Is a mini DVD camcorder the same as a MiniDV?

I'm buying a Camcorder soon and I want a semi professional camera that I can Import videos into after effects for color grading and color correction. My budget is around $700 and I want a Canon Rebel T2i because Freddie Wong and corridor digital use it sometime and they're videos are crisp and clear. I heard a MiniDV camcorder is waaaay better than a consumer level HD HDD camcorder. But my other question is does a Mini DV camcorder use cassette tapes? Or Mini DVDs? If they use tapes I'd rather have a mini DVD camcorder but does it have the same quality? Should I get a Rebel T2i??? Sorry this is all very stressful, can you give me some good camcorder names? I want to do like action scenes with guns and such, the occasional music video, and alot of videos using special effects. Oh I want to do some Biking videos... Thanks