When you compare camcorders like Canon XH A1 and Panasonic HVX200 in terms of image quality...

- Does the HVX200 deliver a much better image (when shooting in DVCPro HD) than the XH A1 with its HDV-format with lower color sampling?

(In theory the image from HVX200 should be much better, right ?? - but is it??)

People will argue the theory back and forth until the cows come home (and they have already here, do a search). Be aware, there's more than just the color sampling and compression ratios at work in the final image.

In the end, many people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two in a blind test.

You're much better off considering all the other operational and workflow aspects of a camera purchase than the qualitative differences...

I'll bet you lunch that if you have to ask the question between the two codecs, chances are you'll not see the difference until I point them out to you.

Nate is quite right, of course. Many factors affect "image quality" so much more than the recording format. The first and foremost important factor is the camera operator. This person has the greatest degree of impact on "image quality," much more so than the recording format or the camera itself. In the long run, let the pricing be your guide. If the prices are roughly equal, then so is the image quality.