5 comments about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 6MP Waterproof MPEG4 Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue).

1. This was purchased December of 2007, it was used 3 times, and never submerged. I brought it to the lake and it was splashed a few times. I went to take a picture with it, and the view was all cloudy. I turned it around and there were water bubbles inside the lens! 3 days later the moisture remains, and there is no possible way to contact Sanyo from their website, or some place to send my camera to have it repaired. 380 dollars down the drain.



2. I bought this camera before my yearly fishing trip to Alaska and the camera functioned beautifully! I was looking for a camera that I could put in my pocket or backpack with out taking up a lot of room. The Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 has worked out perfectly. I dropped it in the frigid Alaskan waters a few times and the camera came out working like a charm! Don't let a few of these negative reports scare you into not purchasing this camera. This camera is not a professional camera! Don't expect professional quality! Do expect to have a lot of fun with it!!!! Any digital camera isn't going to produce the best results with out light, DIGITAL NEEDS LIGHT!!!! Its compact, rugged and easy to use. Do remember to make sure the battery compartment door is shut and locked before getting it wet. I have not experienced any of the problems that some of the other users mentioned in their reviews. Hope this review helps in making your decision. This is a great camera for the price. Have fun with it!!!



3. Camera works great. Underwater option is amazing. Easy fast download to my mac and youtube. I would say the only small issue is that it is not super clear, but for a fun all purpose camera that goes underwater it is more than clear enough.



4. I bought this video camera becase it was waterproof to five (5) FEET and it was excellent. we had a great vacation and got some great videos.



5. Have had this camera around and in salt and fresh water filming fly fishing and it is holding its own so far. The zooming function is a bit difficult to toggle and could be almost impossible for someone with small hands. At first I tried to simply insert the SD card in one of my readers, but it did not show up. So, I connected the camera and selected the card reader option and it opened just as if the camera were a card reader - OK. Otherwise, if you are going straight to internet, this camera deserves serious consideration. It is a constant companion and I even film dangerous drivers on the highway (when I am a passenger of course) so I can send it in to authorities. [...]

5 comments about Flip Video Camcorder: 60-Minutes (White).

1. Overall it works great - I wish I was more into doing videos, I take it with me and forget to use it half the time - LOL.
   
   The only negative is that the movie-making software that is comes with really sucks - very limited.



2. I bought this for my daughter BD, she used it once on that day, and once more the next 3 weeks, only about 3 minute-used, suddenly the Flip stop working, thought it just batteries, changed fresh batt's, but NO LUCK!
   
   SHE WAS VERY VERY DISSAPOINTED! NOT-RECOMMEND!



3. The FLIP Video ultra is so easy to use even I can do it! It's small and compact and features easy access to unload files to my computer. The only drawbacks I found were the audio pickup and having only 60 minutes of time on it. I had a ball taking video with it, and just shortly after I got it, I put together a video presentation for a co-worker who was retiring. It got rave reviews. Again, a great investment for the money.



4. I love the Flip Video Camcorder! It is so easy to use and also easily plugs into my computer to view my video.It can also be used to watch video on my TV with the cables to do this included but I have not used this feature yet. I am not an expert in camcorders but I can tell you that I am very happy with my purchase and the quality of the video I've taken at special events is quite good. I would highly recommend this product to everyone!



5. This is the third flip video purchased this year. All recipients are thrilled with the clarity of the video and the quality of the sound.

5 comments about Sony HDR-SR11 10MP 60GB High Definition Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. Recording playback on a 26" Polaroid HDTV (1080i) via composite cables (I have yet to buy a mini-HDMI cable) - awesome video quality; looks like you're watching a blu-ray movie. However, recording quality is seriously affected if shot under low lighting conditions. It's worth every penny and don't regret it even so. I gave it a four star rating due to its user interface which requires constantly smudging the LCD with fingerprints and how knows, in time maybe it will break from all your fingerprint's pressure.
   The still picture is ok but nothing to get excited about. My wife's 10.2MP DSLR camera makes it look like a child's toy. (Or better yet, the analogy between a phone camera and a compact digital photo camera or maybe it's just me but who cares about pictures anyway, right?)
   Another minus is the lack of a dedicated battery charger and a printed user's manual. The one that comes with the camera touches only the basics (the full-featured can be found on Sony's website though).
   Another big plus is the memory stick support. If one has a 16GB+ it will be enought to store 1hr+ of HD (best quality) in rough conditions without compromising the HDD's integrity.



2. I fell in love with this camcorder after spending countless hours on the web, doing research and reading every single review I could find...
   
   I've had it for about a month now and I'm still discovering new features and experimenting recording in different lighting conditions. I'm really impressed with the playback quality on my 22" LCD screen (1680x1050 max resolution) but it really screams on my 42" LCD @ full 1920x1080i, never fails to put a grin on my face! :D I'm new to HD video and being able to record every moment in HD is truly priceless! I originally wanted the SR-12 but decided I could live with the 60GB hard drive on the SR-11 and got a really good deal elsewhere so it was a no brainer. The battery that comes with the camera lasts up to 1.5 hours @ everything turned high which is OK! As a matter of fact, I just purchased the NPFH100 H Series Actiforce Hybrid InfoLithium Battery from Amazon, which supposedly gives you something like 5-7 hours of continuous recording time which is ridiculously awesome!!
   
   The 5.1 surround sound is also excellent, the nightshot feature is VERY cool, letting you record in complete darkness and cooler still, the SUPER night shot option makes objects in total darkness even brighter and lets you see farther! When this option is turned on, it drains a little more battery but it's negligible and I like to use the b/w picture effect when nigh shot's turned on...
   
   This camcorder also takes 10MP pictures and 7MP stills on the fly, even while you're recording! I'm so very happy with this camcorder that I take it with me everywhere. Only 2 things I can find (and I have to look real hard) that I kinda don't like is the fact that you have to touch the LCD to access menu and options and it leaves fingerprints but I can live with that. The other thing is, the unit accepts a mini HDMI connector so I had to get a HDMI to mini HDMI adapter to be able to use it to hook it up to my 42" LCD and it's kinda lose, I don't know if it's the adapter or the camcorder itself, not to mention when the cable's plugged in with the adapter, it kind of sticks out, but again, a small gripe, nothing major.
   
   I experimented recording leaves and insects in nature real close up, only an inch from the lens and it was able to focus no problem and let you see incredible detail, like a macro shot! 12x optical zoom and image stabilization are awesome as well, I can still see details pretty clear when it switches over to digital zoom and I can keep zooming in up to 150x!
   
   There is no way I can put everything I love about this thing on here and there are still options I haven't touched or used on this camcorder... I highly recommend this unit to anyone who's serious about recording every passing moment as your own eyes see it and then some, guaranteed!



3. Two months ago, I sprang for this much pricier camcorder than I normally would have because we were celebrating my husband's 50th birthday with our first vacation to Europe in 25 years. With the larger hard drive on this camera, it meant I didn't have to drag my laptop along for transferring the video.
   
   In the middle of the trip, I tried to replay the video I had just taken, and I got a screen that read, "HDD format error." Nothing had happened to the camera -- I didn't drop it, there were no extremes of temperature, nothing knocked it. Mistakenly thinking that Sony was a stand-up company and would take care of this, I put the camera away for the rest of the trip and called Sony when I got home.
   
   The news was not good. Sony reports that its warranty covers repairing the camera "to factory standards" but will not even attempt to recover the video.
   
   Instead, Sony's customer relations recommended I try a third party hard drive recovery service. If all of the video is recovered, I will pay out of pocket about $1200-1400, on top of the $1200 I spent on the camera. Sony does not reimburse anything.
   
   The customer relations representative was incapable of comprehending the bitter irony that Sony was willing to restore my camera to the very same "factory settings" that put my vacation memories at risk.
   
   Unless you plan to back up each and every video clip as you take them, do not buy this camera. Do not assume that your experience will be any different.



4. This true Full-HD camcorder is close to perfection. Light but not too light, with excellent image quality (especially when viewed on a 1080p HDTV), impressive sound reproduction, large hard drive space allowing quick retrieval of well-organized clips. Great optical zoom, great image stabilization, great built-in flexibility of image recordings, excellent connectivity options. And it has a very convenient old-fashioned viewfinder too, (lacking from most competitors) in addition to the large LCD screen!
   Manual could be a bit more detailed.
   If you also need excellent still picture quality however, in spite of the 10 Megapixels, the final quality of the still images is somewhat lacking (but who cares? With about $ 1,000 you got a huge, unbeatable value for the camcorder anyway!)



5. As the title states, I feel this is about the best you can expect from a consumer level camera on the market today.
   
   I have been experimenting and putting it through it's paces for a month now, and am pretty familiar with it's capabilities and quality. I am currently on my family's second vacation trip of the year and and have taken some footage ranging from indoor/outdoor pet shots, the mountains and waterfalls of western Colorado, night-time 4th of July fireworks, indoor, well-lit cousin/family members and an indoor shot of mom covering a chocolate cake with meringue icing. Lots of good, typical, casual-user type footage.
   
   With the recent purchase of a mini HDMI to standard HDMI cable, I was finally able to view all of this footage on a 45" Sony BRAVIA LCD TV in all of it's HD glory. Before, I had been getting by with the AV/Component cables and there is a night and day difference between those and the digital signal of HDMI.
   
   A good part of my footage was shot in the lowest quality possible. I also shot a substantial bit in full HD. Honestly, the low quality looks darn near as good as the full quality, so for those who somehow shoot hours of footage on end without access to their computer to dump the material to, you can vastly extend your shooting time if necessary with minimal compromise. Besides, even at full quality HD, a 60 GB hard drive is like having a camera with SEVEN 60 minute tapes spooled end to end. At the lowest quality (HD) recording time is just under 23 hours. There's really no reason to upgrade to the SR12 unless you are some kind of shoot-a-holic, but shooting 120 GB of footage would be an editing nightmare anyway.
   
   Viewing the full HD footage on the BRAVIA TV via HDMI, it looks about as sharp and clean as you could possibly ask for. You can pick out the individual strands of fur on animals cleanly.
   
   I cannot comment on 5.1 surround sound, as I am not yet home from this trip, but as soon as we return (tomorrow) I will definitely test it out.
   
   I recently handled the Canon HV30 in CC and was not very impressed with the build quality or the viewfinder - poor refresh rate and everything plastic. The Sony SR11 gives you a hefty chrome metal push-dial for adjusting focus/white balance shift and aperture. It's very effective for controlling focus when in low-light/indoor situations or the aperture. I find that the camera DOES lean toward cool colors by default, so I have the White Balance Shift set to maximum (+4) to bring a warmer, more natural tone to things. You may find that you need to do the same. Thankfully, when adjusting parameters manually, they are retained, meaning you can set White Balance Shift, Focus, AND Aperture all at the same time. It's about as good as it gets without jumping into the $3000 dollar camera range.
   
   The x.v. color is a new, wider color gamut that is supposed to give more life-like coloration to subjects. If you shoot in this mode, you will only see the difference when played back on an x.v color compliant product (new Sony BRAVIA TV sets). Otherwise, from what I can tell, it seems to produce a somewhat less saturated image. I am still trying to decide which look I prefer. I feel the normal colors look pretty accurate under most conditions. Occasionally, greens seem a little too bright (trees, grass), but overall, color reproduction is very good.
   
   One thing I love about Sony video cameras is their smooth operation. The zoom is smooth but agile if you need to punch it in our out fast. The viewfinders are also very smooth, unlike many other video cameras. (I say 'video camera' because 'camcorder' just sounds too consumerish and cheap for my taste).
   
   The build quality feels very solid, has substantial weight, and feels very secure in the hand, thanks to being able to get a grip on the top of the camera. I think people who lament over the weight of the camera and wish for something lighter are foolish. The WEIGHT adds INERTIA which means more RESISTANCE to SHAKING of the hand. This is a vital fact that most consumers seem ignorant of, and trust me, watching footage on a big screen, you better pray that your footage is as close to tripod-steady as possible.
   
   This camera comes with a fun and cute DVD that goes through some of the basic filming techniques. Several of these concepts are taught in a typical introductory Film & Video class, so it is actually quite a useful video, and it is amusing (to me at least).
   
   I think I could not have bought a better camera for what I desired in a camera, the price point, and what is currently available. I would have PREFERRED to save up and purchase a Canon XHA1 for the pristine optics, better manual controls, and extremely good light gathering (very low low noise even in challenging lighting situations), but I do not want to mess with tapes and the 1:1 tape transfer process again. Hard disk recording with a 3k HDV video camera is possible but expensive. This camera and it's accessories/cables fits perfectly in the very nice leather bag I already own, and is very well protected therein, so for me it was nice to not need to buy a new carrying case.
   
   If you need to see some online footage of this camera in action, check out Vimeo and search 'sr11':
   
   http://vimeo.com/1316737
   
   Further comments/notes pending...

5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD610 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom.

1. This is a great camcorder. I use the highest quality and the videos have very good quality. Transfering the videos to the computer is very easy, just set the camera in USB mode, connect cables to camera and PC using the USB cable provided and copy the mpeg files to your computer. One file is created everytime you start and stop recording which makes it easy to create a DVD menu.
   
   Another feature that I like is the ability to record video either using the mini DVDs or memory stick. I bought a 4Gb memory stick and I am able to record 59 minutes of video in HQ mode. I went on a trip to London and carried mini 3 DVDs which I didn't have to use. Every night I would transfer videos to the laptop in the hotel and start with 59 minutes of video the next day.
   
   One thing I didn't like about the camera was the battery. It should last longer so I bought another with more capacity.



2. very dissapointed with the performance of this camcorder... my old sony tvr250 had much better picture and performance.. stay away
   it does not focus well... the video looks slightly pixelated
   
   I tried multiple recodings, media, and lighting situations without improved performance...



3. Have had this camera for two weeks now and it has surpassed my own expectations, which were fairly high. Picture quality and ease of use are superb, but I can't overestimate the hybrid feature. Being able to record to memory stick and then dub copies to mini-DVD all within the camera when you're on the road is fantastic. This allows you to make copies for people on the fly. The memory stick makes editing a cinch too. Just pop it in your memory card reader and load the converted mpg files into Vista Movie Maker, then have some fun!



4. When my oldest daughter had her first child (it was also my first grandchild) two years ago I bought her a digital camera and printer. I have been since rewarded by receiving many photos of my favorite (and only) grandchild.
   
   Now, for my granddaughter's second birthday, I bought her this video camera. After reading many of the reviews for this and other camcorders on Amazon I picked the Sony DCR-DVD610 because met all of the needs that I had for a camcorder that I would give as a gift:
   
   1. POPULAR. Almost everyone who purchased this item was very happy with it. This was not so with all of the best-selling camcorders, even those at twice the price.
   
   2. EASY. I wanted to get her one that was fairly easy to use. I read the instruction book on-line and felt that this fit the bill.
   
   3. DVDs. It was important to me that it used some sort of DVD as the primary recording media since I feel that it is more archival than tape and more secure than a hard drive only.
   
   4. PRICE. Even though would have been willing to spend more, I was hoping for something under $400.
   
   I also purchased an accessory kit (which included a bag, an extra battery and 2 DVDs) and then some extra Sony brand DVDs (after reading some of the reviews I decided to stick with the Sony brand in order to avoid the message that pops up when you use a different brand of DVDs).
   
   So far my daughter and her husband have been VERY happy with this gift and I am hoping see some great videos of my beautiful granddaughter who lives several states away.
   
   Sony ACC-DVDH2 Accessory Starter Kit for Handycam, DVD, Camcorders



5. I purchased this camcorder a few days ago for my dad, I must say I am quite impressed with it. I compared the Canon DC310/320, Panasonic VDR50, and the Sony 610/710. I went to the store biased in favour of the Canon based on the specifications alone. But what a huge disappointment the canon cameras were. They look cheap, the plastic is cheap, the buttons are flimsy, the buttons next to the screen were tiny and the on screen info was not clear at all. Canon's design department needs to wake up, I have tried quite a few canon entry level/mid range products in the recent past and have come up very disappointing with design and build quality. To make things worse, there was noise all over the place, indoor light wasnt great, but the dark carpet had light green and red spots all over on the LCD. The zoom action was quick. The one aspect where Canon trumps is that it has optical image stabilization, not found on the sony. This is a huge help when you go closer to the telephoto end of things, its impossible to keep the sony still at telephoto.
   
   The Panasonic looked much sleeker than the Canon, had a nice feel to it, felt a tad heavier as well though, some might find it a bit heavy for its size. The screen looked sharp, the menu system was ok, everything seemed just about fine. But the colors seemed a tad unnatural, and slightly over saturated. I tried to go fiddle with the settings, but I could never get the colors to look natural.
   
   The Sony has a very appealing design, the materials look of high quality, the fit and finish is excellent. Power up is quick, the touch screen is very responsive and so much easier to use compared to the dot sized rocker switch on the Canon. The LCD was sharper, the colors were natural although a tad dull looking (never a bad thing, you can always add saturation later depending on your subject). The camera gains up and down really quickly based on the lighting conditions. Indoor focussing speed is not very good, but it gets there. Quick movements can lead the video to just get out of focus. Nightshot plus is useful only when there is very little light, otherwise it over exposes like crazy. Even if you have bulbs or stuff indoors, you can manage without nightshot plus.
   
   Outdoors video is fantastic, I couldnt see many compression artifacts, details were there, I could make out the leaves on the tree clearly, the colors werent bleeding (A major issue with a previous samsung dvd camcorder i tried). I tried the Memorex DVD-RW format disc and it worked fine. Format takes 6-8 seconds (which is quite fantastic IMO). Finalizing the disc took more than 6 minutes. Not sure if this was because of the media. I will try other discs and see if I see any improvement. One annoying thing with this camera is the pop up message that shows up with you insert a non-sony disc. This can be very misleading since its pretty much just blatant advertising on sony's part saying "Use Sony Media". But it goes away in a few seconds. Ppl might think its an error or that other brand discs are unusable. Another thing is the clever marketting of battery life on the box stating "9 hrs" in a big font and below that in ultra tiny fonts it says "Using F__100 battery, with LCD off). The battery that comes with the camera is the F__50 that manages about 90 minutes of recording time. These sort of marketting schemes are sometimes why I get irritated with Sony. But nevertheless, the product is good. If you are looking for a DVD camcorder in the 300$ range, this is the one to get. If you want a marginal improvement in video quality, the 710 offers a slightly boosted pixel count. I didnt get to see both on a television screen so I cant tell you how much of a difference there is, but on the LCD screen I couldnt tell the difference, which is why I settled for the 610.

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

1. i bought this camcorder as a demo model back in april 2008 only used it 1 time,and when i went to use it in july 2008 it would not play any mini dv tapes,so i tryed another one,and it did not work out at all,so i contacted the store where i got it from,they said since you dont have a warranty with us,then you have to contact the manufacture,so i did, and oh my gosh,what a load of junk you have to go through.all automatated system. and no person able to talk to at all.so if you buy this camera and it breaks,good luck trying to get it repaired.sony is so much better customer service.i have other products that are sony and always able to get ahold of a live person. and to make matters worse,panasonics web site for supports link are not avalible anymore,interesting ...



2. If you want a miniDV camcorder before they all go away, the Panasonic PV-GS320 is a good choice. Every year they seam to reduce features on these cameras but at least the Panasonic PV-GS320 did not cut out picture quality. I really wish they had an external microphone jack on the camera but it does not. However, you can kill all the audio using the Panasonic software that comes with it. Use this one for point an shoot only, edit and add audio later on a PC. (However you can change the audio on the camera as well) It takes true 16x9 as well as standard. It is very easy to use and learn, especially if you ever owned a Panasonic VHS-C camcorder before, i.e. the ergonomics are like other Panasonic cameras I have used. Be sure to have a computer as new as possible and use the software provided with the camera to capture the video. There is nothing here that will do it for you, you will have to figure all the editing and adding audio and things like that out but it does give you some help. I use both a MAC and a PC. The PC is a Sony Vaio that also uses firewire (cable sold seperately). Firewire is better to use in my opinion. I could also use the hi-speed usb, (which comes in the box with the camera). I do not recommend standard microsoft movie maker/editor, for mine does not recognizes 16x9, it squishes it into a 4:3 frame. My Sony PC is a 2003 model, so I think the year has something to do with it but use the Panasonic software to transfer the video onto the PC. I have also used Nero 6.6 to edit after capturing the video on the Panasonic software and it works okay. Just keep in mind to use THE COMPUTER using the Panasonic software to edit the video, add new sound or music to it. You can also re-record the new version back on the camera using a new mini DV tape if you want. I'm not a pro at video know how, but I am an artist and have made videos in the past using amature equipment and find Panasonic video cameras a good choice. If you cannot afford a 1,000 dollar Panasonic like me, then go for this one, it will work for you if you are willing to sacrifice on-camera features for software instead. Otherwise do allot of research and ask some pro's. I have a realative who works professionally with video cameras in the business, (movies, sports etc.) and he said this one is not too bad. Not the best by any means (for the best cost in the thousands) but he did mention that Panasonic cameras are an excellent choice and said this one is a good starter, if that helps. Panasonic PV-GS320 3.1MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.



3. Performance wise, this is a great Camcorder. I dropped my old one on the cement and needed a replacement. BEST thing is the image stabilization. I've got a ton of videos taken at maximum zoom that are very shakey, so I immediately noticed the improvement with IS. Even at maximum zoom, there's very little shake. Nice!
   
   There's nothing fancy other than that. Typical zoom range, typical features. I do really like the jog dial menu navigation and it's really good for start/stop/FF/Rev. Much better than my old Panasonic's dedicated buttons that were located on the side of the camcorder inside the area where the screen folds out.
   
   However, at $325, this is too expensive. Mini-DV is on the way out and I only bought this because I've got so many existing Mini-DV tapes that I've not yet digitized (I also like the higher quality over MPEG, but that wouldn't have stopped me from buying a HD camcorder by itself). It shouldn't cost this much. $200 or even $250 would have been much more reasonable.
   
   However, given the IS & my need for the Mini-DV format, I would buy this camera again, even with my price comment above.
   Recommended!



4. I bought this because i'm filming a movie and we needed a new camera. I read all the reviews. The camera looks like its HD! The only problem with it is that there's no mic input. This is not a huge problem because to overcome this, we bought a mini disc recorder and hooked up our mic to it and then synced it in editing! I love this camcorder! Also! It will except filters and lenses (37mm)



5. Complete disappointment. The camcorder has so many features, but the zoom lever easily popped off and left the lens unable to zoom. Panasonic would not stand by their product and I was unable to get the camera fixed without a substantial fee. After four calls I was unsatisfied and the camera still cannot zoom. At a store I found that the zoom lever easily comes off. Avoid this product. There are too many cheap factors that can ruin the great features. Technical and customer support are useless.

5 comments about Sony DCR-SR45 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom.

1. The Sony DCR-SR46 could be better.
   
   Only 3 types language you can choice......
   
   Hard to find the menu you want to.
   
   I'm return it today.



2. This is a great little camera for the price, but be forewarned: it will not replace your digital still camera. The maximum setting for stills is 640 x 480. This is one of the lowest settings on my Canon A540. The SR45 is about half the price of my old 8mm, so I wish now that I had spent $100-$200 more for the SR65 or SR85 which both have higher quality settings. Even so, there are many great features: easy to learn and use, no more tapes, easy to transfer pics/videos to a laptop or DVD, the "Quick On" button remembers your current settings and powers down into a standby mode. Beware: there is no viewfinder, so recording in bright light is almost impossible.



3. I had put the purchase of this device off for over a year because it is such a big investment and I did a lot of research prior to the purchase. I made the plunge prior to the family roadtrip and I haven't regreted it once. The camera arrived two days before we left and I never had to take the time to figure it all out. The kids did it for me and showed me on the road. I am amazed at the simplicity and easy of carrying! I love the size. We used it hard for ten days of touring California and it never missed a beat. I purchased the additional battery which was recommended and we charged both batteries each night. Battery power was never an issue. Downloading the video was easy as well.
   If I had to mention one con, it would be that the power switch was a little difficult to turn. Other than that I am extremely satisfied with the product and highly recommend it.



4. i'll make this short. why does Sony insist that you use their software to download these video files? it makes transferring an absolute HEADACHE. i work off several different machines and forget about giving others my video. it's a nightmare; am tempted to trash this thing.



5. Best yet camcorder--excellent hard drive, zoom and pc transfer...and compact...only setback...low pixel on still pics. However, still a great buy!

5 comments about JVC Everio GZ-MG330 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom (Silver).

1. i've had it for almost a month.it's really easy to upload the videos to the computer,i have recorded in the night just using the camera's flashlight and the lowlight quailty is pretty good,my other choice was the canon fs100 but the lowlight performance on that camcorder is way grainer than jvc's camera so i went ahead with the jvc instead not too fancy just right for when u are about to record something u just open the lid and it turns on automatic ready to record u just open the lens cover and press the record button



2. I just received this item and I am still learning how to use it, but it is very easy to learn. Picture quality is great, controls are easy to use. No complaints.



3. We purchased this camcorder to take video's of our two little babies to send to family and save for ourselves. It is a great buy! It is so easy to use and small and compact. The picture quality is excellent! The blue color is nice. I would definately recommend to anyone who wants a camcorder for family stuff! So easy with not having to use the discs. Just plug it into your computer and off load like a digital camera.



4. THIS CAMERA IS WONDERFUL! NOT ONLY DOES IS THE PICTURE QUALITY GREAT BUT IT IS VERY USER FRIENDLY AND SMALL. I CAN FIT THIS CAMERA, MY DIGITAL CAMERA AND BOTH CHARGERS INTO ONE SMALL BAG WHICH MAKES ME MORE LIKELY TO BRING IT ALONG AND SHOOT MORE VIDEO OF MY KIDS. IT IS VERY EASY TO CREATE DVD'S FROM THE FOOTAGE AND VERY EASY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE MENUS. THE PRICE IS VERY AFFORDABLE AND WORTH EVERY PENNY! I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TO FAMILIES WHO JUST WANT SOME GREAT HOME DVD'S.



5. Bought this to replace my trusty but dying Sony thinking the picture quality HAD to be better after six years. But sadly, no. My Sony TRV350 had much better picture quality especially in weird light situations (shadow/light, low light, etc.). Focus was horrible and stabilization non-existent. Colors not real or vivid.
   
   On the plus side it holds a huge amount of video, is extremely easy to transfer the video to a computer, is very small and thus portable and looks cool.
   
   I was willing to overlook video quality to a certain point. But this camcorder failed to come close to "acceptable." When my Canon SD500 shoots better video (although not a very fast frame rate) than my camcorder, Houston, we have a problem. NOT recommended even for those simple family gatherings.

5 comments about Aiptek A-HD+ 1080P High Definition Camcorder (Silver).

1. I love this camcorder. Nice video, decent sound, fits neatly into my pocket. Piece of cake to operate. Just simple fun and convenience for me. I have only plugged it into my tv so far, and I see my vids in full screen. Very cool! So happy that i bought it. :)



2. OK, here is the low down on these sub $200 digital camcorders, ie flip mino and aiptek. the flip wins in the size and ease of use department, the aiptek in picture quality and features.
   
   the aiptek looks like other camcorders like the sanyo exacti line, but the aiptek is an all plastic deal. yes, you get what you pay for! however, for the price (the a-hd 1080p price varies between 149-170) you do get amazing hd video quality. no, it does not compare to a $1000 sony hd camcorder, but when used in broad daylight the quality is really pretty impressive. worth the purchase price for sure.
   
   where all cheap camcorders fail is in the low light (indoors, evening) department, video will look graiiny und ugly. the aiptek only has a digital zoom. my advice, do not use it, especially while filming, as the device does not have image stabilization. also, better to avoid panning as some tv's will show a combing effect.
   
   but within these limitations the ability to shoot 1080, 720p and dv quality at this price point is amazing !



3. I was a happy owner of a Flip Video camera, but lost it.
   
   I was going to reorder and saw this one, about $30-$40 more expensive, but it seemed to be an upgrade.
   
   I am so disappointed and unhappy, that I wasted time. I have to return this and now order another Flip camera.
   
   The directions are sparse, I see nothing about how to erase anything. There is supposed to be a focus, but I can't find it. The 'joy stick' is made to be used by the fingers of the same children who go blind making oriental rugs.
   
   I see that most of the positive reviews come from people who have some technical expertize. However, if you don't want to mess with this, just don't order this camera. Try the Flip!
   
   However, this is going back as soon as possible and I am ordering my new Flip Recorder and giving them a very high review. (I do publicity videos for small business people and they are amazed at the quality that comes from that little Flip Video camera)



4. Like others have said, this camera does take some pretty good pictures for the money. Its a simple HD camcorder for a simple price. It does not have all the bells and whistles that you will get with a $700+ camcorder, but again it is great for the money. What you don't get with this camcorder is any image stabilization, so you have to be really careful when shooting, so you won't get motion sick watching the videos later. Not a big deal really. The other thing that this doesn't have is an optical zoom. It has a digital zoom, but it zooms in jumping steps, which is somewhat annoying, but again you can get used to dealing with it.
   
   The one thing I am disaapointed with, like other reviewers have stated, is the microphone/audio recording capablities of this camcorder. They are poor, very poor. My cheap old JVC did a great job of recording the sounds of what you were aiming at as well as recording what you were saying behind the camera. With this camcorder, anything that is more than 5 feet away from the camera can hardly be heard, and narrating from behind the camera comes through too loud.
   If Aiptek could improve this, or add an external microphone jack, they would have a real winner.



5. Aiptek A-HD+ 1080P High Definition Camcorder (Silver)
   
   I do love the small size and ease of use of this camera, and the digital still shots are amazing, but I have yet to figure out how to convert the .MOV files on my Dell with Vista and Windows Movie Maker. I have downloaded several free .MOV-AVI etc converters, and none work. At least I have a MAC desktop - no problem using the original .MOV format in the IMovie program!!!

5 comments about JVC Everio GZ-MG330 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom (Blue).

1. i've had it for almost a month.it's really easy to upload the videos to the computer,i have recorded in the night just using the camera's flashlight and the lowlight quailty is pretty good,my other choice was the canon fs100 but the lowlight performance on that camcorder is way grainer than jvc's camera so i went ahead with the jvc instead not too fancy just right for when u are about to record something u just open the lid and it turns on automatic ready to record u just open the lens cover and press the record button



2. I just received this item and I am still learning how to use it, but it is very easy to learn. Picture quality is great, controls are easy to use. No complaints.



3. We purchased this camcorder to take video's of our two little babies to send to family and save for ourselves. It is a great buy! It is so easy to use and small and compact. The picture quality is excellent! The blue color is nice. I would definately recommend to anyone who wants a camcorder for family stuff! So easy with not having to use the discs. Just plug it into your computer and off load like a digital camera.



4. THIS CAMERA IS WONDERFUL! NOT ONLY DOES IS THE PICTURE QUALITY GREAT BUT IT IS VERY USER FRIENDLY AND SMALL. I CAN FIT THIS CAMERA, MY DIGITAL CAMERA AND BOTH CHARGERS INTO ONE SMALL BAG WHICH MAKES ME MORE LIKELY TO BRING IT ALONG AND SHOOT MORE VIDEO OF MY KIDS. IT IS VERY EASY TO CREATE DVD'S FROM THE FOOTAGE AND VERY EASY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE MENUS. THE PRICE IS VERY AFFORDABLE AND WORTH EVERY PENNY! I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TO FAMILIES WHO JUST WANT SOME GREAT HOME DVD'S.



5. Bought this to replace my trusty but dying Sony thinking the picture quality HAD to be better after six years. But sadly, no. My Sony TRV350 had much better picture quality especially in weird light situations (shadow/light, low light, etc.). Focus was horrible and stabilization non-existent. Colors not real or vivid.
   
   On the plus side it holds a huge amount of video, is extremely easy to transfer the video to a computer, is very small and thus portable and looks cool.
   
   I was willing to overlook video quality to a certain point. But this camcorder failed to come close to "acceptable." When my Canon SD500 shoots better video (although not a very fast frame rate) than my camcorder, Houston, we have a problem. NOT recommended even for those simple family gatherings.

5 comments about Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. While it does not have three chips like more expensive cameras, it is PERFECT for shooting lower budget shots.
   
   After getting a rig for it to allow for manual focus... were off and running!



2. Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
   
   I'm very happy with my Canon HV30. I rate the picture quality, color quality, low-light ability, white balance all excellent. The zoom control is a little close for my fingers and I found myself holding the camera less firmly (ie with the tips of my fingers rather than my whole hand) which would be wearisome on a long shoot, but tripods are still the best way to shoot video for steady pictures. On the other hand the anti-vibration correction seems to help a lot.
   
   The total package is good, not excellent and includes a battery with a nice contact protector that doesn't look like it will fall off (unlike the protector plate on the Elura and Optura that has to be taped on because it is so loose.) The plate keeps the battery from discharging on the keys in your pocket or bag. It also includes a charger which will also operate the camera without the battery, which is very handy. This is only good, because it won't charge the battery unless it is in the camera, so you can't charge while shooting with another battery.
   
   The package also includes a remote control (see above) that frustrated me the first time I used it and seems to be of marginal utility. However, all of the minor problems with the package can be remedied with an add-on accessory. The camera is what does the work and it is excellent.
   
   I've had this camcorder only one week. It was a busy week with kids graduation and parties and night club rock concerts on the video agenda but I learned a lot shopping for this camera and using it all week, so maybe my story will help you.
   
   First, why miniDV rather than flash, hard disk or dvd? I already have two mini dv cameras, a Canon Optura and an Elura. These have given me good service and images that were the envy of my Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic-owning friends. The only brand I compare to Canon is Sony (for similar consumer equipment). I rejected the flash and DVD models because the recording time is too short. DVD, in particular, is a rip-off with just 15 minutes for a $10 disk.
   
   This kind of short recording time is OK if what you want is to capture 1 or 2 minutes of magic moments and have them immediately available to put in a player. Personally I find the tape just as good for instant replay on the built-in video screen. It takes a couple minutes longer to rewind the tape.
   
   The hard drive models have a recording time advantage that initially attracted me, but the transfer issue is what made me decide to stay with a minidv. Ultimately all video has to be transfered to another medium to be used and archived. I have been transfering my minidv tapes to computer hard drives and dvd for years.
   
   Transfer is a tediuos, time-eating process that has caused me to spend more upgrading my computer and software than I spent on the cameras. Yes, I can make DVDs with my video; I can make YouTube videos; and I can put my own video stuff on my iPod and Zune. But it takes a lot of time to get the results I want.
   
   Why tape? It's cheap and convenient. Video takes a lot of disk space to store the original and then to edit and render into other formats. I buy the cheap tapes but I only record them once. I can carry 2 or 3 which give me 2 or 3 hours recording time. The real restraint is the batteries. Once I have the image on tape I don't erase it. I can play it immediately if I want to, but the ultimate goal is to transfer it to hard disk for editing and archiving. The real godsend is the recent plethora of cheap 500 GB (now 750 and soon 1TB) external USB hard drives. The transfer time is a chore; so is the indexing.
   
   Tape is patient. I can do it on my schedule. With a hard disk, it can get full at a time that is inconvenient to transfer but I need to do some more shooting. Then I would have to consider the dreaded DELETE of something I shot. With tape I can postphone transfering and editing for months without impairing my camera readiness. After I transfer, I still have the tape.
   
   I considered the Sony HDR-HC9 and the older Canon HV20 vs. the Canon HV30. I was tempted by the 6MP in the Sony and also by the low prices on the HV20. I saw a deal on an HV20 for $520 but it was gone before I made up my mind to settle for it. Ultimately I was looking at $999 for the Sony or $771 for the Canon. The HV30 had 30p mode and the $228 savings provided a budget for extra batteries and other goodies.
   
   So am I happy? Yes.
   
   My wife used it at my kids' graduation. Perfect color and detail, oohs and ahs from everybody. My wife just uses automatic mode with the lcd screen hanging out. I took some mobile shots in my car, one-handed through the windshield. The anti-vibration mode works great, as does the autofocus. During this shoot there were times when the camera was looking almost directly into the sun. The meter responded quickly and closed down the aperture, but the resulting scene was a little dark (not too bad, actually). There is a back-light compensation button that could have helped but I didn't think about until later.
   
   Then it was off to a night club. I took a recharged battery, not totally topped off because of numerous replays of some of the recent shooting. The lighting was typical dim night club ambiance with flashing disco lights on the dance floor and stage. My plan is to film the whole show.
   
   I have plenty of tape but just the BP-2L13 that came with the camera, which the manual rates at 75 minutes using the viewfinder, or 70 minutes using the LCD. I also know that new Li-on batteries need to be recharged a few times before they reach their full capacity.
   
   47 minutes of continuous filming is what I got, using the viewfinder. The image in the viewfinder was bright and easy to see. I wear bifocals but I was able to hold the camera several inches from my face and still see the edges of the viewfinder screen enough to frame the picture I wanted. My Optura and Elura both had decent viewfinders, but many was the time when I just pointed the camera and hoped my framing was ok because the image was so dim. The HV30 is really a huge step up.
   
   I haven't had enough experience with this camera to fiddle with the focus and white balance while shooting so I left it on automatic. The colors of the spotlights were changing very quickly and I was panning the stage and the crowd, zooming in and out. After the battery died I took it off and held in my hand to warm it so after the show it gave me a few more seconds of shooting. Considering it wasn't topped off on the charger and it was only the first time it had been cycled I wasn't that disappointed. I just ordered a BP-L24H rated at 145 minutes recording time on the viewfinder from Amazon for $99 with some of the money I saved over buying the Sony.
   
   The images were fantastic. I've shot in light like this with my Optura and ELura and there were always dark shadows with almost no detail. The Vixia showed great detail in the shadows. The automatic white balance reacted in a pleasant way to the red, orange and blue spotlights. Occasionally, on a wide shot of the band, while I was panning, the lead singer would be washed out from the bright spot on him while the rest of the band was in shadow but the overall effect made him look rather god-like which was cool. When I zoomed in the aperture closed down and I got excellent skin color and detail on his face. The anti-vibration did a great job because most of the images were pretty steady even though I was handholding and the crowd was bumping me often.
   
   The sound was the only detail that keeps this from being perfect. The sound started out OK for the first few numbers, but as the night went on and the playing got louder, there was a lot of distortion because of the overloading. The band used big Marshall amps and I was standing 3 feet in front of an eight-foot high stack of speakers so it is to be expected. For a more acoustic or quieter show the automatic limiter would have been fine. Next time I won't stand in front of the speakers.
   
   At home I hooked it up to the HDTV with the HDMA cable, tuned to the HDMA input with the TV remote and fired up the camera with the included remote control. The remote is a little skinny thing that does't provide any feedback when you select a function. My bedroom is less than 15 feet long so it couldn't have been more than ten feet to the camera. I had to get up and check the display in the camera to make sure the tape was rewound. This would be strictly an experimental item to be used at close range in a shooting situation.
   
   On batteries: I have bought the "compatible" batteries and been burned many times. On my Canon sure-shot the compatible batteries would be charged (Charger light is green) but the battery would run the camera no more than 5 minutes. Same problem on my phones. For my Optura, I bought three "compatible" batteries and they worked fine. YMMV.
   
   For editing, I've been using Ulead Visual Studio 11.5. The HV30 doesn't come with any software for movie editing or even transfering to disk. The included CD has software to transfer still pictures to a computer, but you don't need it. I verified that the HV30 is recognized automatically as a digital camera when you plug in the USB cable to the computer running XP.
   
   I didn't install the Canon software, but I did install a miniSD chip (not included) and take some pictures. There is a different button to snap still pictures which I missed the first time I took a picture. Even if you have the switch on the still position, it starts the video tape recording if you press the camera start button. The three megapixels doesn't maake for a great picture but it may come in handy. This isn't one of the feaatures that attracted me to the camera but it may come in handy.
   
   It copied my video from the camera and I edited it into a DVD. My Visual Studio 11.5 edits and burns AVCHD, but I haven't got a player that will read AVCHD anyway (other than my computer). I'm waiting for the Blue Ray burners to come out at reasonable cost, then I'll probably get some software that burns those. My computer is a quad-core Pentium with 4GB RAM.
   
   If you read all the way to the end you are really a glutton for detail like me. I don't really care if you buy this camera or not. You should buy the camera that is right for you and your budget. If I felt I could afford it, I'd get a 3CCD profesional model with interchangeable lenses. I'd hire a grip to carry my equipment and set up and hold the boom mikes. I'd get some professional grade editing equipment too, like Avid. I'd get one of those business disk duplicators that print the labels and burn the disks while I sleep. OK, I'll stop.



3. I bought this camcorder specifically to record a conference I was hosting but then a buddy of mine, who is a professional videographer, offered to do it. I decided to return it even though I had not opened it. I always assume when I buy a product from Amazon that there is a 30 return policy and a full refund but to my suprise, Ace Photo & Digital, the company that sold me the camcorder through Amazon, said their return policy was only 10 days and there was a 10 percent restocking fee. They refused to budge even though I spoke to a manager and plead ignorance. So my suggestion is to make sure you check out the company you are buying your product from and read the fine print or else it will cost you a pretty penny.



4. I am very pleased with the camera. I read some reviews suggesting the feel and build were not as good as Sony, but I think it is fine. It goes without saying that video quaility is great.



5. The camera has been great so far, quite a big difference from a standard definition camcorder. However, the tape deck is quite loud when recording. Loud enough that I seriously considered sending it back, but I can't seem to find a camcorder that gets as good of reviews, and I think it is a similar issue with a lot of mini dv cams. However, my 3CCD Panasonic (PV-GS120) cam is not as loud. It also doesn't seem to pan out as far as my old camcorder, which is kind of annoying if you aren't in a very big space, i.e. living room. They have a lens you can buy to make it larger, (Canon WD-H43 0.7x Wide Angle Converter) but the reviews say it's the weight of the camera, so I rather wait till the technology improves to purchase something like that. One other issue I have found which I don't believe has too much to do with the camcorder but more with your home computer...transferring HD and editing on your computer takes a lot of processing power, so be prepared to be patient even if you have a decent computer!