think how often youll be using your camera. I got my father a Vixia HF-R10 for christmas, but since its handheld it doesnt mount well to bikes, or isnt good for snowboarding etc. if you want video on bike, get something like a go-pro (or a non brand name that does the same thing). if you want to record youtube videos on stuff like how to polish, a go pro would be terrible.
and if your going to use the camera once and forget about it, then dont get a HD camera at all.
though for the occasional once in a while quick flick, id say go with a Nikon D90, as it DOES do HD video (most DSLR bodies do now a days). you have to remember though; DSLR's are NOT HD cameras. a lot of them wont auto focus when in video, and a lot of them will simply provide HD video that doesnt look very good (white balance etc), unless if your spending thousands on a DSLR that is designed to do video.
though the canon EOS lineup (5D etc) do a very good job at both. but im a Nikon dihard, though Canon does have a better menu system.
i say go into a camera store and dont let them talk you into anything. play around, read up, and then make a decision. heck, Im glad i shot pics with my 10 year old Olympus DSLR (without changeable lens) before i got my D70, as it taught me what every basic function does. get a friend who has a DSLR and knows how to use it, and have them teach you.
I can go on suggesting for hours... easier way is for you to say what you want to do. DSLR photography can get expensive quickly. example... basic lens is an 18-55 or 18-70mm... will shoot most stuff. but what if you want to do portraits? then you need a good lens with wide aperture, something like a 50mm 1.8 or, what i prefer for indoor shooting, a 35mm 1.8. then what if you do sports photography? need a good zoom lens, 55-200, with VR (vibration reduction) or canons equivalent, unless if your shooting with a tri-pod. oh yeah, you need one of those too.
heres how my week went.
D70- 80 dollars. a steal
18-55 EDII lens, 120 bucks, used. average price.
2 extra batteries- 19 dollars from ebay. not bad.
52mm UV lens- 17 dollars.
52mm Polarizing lens- 34 dollars.
id say thats the basics to do any serious shooting. you can get away without the polarizing, but IMHO if your shooting shiny bikes or cars outside, its needed.
270 dollars, for stuff that isnt new. not even the cost of a body, but ive been shopping around for a while. buy this stuff new, your loooking at least twice that.
i already had a tripod. since i have an idea of what i want to shoot, i will have the following additions soon enough....
vertical battery grip with a shutter button and control wheel, 12 or 14mm fish eye, another CF card (2gb of raw is good for most stuff, but i want to have the extra space if needed).
you can get away with less, but the more involved you get, the more you see why you need certain things. again... if i buy a new body, i already have the lenses. THATS why you invest in lenses. you will ALWAYS need them. and shots are only as clear as your lenses.
In the end, the camera will not be your limiting factor. I will have a while before a D70 body limits me in what i can do. when i hit the wall with my Olympus c-2500l, i KNEW i hit the wall. i KNEW my shots could not get better in terms of quality, as my camera was limiting me. so what did i do? i shot better. got better lighting, better subjects etc. but that only lasted for a while, and then you hit another wall. any dslr will do all you need and more for ages before you realize that its not you thats limiting your photography.
p.s. look at the photography thread!
p.p.s sorry for long post.
