Been using Cannon for years. Mini-dvd was a hassle. We just closed our Avid editing suite, which was what you dumped the footage into for manipulation.
Logan is the expert on equipment. We use a Cannon AX-10, which retails for a little over $1,000 and is being used for major movie releases.
Three years ago, the price-point for the main unit dropped to $10,000.00. A few years before that, we were in the Betacam business at about $50,000.00.
Likewise, updates on editing software are managed with a monthly subscription fee.
Pretty awesome.
Russ