A refurbished Canon HD camcorder for $450

As the old saying goes, good prices come to those who wait. Back in March, I talked up the Canon HV20, a high-definition camcorder that seemed like a bargain at $699. Well, now you can scoop one up for just $449.77 shipped from Vann's. The only catch: They're refurbished units.

If you're still shooting in standard-definition, do yourself a favor and upgrade to an HD camcorder such as this one. The difference is just jaw-dropping. The HV20 stumbles a bit in low-light environments, at least according to CNET's review, but that's true of most consumer camcorders.

I like that it relies on standard MiniDV tapes, which I find preferable to memory cards or hard drives: They're cheap, easy to store, and compatible with most video-editing programs. I also like the HDMI output for easy connections to HDTVs.

You can learn more about the HV20 at Canon's Web site. Oh, and about that "catch"? Even though this is a refurbished unit, it comes with a one-year parts and labor warranty--the same as new models. I'd have zero qualms about nabbing this camcorder. Truly, I'm qualm-free.

Update: Rats! Looks like they're sold out already. The closest I could come elsewhere was $499 shipped at Willoughby's. Meanwhile, some outfit called The Camera Professionals has the HV20--new--for $329.99. Buyer beware: seems to good too be true.

Update #2: If you struck out at Vann's and don't want to risk The Camera Professionals (a shady outfit by most accounts), eCost has the Canon HV20 (refurbished) for $439 plus shipping.

[jmartin724]

It's gone! :(

[JCSandvik]

It's a small chain in Montana. They are good stores, and they have 6 or so locations, but I'm sure they didn't have the quantity that this site would drive.

[rickbroida]

Damn! That was fast. I hate when that happens. Okay, lemme see if I can dig up another deal for today...

[jmartin724]

FYI, the Camera Professionals is not a place I would try to buy something:

http://consumerist.com/5009849/man-tries-to-buy-from-the-camera-professionals-fails

This was back in May, but makes me wary of trying to buy something from them.

[MakaiOokami]

I saw this in my RSS reader as "HD Camcorder for $45" and nearly flipped out of my chair... Too bad it was 10x more than I thought it was saying, and too bad they are already gone. >_<

[jmartin724]

Thanks for the second update! I just purchased it and I'll let you know how it goes!