video camera

I know this has been asked before, but technology seems to change so quickly....


Any suggestions for a reasonably high quality video camera ie. good visuals and sound with zoom of at least 10x? It's mainly for home movies but also for videoing sporting events (footy and netball). Haven't decided on price as don't know what to expect - I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to cameras. Don't want one of the big "professional" cameras though.


And what format is the best?


BTW, with our still camera one disappointment is that when we zoom in the quality of the photos reduces considerably. Does this also happen to videos?


Thanks.


P.S. What's a prosumer camcorder? A friend suggested one of these would be better for sports?