Jim,
I'll be the voice of the other side, since so many here have bragged about Sony.
I love my Canon Elura 100. I read its review on camcorderinfo.com, and it was well reviewed there. Canon brags that their 1/5 CCD is bigger and better than competitors' 1/6 CCDs. Also, the Canon website would have you believe that their widescreen mode uses the entire CCD, as opposed to other brands that create a false widescreen by cropping the top and bottom of the frame. Go to Canonusa.com for their side of the story. Compare it to the reviews on camcorderinfo and believe what you wish.
To avoid Canon's infamous dislike of "daisychaining," I connect the Firewire directly to my Mac Mini, rather than importing into my external hard drive. I have not had to disconnect the external drive in order to use the Canon; they have coexisted peacefully.
Another thing I like about Canon is the software that comes with it. They make sure that their photo software is Mac compatible. Of course, you don't
need anything outside of iLife. But I have had occasion to use the Canon photo software in cases where it could do things that iPhoto/iMovie couldn't do, especially for AVI video clips. Please note that this was for features of my still camera; I have not used the Canon software for any DV footage, and the movie software that comes with the camcorders is NOT Mac compatible. It is the photo software, Image Capture, that I have occasionally used.
I don't work for Canon or receive any compensation for praising their products. I am just a happy consumer who has acquired a degree of brand loyalty based on good experience.
Of course, feeling is believing. It really is important to go to a store and check out the camcorder's controls. You have to decide if you want the controls on the flip-out viewscreen, if you like more or fewer buttons on the back of the body, etc. The design of the Canon ZR series differs from the Elura. Camcorderinfo's review harshly criticizes the layout of the Elura. While I can't argue with any of their points (they are all based on fact) I can say that it hasn't interfered with my use and enjoyment of the camcorder. It really comes down to personal preference.
To convert your old analog footage you need to get a model that has analog input or AV/DV passthrough. I have used my camcorder to capture old analog Super 8 tapes (VHS, too) to mini DV tape, imported to iMovie, and created a DVD. The Elura will convert straight from analog to the Mac (without using a DV tape), but I wanted to update my old footage on DV tape, so I chose not to use the passthrough feature. [From a quick glance at the Canon website, it seems that only the ZR 700 model has the analog to digital conversion feature. The Elura is gone from their list, but still may be for sale at retailers or online stores.] You may also consider a model that has an input for an external microphone. Many models do not; the Elura 100 does.
Both Sony and Canon mini DV camcorders have a good reputation and will work well with iMovie. Just be sure you get the features you need and that you can live with the camera's controls.
