Obsolete second-hand once-cutting edge camcorder

Ah, digital video! And not just digital video, but inexpensive, obsolete, prosumer standard definition digital video! I myself bought an old Canon XL1. Wikipedia has a long list of feature films shot on them. Think of how professional you'd look with one! And it was cheaper than a vintage PXL2000. I looked at footage shot with them on YouTube and it didn't look very good.

You know how they say to never use the built-in mic on your camcorder? That doesn't necessarily apply to these once-cutting edge machines. Jon Jost said somewhere that he used to just use the built-in mic.

Apparently the old XL1's are still used in film schools. The one I have only films in the old 4x5 aspect ratio which will force you to do more close-ups which you'll want to do anyway filming in standard definition.

I've always taken pride in owning things that, at one time, only the wealthy could afford. I had a 20-year-old luxury car I got for $800. Of course, there were reliability problems, it was a terrible gas hog. It was probably an unwise purchase. It impressed the rubes, but I would walk around, looking at all the people driving their late-model Japanese cars and wonder how they did it. 

Like the time I was wracked by feelings of inferiority watching the film students, one with a camcorder that cost several thousand dollars and several others with digital SLRs. They were filming a live music performance but it turned out they forgot to plug into the sound board so it was all for naught. I wouldn't have made that mistake. I felt redeemed even though I hadn't done anything.