Do you think my father should get me a new camcorder?

yes you should get a new camcorder. no, it shouldnt be worth 4,000 frickin dollars! i have a 300$ panasonic hi-def 16:9 video camera. thats dvd widescreen quality. its very good and comes with amazing video editing software. (chroma key, roto scope,lightsaber effects, ect). it also comes with a tripod for stability