I need to buy a cam corder to document the goings on next door for a hearing. Any one have any Do's or DON"Ts for buying a cam corder ? I'm basically clueless on the subject.
Thanks, Dave

For your purposes, an older cheap analog model might be acceptable. Analog models are going the way of VHS and audio cassette tapes. But if it will do, then you can save some scratch.

But, assuming that you want to also use it for general "family" use, go for digital tape. The straight-to-DVD models also work, but are not a good idea if you intend to edit and mix the video on your computer. Otherwise, they are OK.

Optical zoom is where it is at. Digital zoom throws away image quality. To me, any digital zoom over 2X or 3X is worthless, as the picture quality becomes much worse.

For a complicated mechanical device like a camcorder, getting an "extended warranty" is probably not a bad idea.

Thank you, I did some more asking and one of my co-workers just bought a new one, so I'll be able to borrow their old one.
Happy to save the bucks.

Thanks, Dave

Keep the battery charged - it will die at the worst possible time. If you're using it inside, you might want to make sure you can plug it in and run it off AC at any location you may need it. And make sure you have plenty of tape.