you have stated, there are no new, currently available consumer-grade camcorders which use firewire - basically the realm of camcorders recording to miniDV tape. I *think* the least expensive and the only one currently available that is close is the Canon HV40... then the Sony HVR-HD1000, HDR-FX7, HVR-A1, HDR-FX1000, Canon XHA1... and several more - but all are well outside your stated budget.