Thanks brothers!
The camera I use is a Sony DCR-SR60, I was really pumped about the sound quality too! Very little distortion.
It's a standard definition hard drive camera I inheireted from a friend who upgraded to an HD model.
I think the trick to getting good sound is doing it in a controlled environment and testing the levels on the radio when you know the distance you should be at for the duration of the filming. Then you zoom in for close ups and don't physically take the camera closer to the unit. That way the sound is balanced. Too much external noise outside, between wind, cars, birds, etc, etc to get a really consistent audio quality I found.
I use iMovie for all the video editing twangfrippery, Frank. It automatically lowers video track audio when you record a voiceover. I've been experimenting with level adjustments in that too.
My video camera tripod arrived this week, so expect a new review this weekend, it should make for much better pans, plus this will be the first one I do with my studio lighitng rigs! Like everything I'm leaning all the time with this gear, so hoping for a nice improvement each time with any luck.
Just need to decide which one to review next....
Rock On.