yes exactly!

So you users of the A1 are pretty happy with the low light capabilities, receptions, etc?

Yes, definitely (that's coming from a former vx2100 owner) At 25f, 6+db gain and 1/25 shutter the camera performs well enough. There are better low light camera's out there like a fx1000 but I do like the overall image the canon produces and the tweaking you can do to fit a certain mood.

I was thinking of getting Z5u over the FX1000 because it has the XLR inputs, but they are a few thousand over a used A1. So if the A1 produces good images in low light, I'm not sure I can justify spending the extra money for the sony. I would seriously consider it if the A1 was borderline unusable once lights drop.

HD for me was very easy to choose, My reasons where the crisp image you get even after down conversion, more room to play with the image size (zooming etc) and colour grading.

As far as low light, I have shot quiet a few times without light on the A1 and it was good to ok and still could push it once I was doing the colour grading. The difference I noticed between HD and SD footage in a low light situation is I had less room to change things in post, I can still push the colour and contrast in HD but found from SD footage it became super grainy and washed out. Also if its a not very active reception then putting a low noise filter on the A1 does quiet a good job.

The HD codecs cams shoot with are constantly argued as far as a poor acquisition formats and I understand if you are shooting for a film where a lot of post and very detail work goes into (which in that case you should be directly capturing in a higher format to the computer) but for a wedding it really is not going to make a difference or pretty much most things other then shooting for maybe broadcast and even then I have shot stuff on hv30 that was playing on commercial TV. So you would have to be shooting for a techy industry couple for them to say "ah I don't want HDV or AVHCD, as the format you capture on is not very good"

There are a lot of advantages shooting in HD if you look from an editing point of view, and then the plus side of the sharper and wider lens you get on them (even if you decide to shoot in DV).

I wouldn't be even thinking about going HD only which HD Cam. There are simply too many advantages.

Yes, I have decided to go with HD, and just as you said, I am now just deciding which cam to get.

Me too. Looking at the FX-7 or the new 1000.

just go for an EX1 and don't worry about it

True dat! I got two EX1s and the quality is positively SICK. The other significant benefit is the solid state SxS cards, and that makes capturing a truly pleasant experience. Even if you render to DV, the quality of HD or even HDV gives your DV better color and contrast. But show them sample Blu-ray video and they will WANT IT. Tell teh parents to give them a Blu-ray player as a present.

By the way, this left me with two HVR-V1U's that I would be willing to sell for a reasonable price...

What is reasonable? I may be interested.