Quality product, well designed, great picture

I am upgrading from a Panasonic VHS-C.  My criteria was to have a small, HD camcorder that was easy to hold.  I had considered the Sanyo Xacti and also looked at the many cheap units available now.  I settled on the Sony for the following reasons:
Well Designed - easy to hold and operate with pistol grip.
Well Made - Precision fabrication from Japan, has the feel of metal slrs of old.
Stylish - nicely designed with beautiful case to match.
The drawback of this camera is the lens.  It is very narrow which means to take pics and movies in a small room means you have to be in a corner or do a lot of panning.