What is the best camcorder to get?

JVC GRD30 MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and 16x Optical Zoom More Features * JVC's Night Alive feature boosts light sensitivity for a bright picture, even in situations with minimal illumination. * A 2.5-inch tilting LCD screen for high-angle overhead shooting, low-angle shots, or even self portraits. * The Picture Stabilizer system corrects camera shake instantly, giving you smooth and stable pictures. * Record still images onto the video cassette with a "shutter" sound effect in full frame or pin-up mode. * The Power Linked Operation feature prepares the camera to record simply by opening the LCD or pulling out the viewfinder. * The IEEE 1394 (FireWire) connections provides fast, loss-less digital transfer to a computer, or dubbing from or to another DV unit. MiniDV Format MiniDV is the preferred format for personal and broadcast-quality video, highly regarded for its high audio and image quality. With up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution and minimum color noise, MiniDV delivers a 20 percent clearer picture than analog camcorder formats. This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of 2 full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD..

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but for that price the Flip is as good as you gonna get. None of the camera/camcorders out there for that price will last long, or take quality video. You gonna have to get a bigger budget if you want better. You get what you pay for no matter what, the less you spend the worse it is. With that in mind good luck on your search.