Sony HandyCam HDR-SR10E ... help :(

[softball]

It all comes down to lighting. I like to choose cameras with as few buttons as possible and as few features as possible. I shoot with an FX 1. I got the very first one released in Canada about 5 years ago, and it still soldiers on. But it still has way too many menus and buttons for my taste. I previously owned betacams and they had very little to fuck with. Stay away from all the silly features.
I like auto focus, because it can follow focus and focus faster than I can. I shoot exclusively on manual exposure and pre set my white balance and never change it unless I move into a new lighting situation.
Most auto features are useless if you intend to make money at this and get clean images.
I also have a Sony wireless mic that I hide in flower pots etc. to avoid hand noise and breathing sounds on the camera.
What Danny says is very true about editing in the camera. I will tend to keep rolling through zooms and edit them out later because sometimes they capture a "moment" that is useful. Its an easy cut, but it takes a little longer.
However, the bottom line as it always is..........Lighting, Lighting, and Lighting.