Canon Optura 20 Mini DV Camcorder

I bought this primarily as a playback camera to feed the tapes from my 3 chip mini DV camera into my computer. I am also using it to transcode analog tapes to DV format (without running tape) to get that material into the computer. The Optura 20 works nicely for both purposes. The fact that it is also a very decent video and still camera is a plus. Stills from the memory card (1.3MP) are surprisingly good under medium to bright light. The internal mic does pick up the motor noise. For $40 or so you can buy an AT-25 stereo camera mic and solve that problem. The 16x zoom is very good and sharp but cannot be successfully hand-held, even in steady shot mode. Also, lens is not wide enough for most inside shots. However, despite these drawbacks, I feel the Canon Optura 20 is far superior to most of the newer Canons in this price class.