"From my nonscientific tests, the video quality has been similar on the cameras I've tested thus far. The Panasonic PV-DV401 doesn't have as many frills (some say gimmicks) as the Sony cameras, but it has the features that almost every filmmaker needs. Both the image stabilization and MagicVu functions worked as advertised, though I'm not sure how useful the latter is. The downsides are the lack of USB support for Macs, and the unimpressive still quality. Overall, it's worth a look if you're in the market for a fairly inexpensive MiniDV camcorder."