I've been doing a lot of research (unbelievable how much info is out there), and I've decided to go with MiniDV. My eyes lit up when I saw how inexpensive some of the super-8 and 16mm cameras were, but the development and transfer to tape is too expensive for me. MiniDV seems a very reasonable compromise. And hey, if it's good enough for 28 Days Later...
This won't be a lavish production. My oldest step-daughter is in drama, so I have access to actors, makeup, etc. This is very 'indie', so I'll cut corners as much as possible. My biggest concern (for now!) was the camera.
As I said, I have a lot shooting to do to understand this new format, editing, sound... the list goes on.
I appreciate everyone's help.