david,
this is a no brainer, get the ex. ive had mine for 9 months and love it. i came from shooting with a dsr300 for 12 years and a pd150.
theres a 400.00 rebate on it and you get a 16gb card. if youre serious about your craft, youll make back your investment in no time. dont skimp on a camera to save alittle money, youll regret it later.
and i dont miss tape at all!!