The only problem with this proposal is that the camera does not look bulky and "expensive-professional" :- )
- but 2 months ago I bought the new SONY CX505 1920x1080/60i AVC/H.264 at 17 Mbps - and its video quality simply overwhelmed me - so much that I just sold it and pre-ordered the newer CX550 (because of its better Wide Angle lens 26.3mm - and of its 24 Mbps video).

Besides this the new CX cameras have the Active stabilization - where 3 small movement-sensors (kinda "gyros") control a movable element in the lens - resulting in a most stunning stabilization.

The xx550 is also available in a 240 GB harddisk version...

High Def

That last one is meaningless without a reference "Good in low light" relative to *what*?

I have a 3 chip tape camera that many have said does not have good low light performance ... but it's great compared with my single chip camcorder.

Kevin, we have already exchanged a couple notes on this outside this forum, but I'll put my 2 cents here so others can agree or dispute them. Some of these weren't in our email exchange and most of these are somewhat specific to wedding shoots.

1. Be sure your camera has the ability to record up to four hours of full resolution footage at an event. That might be a problem with some harddisk cams.

2. It is desirable to have XLR inputs. I use XLR for wireless lavalier and soundboard feeds. Most of the weddings I have done have used a soundboard.

3. The low light you mentioned is pretty critical for wedding shoots. As another poster mentioned, hard to quantify though.

4. I don't use a shoulder mount, but have found that a monopod is a nice supplement to the tripod. I use the monopod for almost all my non-tripod wedding shots. It is good for getting overhead shots too.

5. I already mentioned - avoid using a cam with rolling shutter. Do a Google on "wedding and rolling shutter" to see the problem with flash photography.

6. Although not a requirement, I have found the ability to shoot 720p60 gives me the ability to provide silky smooth slow motion, which is nice for weddings. I put the footage on a 24p timeline and slow to 40% - really nice.

7. Be sure you get a camera capable of going pretty wide - you'll need it in smaller churches and wedding halls. Mine goes to 28mm and I have used that frequently.

From our earlier discussion, you might be thinking of getting two cams. I know you already have a consumer HD cam. I suggest you think about allocating more money and getting just one new cam, and use your existing cam for your stationary second cam. Later, if the business really takes off you can add a second higher end cam if needed.

Good luck!

Jerry

You gave him this advice already? Excellent. I hope he listens to you. The only problem is finding all that in a CCD camera under $2k.