$250 less and Better than the Sony

I have spent over 2 weeks and MANY hours researching cameras. Just returned the Sony HC40 ($650 @ BestBuy) for the JVC. Low light performance was key for us and much of our shooting is indoors with our new baby. Sony's looked like it was B&W and very grainy. JVC is still what you expect for a sub-$1000 camera, but WAY better than Sony.

Sony was a little thiner, but barely. Overall - comparable in all regards to Sony for much less. Cheaper Sonys (20 and 30) are lesser for the exact same price. JVC is also available online for even less than we paid locally.

If you don't have one, spend $50 and get a firewire port and cable for fast, quality transfers.

Also compared to Panasonic cameras - very comparable - a friend has the GS14 (very nice camera) and again, superior low light performance won us over - the JVC is even comparable to the 3 CCD Panasonic GS120 and in a smaller body, for less money.

It does lack ability to connect ext. mic, but that was not a feature that we cared about.

Great reviews at camcorderinfo Look at the images of each camera side by side (open new windows for each) and look at the actual ratings - we didn't care about gain control and an external mic, so not counting the points the JVC lost for those items, it was easily equal to much more expensive cameras.