Although MiniDV has become the predominant standard for consumer digital camcorders, many other formats exist.

• DVD-R: A few digital camcorders now use recordable DVDs as the recording medium. The main benefit of this format is that you can place a recorded DVD into any computer with a DVD-ROM drive -- no FireWire required -- or directly into your DVD player. Alas, there are down sides: These units are still quite expensive, and built-in DVD-R drives draw a heavy load from camcorder batteries. If you go this route, plan to use a lot of wall current.
• DVCAM: Originally developed by Sony for video professionals, this format is based on MiniDV but offers a more robust tape design, higher image quality, and some high-end features designed to appeal mainly to professional video producers and editors. DVCAM camcorders tend to cost about as much as a new economy car, and get much lower gas mileage.
• DVCPro: This is another expensive, MiniDV-based, professional-grade format like Sony's DVCAM. Panasonic is responsible for the DVCPro format.
• Digital Betacam: Here's yet another professional format that most of us probably can't afford. Digital Betacam (another Sony creation) is based on the dearly departed Betacam SP analog format, which for years was a beloved format among professional videographers.
• MicroMV: Someone at Sony really likes to create new recording formats! Sony offers a few consumer-priced camcorders that use the MicroMV format. As the name suggests, MicroMV tapes are really small, allowing MicroMV camcorders to be small and light as well.

With any alternative recording format, the first two things you should consider are price and availability of recording media. If you're considering a camcorder that uses the WhizbandDV format, ask yourself how many stores sell WhizbangDV tapes. Will you still be able to find WhizbandDV tapes five years from now?