hi there, i have a a77. basically the same cam. it records for 30min and then drops out. no heat issues. i wanted to get the a77 as i got a nice deal. however the a57 might be an option as well, if it is still available. otherwise i wholeheartedly can recommend a sony alpha! i have played with canons, nikons and pentax as well. it is not so good on high iso but videoquality is very nice. what i espec. like with these dslrs is the steadyshot. it works very well for handheld filming! neither canon nor nikon can offer that. the downside is that it crops a bit. regarding insurance, i don't see the point.. for lenses, i have a 16-50 2.8, and maybe you would be better of with two primes then with the kitlenses but that is personal preference.. the tascam is fine, dont worry..
