you're certain that you can hold the camcorder rock steady.

My old Sony had a 20x optical zoom, whereas my new one only has 10x. I was a little concerned at first that I might regret not having such a large zoom, but, to be quite honest, for what I use a camcorder, I can't say that I've missed it.

You should also consider if you really need the stills feature of a camcorder, bearing in mind that you'll never get as good results as using a dedicated digital camera.

Thanks Melliott. I think i would be better off with a larger zoom than a still photo feature, as i already have a Cybershot, which is excellent.