What are some good quality video cams for filming skateboarding and short films?

Question

I'm in the market for a nice new cam, and looking for something with hi-def, hi frame rate, and just overall good quality.

Answer 1

read my answer to this question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArYEpcY5B_RCici0jxDd.kXzy6IX?qid=20060918091425AAhPo2M

i know everyone thinks hi-def is really great, and it is, but there are also downsides to it. if you absolutely have to go hi-def, then dont read the following. first of all, hi-def has an mpeg-2 compression, which provides awesomely clear picture quality when downsized to SD, but after editing, probably doesnt offer as great quality when viewed in HD (slightly less quality, but not like comparing dvds to vhs). also, just getting it onto your computer, editing it, and then outputting as HD (or even SD) requires enormous memory and processing power, and takes longer to do than SD minidv). finally, other than film festivals, which usually accept HD, a lot of people dont have HD sets.

however, that was just my point of view. if you are set on going HD, then go for it. as for hi frame rate, i dont think any minidv cameras have that (although i could be wrong), however, many cams offer high speed shutter, but i guess that really doesnt do you any good when you make your clips slo-mo. personally, i think you are good with a canon gl2. if you want a high quality HD cam and have the bucks to dish out, go for the sony HDR-fx1. or if you plan on staying SD, but want a REALLY nice unit, and have the bucks for it, the canon xl2 is pretty good. and finally, there is the canon xl-h1, an HD cam, which costs $9000 bucks. if you have the money and are a quality freak, what the hell, get it.