actually, the HC1 also has manual control of audio gain (but not independent control of left & right channels), and I use it on my 2 HC1s on almost every shot; that's the main reason that I chose the HC1 in the first place (you can still get good used HC1s on ebay for under $1000 - still a great bargain, IMHO).

Most of my shots are in a studio setting, so I have never had a problem with plugs getting pulled out. Nor have I ever had a problem with hum after I started using my wireless system - it has a very short lead running to the 1/8" audio input jack, too short, apparently to pick up hum. I use a cheap wireless mic system that does not have a great signal-to-noise ratio, but in the studio I close-mic (following the old saying that "a poor mic close to the mouth is better than a good mic farther away) by hanging the mic from eyeglasses. I usually get about 52 db S/N ratio, or better, and use the Track Noise Gate with Threshold level set to about -48 db. The result: rather good sound with outstanding apparent S/N ratio.

When outdoors, there almost always is so much ambient noise that it masks the internal white noise generated by the cheap electronics in the wireless system. It's a 2-mic system, so I use a cheap wired short hand-held shotgun when I need to shoot a group shot. Since it is outdoors and away from must 120VAC circuits, I can't remember picking up any hum. It even works fairly well indoors for a group, and - again - the abient noise of the group masks the white noise of the shotgun mic; and the short wire I use indoors picks up no hum (hum definitely would be a problem if I tried to run, say, a 10' unbalanced cable to the mic while indoors - unless I flipped off the main breaker!)..

I own and have used mics with XLR connections in years past, but I by learning work-arounds, I don't miss those combersome peripherals. I can hear the difference when good mics are used, but barely; personally, I don't think the incremental improvement in audio provided by expensive mics adds much to the finished video.

The manual controls for the video on the HC1 are OK for my needs (there's no independent aperture control; but it does have a manual "brightness" gain control with zebra stripes, and of course it allows manual white balance), and the remote control through LANC (I use the Varizoom, but wish I had bought one of the smaller, lighter alternatives) for focus & zoom makes living with the tedious controls typical of all small camcorders a whole lot more tolerable. The image produce by the HC1 is still competitive with newer cheap (under $2000) camcorders.

My advice: get one or a couple used HC1s and a tolerable wireless lav system, shotgun, a decent LANC control for focus & zoom, and spend the money saved on a tripod that won't drive you nuts every time you use it.