Hey Tony, just check your facts before you reccomend something like that...I work at Best Buy (my store carried the XL1S when it came out, we just sold our display GL2 about 2 months ago... we used both displays for different events, main reason I got interested in this stuff is because I was the one who was shooting with those Canons)

The return policy is 14 days for cameras, camcorders, laptops, desktops, everything else is 30 days...also there is a 15% restocking fee for any of those items if opened...no exceptions (we have had way too many people try to take advantage of return policys back in the day)

So if you pick up a HC3 from BBY, or Circuit City, ect. just bear in mind you have two weeks and you'll be paying them about $220 to use it for that short period of time! So look into renting a nicer cam for the same money

In regards to audio, I also use a beachtek (I currently use an FX1) and have a Sennheisser M66 shotgun on a k-tek boom pole, and I've gotten very good results with that setup especially indoors. IMO, audio is as, if not MORE important than video quality, I can't bear to watch "student films" with all that dead time between dialogue when you hear that hiss! Drives me nuts!

Most important things in a short IMHO (in order...anyone who disagrees, please comment)

1) Acting/ Blocking
2) Editing
3) Audio
4) Lighting (natural lighting can work, depending on how you use it)
5) Video quality/ 'film-look' (still important, but comes last IMO)

Unless Circuit City is now charging 15% again, I think they're the only ones not charging a re-stocking fee in the first few days before you return it.

hwm

ps-What makes for a good film? A good camera, but not something that's so expensive. I count myself as one of the guys (once upon a time) who thought a better camera meant a better movie. Not true, and I'm glad I'm over that expensive thinking!

hwm