Newbie question: XLR for camcorder vs. digital recorder

["gyr64fal" gyr64fal]

Hello--

I apologize for throwing a bunch of questions out all at once. I've been lu=
rking here for a
couple of months, and have tried to do a decent amount of research on some =
of the
options. Still, I find myself with a lot to ask about...

I've been recording birds and wildlife (mostly visuals, both still & video)=
 for a couple of
decades
now. The audio I've done has been recorded with a Sony TCM-5000 or various =
MD units
with a Sennheiser ME66 mic. So I'm not totally green, but pretty close, esp=
ecially as
regards some of the newer equipment.

I'm now interested in producing a series of podcasts and video podcasts, an=
d am looking
for advice on audio equipment. I own a Canon GL1 miniDV camcorder. It captu=
res audio,
of course, but not all that well, and with lots of motor noise. I no longer=
 have a good mic,
but am considering another ME66. Should I: