Camcorders are becoming more the video/still all in one answer than their digital camera counter parts. But you still have to decide if you want great pictures or great video. It's still too expensive to have both at this point.
I liked the JVC line, Enviro, I believe it was called, as far as size, and how user friendly it was. I think their 30 Gig model was around $650 at Future Shop last I saw, which was over a month ago.
I wasn't too much a fan of what I saw from Sony... especially due to the Memory Stick Pro Duo. It's more expensive than any other memory stick, and for the most part, only Sony uses it. Not sure how compatible it is with other things.
I'd reccomend looking into Canon as well. When I worked for Future Shop, they seemed to be the guys setting the bar with all the products we were carrying.
And remember, if you are going into a Hard Drive camcorder, it's like a computer... the HD can crash at any moment. Remember to back up your video as soon as you can.
Sorry I couldn't provide a specific model to make your choice easier, but I hope this has helped.
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