I dunno your skill level, budget, or anything since you didn't give any information at all... But the Canon HV40 is a sick cam! It's tape, but it's nice having a physical copy of your footage, and plus HDV video is much easier on your computer to edit than AVCHD footy that most SD cams these days use... But other than that, it's got great colors, full HD, and plenty of other features that will allow you to delve a little into manual settings without overwhelming you. Definitely a sick camera for a beginner and even for slightly more advanced users with a lower budget!