b) for the budget im working with i'd have to be insane to shoot on something other than the vx2000. One of the best cameras for capturing in low light. Can make it look hd in post afterwords anyway.
I learned how to shoot on a Canon GH1. I then really sharpened my teeth on a Sony VX2100. It's a good camera, and I think you can get a lot of mileage out of it. Both are very comparable to the VX2000.
But it is not even slightly close to being one of the best cameras for capturing in low light. And you cannot make it look HD. It is going to look SD, and you better be good with lights. If you want something that performs well in low-light, get DSLR.