5 comments about Panasonic PVGS83 Mini DV Palmcorder Camcorder.

1. Actually, in responce to "Movie Star"s review, there is a difference in the GS83 and the GS85. The PV-GS85 and PV-GS80 both have a manual focus ring located on the lense. The PV-GS83 does not have the manual focus ring, but you can still manually focus it by using the 'Joystick'. The manual focus ring that is on the GS85 and GS80 is worth the extra money for someone that is going to need it, like an amature videographer, but for someone that just wants this as a family camcorder, then you do not need the focus ring and the PV-GS83 would be a great choice.



2. I bought this product after noticing that this was a one of the best sellers in Amazon, i was not dissapointed. It has got everything amateurs and families need to make great videos at home. The controls are well placed and i love all the features. I am also pleased with the fact that i bough this over the costlier model which other in the reviews have spoken about, the missing feature of manual zoom hardly makes a difference. It supports SD Card which is cheap, it has a light which works well up to 6 feet, zoom is good, colors are good.
   
   Downside would be the stabilization does not work all that well when you are zooming in real close, no night vision support except for the light, its not all that light weight but acceptable, but then if you need those you should go for a costlier model at more than double the price.
   
   Overall a great product and would recommend.



3. its better then i thought it would be so far no complain it works fine and i will recomend to any one with 250 budget



4. So far so good. My only complaint is when I went to bestbuy/Costco to ask about the product they lead me to believe that it was an actual DVD recorder and not recording on tapes. The device is very small and light weight and easy to use. Would recommend...



5. In response to SizzleSticks review - I just got back from Circuit City where I was checking out the PV-GS85. It most definately does NOT have a manual focus ring.

No comments about DXG 565VP 5.0MP Ultra-Compact Digital Camcorder with 2.4-Inch LCD (Pink).

3 comments about Vivitar DVR-710 7.0MP 6 in 1 Multi-Functional Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD.

1. the first cacorder i recieved was defective, and skybox was very willing to help me out by replaceing it.. So thanks Skybox and connie you handled everything to my satisfaction...
   
   Maria sponsel



2. I've only had this camera for about a week, and I think it's a great little camera. Compact yet clear video. I haven't used all its functions yet, but I mostly bought it for the video feature to capture the little moments of my children's lives. There is a lag when taking photos. It doesn't do well with fast moving kids. They need to be perfectly still for a few seconds and you need to have a very steady hand to take the photo.
   
   I do like the image stabilization feature, but the downside to that is you can't use zoom in that mode. Bummer. **EDIT** I must have done something wrong when I first tried it, but the zoom does work with the image stabilization on.
   
   Also, I noticed that the battery got really warm after about 15 minutes of continuous use. I don't know if that's normal, but I'll see how that goes when I take a continuous video for over an hour. I bought a 4GB SD memory card to record more than the internal memory allows.
   
   Overall, it's a great product for the price I paid. So compact and easy to take with you anywhere.



3. Just like one of the other customers, the first one that I received was defective. So I sent it back to Skybox and they sent out a new one.
   
   but it is a good camera.
   
   Pros: A lot of features, lightweight, portable, a rechargeable battery, internal memory, included software is nice, looks really good, you can hook the camera right up to your TV with no problems, it also comes with a USB cord and the cord to connect it to the TV.
   
   Cons: Kind of hard to use and get used to, it does get hot after only a little bit, the pictures turn out fairly blurry. The only time that I got a picture that wasn't blurry was when I put it on the self timer and set it down on my desk. Even if you hold it (what seems like) perfectly still it will still be blurry when you really look at the picture. So I would not recommend this camera to people looking to use it mainly as a camera. The other thing that I haven't figured out how to do yet is take video from my computer and watch it on the camera. I converted the video using the included software, put the video on the memory card, then put the memory card in the camera and the video I just put on the card wouldn't show up. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. It's also kind of hard to get the memory cards in and out of the camera.
   
   And some websites (not this one, but a lot of them) say that it can only support up to 2 GB of memory. But, as Amazon's description says, it can indeed support 4 GB.
   
   So, in all, it's a nice camera. Just don't expect to be able to use it right out of the box, you might have to send it back and get it replaced first like I and the other reviewer did.

5 comments about Sony DCR-TRV280 Digital8 Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom.

1. This camcorder it's not bad, it came on time. but if you want to playback Hi8 tapes you better get another one cause this one won't play them, it only plays Digital8 tapes.



2. We purchased a Sony DCR-TRV280 camcorder in hopes of playing our old 8mm videocassettes and capturing them on our computer via its firewire connection. The tapes load into the 280 just fine. It does have firewire output. Unfortunately, it cannot play the original 8mm format. Sony's names for its various 8mm videocassette formats escape me. Perhaps the original 8mm format did not have a name. Anyway, the original is what we have and the 280 cannot play it. So, we're trading in our 280 for a Sony DCR-TRV-460 or -480.



3. Picture quality is great! It downloads easily to computer. It may take longer than the newer digital memory recorders but you can still get this for a great price and in many cases the picture is better than the new hard drive models.



4. I'm not sure why the ratings are so high on this camera [...]. Perhaps because the camera is pretty ok, for home-use only outdoors. I am on this site searching for a new camera because I produce online television shows, as a hobby. My budget is low, so I need an affordable camera (under $500), with professional-quality video. If such a thing exists. The Sony DCR-TRV280 IS NOT IT!
   
   I've tried all sorts of tricks and can't get rid of the grainy (webcam) quality, nor the poor color in normal indoor lighting situations. The sound is just ok. For me, there is NOTHING spectacular about this camera, especially if you want to use it for more than just webcam or basic home video purposes.
   
   Once unplugged, the battery life is short (2 hours, tops!) for the battery that comes with the camera. I suppose this could be addressed by purchasing a larger battery.
   
   I am of normal female strength. After a while, my hands and arms are shaking from holding the camera. Something lighter is ideal, otherwise dont forget the tripod.
   
   I do like the connections on this camera, except no jacks for headphones or mic. And no accessory jack either. The light is cute as an extra, but not very powerful. Wish it had more connections and features.
   
   [...]



5. This camera is a great bargain and so versatile.
   
   The optical zoom is incredible. I was able to film a drowning swimmer being rescued down on the beach from my 12th floor apartment!
   
   Not only is this an excellent camcorder, it also makes a great webcam when connected to your computer with a Firewire cable
   
   The USB streaming is useless: for some reason it won't let you record the audio track over USB even though it installs an audio driver when you plug it in, and the camera will go into standby while it's in use if you're not recording or playing the tape, so I recommend sticking with Firewire.
   
   Note that if you buy this camera, keep the application CD that comes with it in a safe place. Sony does not offer drivers for download for this camera and when you call tech support to request them, their customer care doesn't know where to get them either. I was only able to find them by scouring random seedy websites.
   
   One of the best features of this camera is that it records digitally on standard Hi-8 video tapes, which saves you a lot of money over the more expensive digital tapes. This is the only video camera in the world that does that.
   
   Another great feature of this camera is its onboard stereo microphone. You can use this camera as a digital sound recorder by recording the sound and then dumping the video to your computer and extracting the audio track over Firewire.
   
   I've had two of these cameras and I will buy another if something happens to the one I currently have.

2 comments about DXG 569VS 5.0MP Slim HD Camcorder with 3.0-Inch LCD.

1. Yes it works with MAC. I recently purchased a Mac Book Pro and have used my Canon SD 1000 to take video. The DXG HD Camcorder takes better video but don't expect superior 1080 video. I've used it indoors and outdoors. Indoors you have to play around with the settings. The video is nothing spectacular remember just how much you paid for this versus true HD camcorders. Overall for the size and money and if you use your video settings in a digital camera and you want a better video without going deep in the pockets then I recommend this for you. The biggest drawback was the sound, the mic is on top of the camcorder, but I make my own background noise using the MAC.



2. i like this product because you don't really need to be wasting time with CD/DVD. sounds really sucks. kinda ok sound. picture is very good. it's not top notch HD video. looks very good. if you want true HD buy something else. for the money , no problem. i still recommend it for the price . other then that if this thing was $500 bucks or more i would definitely say hell no.
   
   enjoy. !

5 comments about Aiptek IS-DV 5 MP Digital Camcorder and MP3 Player.

1. This camcorder is amazing!!! It's so small and the quality is decent too! I would DEFINITELY recommend this to anyone! (just don't fall in the pool with it in your pocket, because then it starts acting weird and spazzing out...



2. This product is nice but for some reason the lens kept moving on its' own. unless you check it out carefully, i would not invest in it.



3. Only worked about 3 minutes first time we tried it but we are trying some other things???????



4. This little hand-held portable camera was good at first, I thought that the picture and video quality was fine, but then, 2 weeks after I bought it, the screen broke, and I can't even use it as a webcam. So now, I have to manually try to delete pictures and it is very difficult to maneuver. Also, with a very small memory chip, you can take maybe 12 pictures before the memory is full. I would recommend spending that extra $20-$30 for a better camera as this is possibly one of the worst digital camcorders that I have ever seen.



5. Pros: Price is right (cheap); Easy to use; clever tiny design; interesting features that you can personalize to your liking; sufficient storage (with addon 1GB card...spend extra and get it); battery life seems pretty good so far; no worry about power when connected to usb port on pc.
   
   Cons: Video is not outstanding but ok; still photos come out pretty decent; for best results you need to use camera in good lighting conditions.

4 comments about Sony Professional HVR-Z1U 3CCD High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom.

1. Indie Filmmaker here, always looking out for a better camera!
   
   The Sony HDV series is an astonishing technology
   
   Don't let people tell you that the footage is "too compressed" ---- technically, it is, but once it gets on screen, it looks stunning!
   
   I haven't done much filming with this camera ---- but I have seen its footage and edited its footage
   
   Both on television and the computer monitor, I was impressed with its 'look' ---- very detailed and extremely clear
   
   Editing was a BREEEEEZE with this footage! I edited on Final Cut Pro and could composite 5 layers all above each other, each with a different opacity, and FCP's real time engine kept up without having to render! Thus, the compressed footage makes editing EASY - but Sony has managed to make a beautiful picture out of this stuff too
   
   For the Indie Filmmakers out there ---- test one out before purchasing..... I find the Sony HDV to be the most clear look out there --- emulating a beautifully shot NFL game on HD..... but for cinematic looks, I still may stick with the Panasonic DVX100, as there is a more cinema feel to that one
   
   hope that helps
   
   HAPPY BUYING!!!!



2. The HVR-Z1U seems too good to be true. And it is.
   
   It promises a camera with full HD resolution and outstanding features for a reasonable price. In many ways, it delivers. The video quality is superior to the JVC HDV camera. Unlike the JVC, the camera offers full manual control and is a pleasure to shoot with professionally.
   
   Alas - for someone who expects and needs full HD resolution, the Sony is a disappointment. Pointing the camera at a resolution chart while viewing the output on a high resolution monitor (or on a computer after rendering to 1080i or 1080p) quickly reveals that the horizontal resolution is about 1200 lines, and vertical resolution is a little over 500.
   
   The pixel count is thus about twice that of standard video, not four times, as we perhaps hoped. The 1200 lines of horizontal resolution is pretty good - just about the same as 720p. But the vertical resolution is not very good at all.
   
   
   
   A little math tells the story. Sony advertizes 1.1M pixels for each sensor, and 1440 lines horizontal. 1.1M/1440 gives a maximum of 770 lines vertical, not 1080 as promised. The measured vertical and horizontal resolution is distinctly lower.
   
   An extensive web search revealed that the sensor has 1080 vertical lines, but only about 990 lines horizontal. To achive something closer to 1440 lines horizontal the green sensor is offset by half a pixel, and image processing is used to give a possible maximum resolution of 1440 on a black and white image. The problem is that the edge contrast beyond 900 lines horizontal becomes quite poor.
   
   To make matters worse, (or to degrade the vertical resolution to match the horizontal) the vertical lines are read out of the sensor in pairs, so that each field is a mixture of two adjacent lines. This gives the vertical the same poor edge contrast as the horizontal.
   
   It is possible by using the unsharp mask tool in Sony Vegas (or other editors) to improve the edge contrast. I use the maximum effect with the minimum radius in the Sony tool - setting the radius slider to .001 pixels. You must do the sharpening operation using a properties setting of 1440x1080. Slightly better results can be obtained by putting an additional unsharp mask in series with the first, set to half-effect.
   
   A major problem is deinterlace. Most editors (and most display devices) deinterlace by averaging fields, which reduces the maximum vertical resolution to 540 lines. You can add Mike Crash's excellent deinterlacer to the sharpening masks, and remove this limitation. Crash's smart deinterlace for Vegas can be downloaded for free - with patience and persistence.
   
   Sharpening and deinterlacing the image is very compute intensive. It takes me a good fraction of a week to do a two hour movie on a 3GHz pentium 4. But the result can be stunning. With the sharpening the Sony camera can give you a result that is close to a professional HD camera. I render to WMV9 rather than to MPEG2 - remember to keep the properties at 1440x1080. After the render is complete, you can re-render to 720p, adding an additional bit of sharpening to compensate for the re-interpolation.
   
   For best results always use a shutter speed of 60 frames/sec or higher. I have had mixed results with the steady shot option. Keep the camera as steady as possible, and try not to use more video gain than absolutely necessary.
   
   Bottom line - this camera produces video that is MUCH better than standard video, and significantly better than DV. But it would be awfully nice to have a camera that delivered the advertized resolution, and did it with a flat video frequency response.



3. I've chosen this camera for my short film after viewing some rough footage at a local studio. The colors that this camera can capture in DV mode are jaw-dropping! It comes with all of the manual controls you could hope for and they're very intuitive. I highly recommend this to independent filmmakers if you're able to rent them in your area. It does not offer the 'truest' cinematic feel but if you do some research on the web you'll find resources for things you can do in pre & post production to get the feel you're looking for regardless of the camera you use.
   
   For more filmmaking resources & sample footage of the z1, visit my website and click 'resources'.
   
   And for more updates on using this camera for my short film, visit my website and click 'films'.



4. I've used my Sony HVR-Z1U HDV camcorder in some very extreme conditions, and it it comes through on a regular basis. I shot Hurricane Katrina video footage during the storm (for StormStock) in driving 100 mph rain. At that time, I had purchased and was using a rain coat for the camera. It never failed. Previously, in Hurricane Dennis, the unit failed in the rain, without the coat. The screen went black. I dried it off with a hand dryer and it came back to life to be called back into action with Katrina.
   
   My HVR-Z1U has shot hurricane video, tornadoes, lightning, and other storm footage, often in the rain and dust. And, it keeps on going.
   
   The unit prefers mid-range lighting. It can shoot good footage if you give it that.
   
   Sony can improve this unit by adding SDI to output to HDCAM. I'd also like to see true 24P added and maybe variable frame rates.
   
   This camera is just a couple options away from being a professional system.
   
   Martin Lisius
   Prairie Pictures, Inc.

No comments about DXG DXG-565VB 5.0 Mega PIxel Ultra-Compact Digital Camcorder With 2.4-Inch LCD Display (Blue).

5 comments about Panasonic PV-GS320 3.1MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. I have the Panasonic PV-GS320 for about 3 weeks. Took it on a trip to get some practice with it. Easy to use and set up. Make sure you have an extra battery. The one that come with it is good for about 25-30 minutes.
   
   Best results are outdoors and in bright light. It has a camera feature to allow still pictures to a 1 GB storage card, which is kind of neat. Cassette tape goes in and out easily.
   
   Single worst feature is the lack of good quality sound. It has no audio jack, so the sound is a bit garbled if you don't speak loudly and into the mike. Otherwise, for the money, it is a good camcorder which is fun to use.



2. This is a great camera. I bought it a few months ago for an rv trip and the moment the battery was fully charged i hooked it up to the camera, put in a tape, and walked around the house experimenting. On the trip, it performed excellently. When properly exposed, the camera's three CCD chips reproduced colors surprisingly well. The microphone has a neat wind-cut function that works very well.
   
   Pros
   -great image and sound quality
   -10x zoom
   -color electronic view finder (which is becoming very rare in consumer camcorders now)
   -very simple menu navigation
   -photoshot feature
   -nice joystick navigation for menus
   
   Cons
   -Poor low-light shooting
   -no hot shoe
   -no manual focus ring
   -manual/auto switch inconviniently located
   -no firewire input
   -you have to remove the battery and go through a messy process to hook the camera up to a computer
   
   
   
   
   I highly recommend this camera for beginners or even enthusiasts with a low budget.



3. Great camcorder, watch for the color settings, It would help to point it at something neutral, like a hand befoe using it in extreme sunlight. Excellent product for the price!



4. I bought this camera for two purposes: 1) to replace an older VHS camera and 2) to use for converting my VHS tapes to DVD's. I give it 4-1/2 stars for #1 and 0 stars for #2. (In my research before buying the camera, I managed to miss the fact that the GS320 does not have AV input, so can't be used to convert analog to digital. Rats!)
   
   However, for everything else I wanted, I was very satisfied. Other reviewers have pretty well expounded on the pros and cons. I'll just say that the quality of pictures (both video and still) that we get with this camera is really great. When I first got the camera, I handed it our son who is studying Film Production and works with professional camcorders. After fiddling with the controls and looking over its features, he expressed great delight with my purchase. (Yesss!)
   
   It took me a while to figure out the menus and I haven't enough experience to handle the manual control options well, but overall, I would highly recommend this camera.



5. Choose this camera if you want quite good picture quality but don't care about extra features.
   
   (I've owned this camera for six months and use it fairly regularly.)
   
   The Leica lens and the 3 CCD's are normally in much more expensive cameras (often called "prosumer")
   
   The picture quality really does look great -- the video picture is sharp and the colors wonderful (not so much on the still pictures, though). I am totally happy with the quality and, for me, that's the main thing.
   
   It DOES have a few "extras" that I use:
   
   1) The still camera. While not a good quality as my dedicated digital camera, it is adequate. It solves the problem of having to carry two cameras.
   
   You can also take "web quality" frame grabs from footage as you review the tape. This is pretty useful if you are posting trip photos to a blog.
   
   The photos conveniently go onto a card which can easily be removed and put in a card reader.
   
   2) A/V out
   You can hook this up to your TV and it works nicely. This is one of the few feature for which you don't have to remove the battery.
   
   3) "Quick Movie Magic" software
   This is very basic software to get the footage onto your hard drive. It works nicely and allows you to fairly easily divide the scenes up and the like. I then use the clips in the editor of my choice.
   
   4) Manual focus
   5) Back light
   6) Find end of tape, search
   
   (All these items are easy to find and turn off/on)
   
   Honestly, that's about all the extra features that I use.
   
   FEATURES MISSING:
   
   I don't care about bells and whistles and I like basic "do the job" equipment.
   
   However, I miss:
   
   1) Plug for an external mic.
   2) Plug for headphones
   3) A proper shoulder strap
   4) White balance

1 comments about VholdR Wearable Camcorder (Black).

1. I got my VholdR about a month ago, and I really like it. The camera is really small (only 4.8 oz total), and the video quality is great for such a small device. With a few zip ties, I was able to mount it to my vented cycling helmet, and the footage I've gotten is great. The large record/stop record button makes the camera really easy to use while riding/doing other activities. Also, the dual laser system makes it easy to align the camera properly. Lastly, I love that the software makes it easy to upload the footage to the website.
   
   I use it for cycling, traveling, kayaking, and I plan to use it for skiing in the winter. The only small downside is the microphone noise, but when I'm not going 40 mph on a bicycle, it works great, and with some tape over the mic, the noise is significantly reduced when I am riding. Overall, it's a great buy and I'd recommend it to anyone.