Everio Camcorders - any good and which one?

[mattlittle]

I really like the idea of a hard drive based camcorder. I have been looking at the JVC Everio MG20/30 or the MG50.

So here come the questions:

- Has anybody compared the MG20/30 and the MG50. Is the MG50 worth the extra money to go from 340k pixels (for moving images) to 690k? Would it be worth waiting for the MG70 (1.2M pixel)?

- There have been some really varied reports re image quality. Someone on here said that they were pleased with the image quality, but I have read reviews suggesting that they are grainy and washed out - any views?

- Anyone know if they are going to release a camcorder more like the MC500 (3 CCD 2M pixel) which almost universally is thought to have good picture quality, but using a built-in hard disc as oppose to a microdrive that can only hold 60 mins of top quality image?

- Finally (at last, I hear you say) any other manufacturers going to follow JVCs lead with HDD based camcorders?


Thanks and sorry for such a long first post post!

Matt

[mattlittle]

Just come across this:

JVC adds new hard disk cams
As expected, JVC is adding to its line-up of Everio hard disk-based camcorders. At CES it has announced four new models: a pair of 20 Gigabyte cams, the GZ-MG21 and GZ-MG27, and two 30 Gigabyte models, the GZ-MG37 and GZ-MG77. The big innovation for this year is that all the camcorders can be teamed up with a DVD burner for direct footage transfer, even if the owner doesn’t have a PC. JVC has also upped the transfer speed.

(from: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01..._2006_day_two/)

[mattlittle]

Oh and Sony are luaching a Hard drive based camcorder: http://www.techdigest.tv/2006/01/ces_2006_sony_t_1.html