Looking for Quality, Reuseable Medium

I'm JUST starting out in film-making, have not yet made a single production, and I'm looking for a camera I can begin to work with as I learn all the in's and out's of this trade. I have around $1000 as a budget to buy a camera.

Now, here's my dillema: I'd heard great things about digital cameras, so I started looking around. Eureka! I found the Canon Vistura, an excellent model for the $1000 asking price. I was very pleased, all ready to purchase, when I realized two things.

1.) Mini-DV tapes are much more expensive than VHS. This I could cope with, if it weren't for problem 2.

2.) I found out from Canon's techincal representatives that DV tape is not reuseable. In fact, they say, if you DO try to reuse the tape, you'll get large chunks of missing picture.

This is my dillema: I'd like a recording medium that boasts reasonably good quality with reuseable recording matter. Is there any such thing as reuseable DV tape? I'm really hooked on DV, the combination of good quality plus easy computer input/output has really caught my eye. I'd also like to avoid VHS, as the quality is just a little less than what I'd prefer.

Is this my last hope? Reuseable VHS or nothing?

If anyone has any ideas on this, I'd really appreciate a reply!

Thanks in advance for your time, all,

Earl Newton

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