Which Camcorder is best for under 1k?

[Nodstad]

I have done a fair bit of research but still can't seem to put my finger on the camera I want. I def want 1920x1080.
So far I have,
Panasonic SD20 - Around $800 (cheapest of the 3 and in reviews seems to get better results, image-wise, than the sony. Also uses SD slot which will work good with my Panny HDTV)
Sony HDR XR100 - Around $900 (has slow mo feature and that auto face picture feature, HDD)
Canon VIXIA HF20 - Around $1000 (seems the best quality to my barely-trained eye - but most expensive)

I would use the camera quite often, for small video projects and filiming special events etc. Also, quality in poor lighting situations is a factor...

I would love anyone's opinion on which of these I should go for and why?
Or, If there are any others that are better please post it up here.

Thanks guys!

[Nodstad]

Just doing some more looking I also found....
Sony HDR-CX12ms
Canon Legria HF200

I see that some of these have bigger CMOS sensors which generally means better quality right?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Camcorder Guru]

I think what you are after is value.

I would look at things such as the size of the image sensor, the optical zoom,lens,the bit rate and of course the price.

My suggestions are either the Canon or JVC. The reason why is that for under $1K, they both have the largest CMOS image sensors. They are 1/4" while other brands have smaller sensor sizes of 1/5" or even worse 1/6". They both can record at 24mbs while the other record at 16mbs. JVC has the advantage of the highest optical zoom x 20 while everyone else is either 10x or 12X-15X. Its good to have that extra zoom if needed while JVC still use a larger sensor. I think a good allrounder is the JVC GZ-HM200 (2 SD card slot) if you are into SD card camcorders or for a little more $$ go for the GZ-HD300 that has a 60GB HDD, usefull especially if you are going to travel or just simply need the capacity.These two models just offer value. May I suggest that you have a look in store and see for yourself.