Hi Guest3123 – I would get the $199 Canon HF R400, a mic and a set of headphones. One thing Canon offers in this price class (that comparable JVC, Sony and Panasonic camcorders lack) is a headphone jack. If you want to make instructional videos for YouTube, you'll want clean sound – and the best way to get it is with an external mic and headphone monitoring.
Hope that is helpful and Happy Thanksgiving!
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
