[DaveGrohl]

Which camcorder would you say is better and would be a better purchase?

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hdd-av...rive/hdr-sr12e

http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/prod...hv30/index.asp

[A n d r e w]

Depends on whether you want to record to tape or harddrive, since you've got one of each there.

As far as picture quality goes, there's not much in it. The Canon can shoot progressive video; I don't believe the Sony can. It's not exactly a biggie, though (unless you're in the US since there you get 24P and 30P on the Canon, and 24P improves the light-catching abilities of the camcorder compared to the usual choice of shutter speeds on US consumer camcorders, where 1/30th of a second is usually the slowest).

The Sony feels the better built of the two. It's also more expensive.

[senu]

As stated , Quality wise they are very close

But
You are comparing different formats

The Sony has newer technology; Does that make it better? Hard to say

Sonys nearest similar model, The HC9 was endowed with similar less but a sensor and processor a little less advanced making comparison very uneven

Unsurprisingly as they didn't want to make an HDV model with identical innards as their flagship AVCHD model at the consumer level where they are trying to outmode tape
On thier Pro /Semi Pro range HDV is still very alive.

Simple answer: Although results are more similar than not , they are both very good but not directly comparable

A bit like comparing Mindisc and MP3 audio

[eo777777]

if you are not bothered about build quality etc, i will save some money and go for hv30..

[senu]

The build quality of the HV 30 is actually good , rather better than the HV 20 ( which it replaced) which had the bulk of build quality complaints
Comparison with the SR 12 on build quality is perhaps a little bit of nitpicking (IMHO) as I don't know any HV30 owners who complain their units are falling to bits