[screemer]

Are they too noisy? Slower write times? Or is it that they just make the cam too big?

[redsox_mark]

Very little noise - is not an issue. Write times are fast enough for all the supported formats/bitrate. The cams are only "big" in comparison to the smallest flash memory models.

The biggest downside is what happens if the HDD fails? They generally seem reliable, they have moving parts, and we all know any HDD can fail.

[Educated Guess]

Quality.
A similarly priced MiniDV camcorder will produce better results.

[screemer]

Originally Posted by Educated Guess

Quality.
A similarly priced MiniDV camcorder will produce better results.

Will it?

[chrishull3]

Originally Posted by screemer

Will it?

the canon hv30 and sony hc-9 are the ony consumer cams people who have owned and still own cams like the hv20 and now have the sr12 say the sr12 is in no way inferior.

[redsox_mark]

With standard definition, that's probably still true, just about. A £300 ish DV cam like the Panny GS330 is better than your typical £300 HDD cam.

With HDV vs. the newest AVCHD models, it's not so clear anymore. Though the SR11 does cost a bit more than the HV30 generally.