Camcorder recommendation - around $600?

My daughter in College is very interested in film making.  I'd like to get
her a digital camcorder for Christmas.  I realize that there is a big price
range here, but I need to keep this around $600 or so.

Any recommendations as to current modes/features.  I know very little about
camcorders, and can't seem to find a web site that has good information on
current models.  The models seem to change so fast that many web sites seem
obsolete, unless one is familiar enough with everyone's product lines to
know how the new models have progressed from recently discontinued models.

I'd like to get a good mix of size and features too.  I remember from my
photography days that a compact unit is more usable in many instances than a
more feature rich, but larger and heavier unit.  Especially tagging along on
trips and excursions where taking pictures isn't the primary objective.