So much depends on what kind of vlogging you do and what other uses you'll make of these cameras. I have used all three, and have an extremely strong preference for the Panasonic over the other two, but none of them are ideal for on-the-street quick-shoot purposes.
These days when I'm shooting DV and don't need to worry about attracting too much attention, I reach for a DVX. But what I carry around with me is a little Canon Optura 500 (probably soon to be replaced by an HV20 - not for the HDV, which I"m not wild about as a format, but for the 24P). I'm used to lots of manual control and direct access to it, so that aspect drives me nuts, but it's MUCH better for a carry everywhere vlogging camera than the DVX. And it DOES have manual control, just not at the level I prefer. But you mention "as well as other video projects" so here's my summary of the three cameras: PD170 - as Jay says, a workhorse. And you DON'T have to shoot dvcam with it, it also does regular DV. Very easy to use, very clean looking video ( too clean for my tastes ), but difficult to do much with it aesthetically beyond experimenting with slow shutter speeds. If you want a camera that gives you a professional looking image with minimal fuss, it's a good choice. XL2 - Personally I cannot stand the XL form factor. It drives me nuts. When I shoot with an XL1 or XL2 in public people stare at it. The XL2 does have a good range of manual / image control, though, and if you like the form factor, want interchangeable lenses, and have the $$$, it's worth considering. DVX100B - I love the DVX and HVX cameras. If the old TRV-900s were the DV bolexes of their day, the DVX100's are the DV aatons. But they invite and in some cases require a pretty deep understanding of cinematography and the technical underbelly of digital video to get the most out of them (though one can just spend the time to create a couple of default presets one likes and use those for quick shooting). Brook Hinton film/video/audio art www.brookhinton.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
