For me, minimum specs are:

For me, minimum specs are:

HD of some sort (1080p is preferred but 1080i is acceptable to me)
Mic jack for external mic
Headphone Jack
Manual focus capabilities
Manual exposure capabilities
Manual white balance ability
Tapeless (flash memory cards or hard drive)
OPTICAL image stabilization
Minimum 10x optical zoom (digital zoom is irrelevant and should never be used)
Good low light performance
Largest imager possible for your budget
Three imaging chips if possible (not necessary but it helps if your budget allows for it – SR11 only has one)

These are just a start for my needs – Yours may vary