Most will work, but the annoying thing is that avchd preview playback is about 6fps, which is a bummer. So most people either work with proxy files, or first convert to some other format. Both methods are timeconsuming.
On the other hand, Vegas works very well with hdv camcorders like the canon hv30/40. The downside here is that they record on minidv tape, and these cameras also record the hiss of the tape transport.

Go for a Canon HV30. If you want tapeless AVCHD, then upgrade to Platinum 9. And remember, you need the Platinum edition to do HD. The plain Movie Studio version doesn't do HD.

Thanks for the tip about the platinum edition.
The Canon is too expensive really. I can get the sony for under £370.
Will the footage import just like normal video or will there be a lengthy importing process?

Thanks again
:)
Mark

If you are looking for a toy point and shoot camera, the TG3 will do the job, but if you are looking for a powerful camera for a fraction of what other powerful cameras cost, then the HV30 is a better option.

>Will the footage import just like normal video or will there be a lengthy importing process?

For tape is 60 minutes of importing for 60 minutes of tape. For AVCHD tapeless camcorders it's as fast their internal SSD storage is.

I meant will the process of importing the footage into the Vegas interface take a long time? Normal videos import straight away to the interface (media window) so I just want to check that the AVCHD will import in a reasonable amount of time

thanks for the advice on the HV30
:)
Mark

>I meant will the process...

This is exactly what I replied above. My answer still stands.

Eugenia, the HV30 is very hard to find here in Europe, and it has also increased in price (from under 700€ to over 800€, if you can find it). The hv40's price is going down, but is still around 1000€.

At Yonnermark: also consider the Canon SX1 (full hd, avchd, cmos sensor) and the Panasonic TZ7 (records in both motion jpeg and avchd, ccd sensor, 12x zoom, stereo sound, 720p).

I'm leaning towards the Canon HF200 as my first camcorder. It's a relatively inexpensive HD model. It writes files in AVCHD format to flash memory. Any comments or suggestions as to this model?

I also considered the JVC Everio GZ-HM200, the Sony HDR-CX100, and the soon-to-be-released Panasonic HDC-SD10K.

BTW, I have VMW v8 Platinum Edition. I not sure what issues (if any) I'll encounter trying to manipulate the video files that these camcorders produce.

When I was in the selection process of a new camera, both the HF200 and the SX1 were on my shortlist. You must realise you will have 6fps in preview, unless you transcode to some format Vegas can better deal with, or work with proxy files (see Eugenia's tutorial for that). In both cases, the workflow is that you first have to transcode all your files, which is timeconsuming) before you can start editing.
Besides that, both camera's are excellent, and pretty sure the future will bring a solution to this issue.

HF200's footage should be real time on a modern PC with 2+ GB of RAM.

Ivan123: You indicated that, prior to editing, I would need to transcode my files or work with proxy files.

Eugenia: You indicated that, since I would be using an HF200, I might *not* need to transcode my files prior to editing.

I have a new Dell Quad Core PC with 6 GB of RAM. Not having *any* experience editing AVCHD video (nor much experience editing non-HD video, for that matter), what kind of issues can I expect to run into with Vegas? Does my potentially using an HF200 improve things or not? Thanks!

Your PC is fine to edit AVCHD as is. No transcoding to anything.

Thanks! That's good to know. So I'll be able to simply copy the files (.MTS, I believe) from the flash drive to my hard drive and then simply open them for editing in Vegas?