Hi,
Its difficult for most to answer as they will either own one or other and can possibly only give their experiences of their camcorder.
I have recently purchased the HC42. I have found it to be very good so far. Its true widescreen has excellent connectivity. Its widescreen LCD uses touch sensitive screen instaed of loads of buttons and I find it a great way of setting things. Its small and compact and so far the quality of footage I have shot has been very good. I would certainly recommend the HC42camcorder. I don't regret buying it at all.