3 chips is worth paying for is you have the money.
Some sort of image stablization is key. Sony's seems to work well. I have no personal experience with other.
Dedicated external buttons to lock focus and exposure are a good thing. That will keep the exposure and/or focus from shifting (a huge problem in amateur footage) during locked off shots.
Firewire i/o is a must.
You'll be happy with any camera that offers the above features.
-T.C.

