5 comments about Sony Professional HVR-A1U CMOS High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom.

1. At first i wanted to buy the DVX100B ,i did not know that better products could exist, in other hand every time i called DVX100b dealers they were very rude, i really don't understand why !!!!!and they told me i could not use the DVX unless i purchased the lens which was so confusing, so after arguing many time because of their rude and cold attitudes i decided to call Panasonic them self, they told me that NO lens should ever been purchased for that camera to work, and that the lens already comes attached , they also said that such dealer are illegally their try to rip people off big time , seller like bestcameraprice, or express cameras and other expocameras ,are doing the same stupid thing , and on top they are very rude, like it's out of style,!!! it also look as if it's the same Dealer that has several website and try to act up as different one from the other be ware!!!
   I started to accept the possibilities of using other brands,for my work, cause i was looking for the Hollywood look and 24fr/PS and a pro camera, so i stared looking around after many ,many long, and sometimes frustrating hours Thank God i discover the SONY HVR A1 the Perfect one " The one hat gives you 24fr/s and the Hollywood look, and the craziest of all it delivers AMAZING HIGH DEFINITION which the DVX 100B don't so in conclusion the Sony HVR A1 is a great Professional Power Pack Camcorder it is a slap in the face to those that are accustomed to the same thing !
   The HVR A1 is a must have.



2. This is a great camcorder, taking nice videos.
   One thing I like to see in their next version is using hard disk, instead of using tape. Tape is not reliable. HDD is a lot easier for repeat use.



3. I have been shooting consumer video since 1981. I started with a reel to reel system, worked with a camera and VHS portapack, did 8mm, Hi-8 and replaced my Digital 8 camcorder with this HDV camcorder earlier this year. Primarily, I use it for family functions, but I do shoot things that require me to gather better sound than what comes out of the built-in mics. The primary reason I bought this camcorder was - at the time - it was the lowest price HDV camcorder that had a way to connect to external audio sources. I wanted a Canon A1, but didn't want to wait the extra year or two it would take to save up for that!
   I also liked the idea that it used tape. I have a DVR that I fill up all the time and then have to dump onto tape or DVD to store what I want to keep. Also, in my informal in-store tests, the picture with the AVCHD codec just didn't look as good... at this time. I use standard DV tape mostly, but I clean my heads regularly and only record on the tapes once. I can think of two lost half-seconds of video where the key frame was corrupted in about forty hours of collection.
   Primarily, I found three things to be important going from SD to HD. One, picture stability. Use a tripod as much as you can and don't make sudden movements. Two, you need a lot of light to shoot good HDV. Three, focus is absolutely critical in HD.
   The touch screen menu system took me awhile to get used to. However, you can adjust the menus to have a personal set of menus; putting the menu selections you use mostly at the beginning of the list. Even so, Murphy's Law seems to dictate that you need to hit at least two menus to get to what you want. On a tripod, I find I can navigate quickly to the fader button without too much shake; this is much harder to do when I am doing a handheld shot. Also, I strongly suggest you get an LCD protector for the screen.
   In bright light, the camera is fantastic. I've shot landscapes that just blew me away watching on a 46" plasma HDTV. My son played flag football and I covered that - a la NFL films - all in close up and with lots of action in the frame. It looked great and very clear, even in slow motion.
   Inside, it's a little different. Family functions tend to take place in low light: table lights, kitchen overhead light, that sort of thing. The camera is not designed to shoot in those light levels (to be fair, no HDV camera seems to be at this time). The video can get very grainy (especially with a lot of dark areas in the frame) and the colors tend to go reddish. I'd say it compares to my Hi-8 camcorder from the early 90's in terms of sensitivity. On the small LCD screen, it's pretty much impossible to determine how grainy it will look. You won't be able to tell until you play it back on something normal sized and then the artifacts can be distracting. I would say anything below a bright kitchen needs some additional light. I've tried a couple of LCD lights that fit on the camcorder, but I haven't found one that I like yet, so I won't recommend one at this time.
   However, so far, the stuff I have shot at school seems to look fine under lots of fluorescents. And HDV seems to have a wider range than standard video. You can have a lot of light and dark in a frame before you completely blow it out and have white glowing blobs instead of kids in a spotlight against a dark background (parents have had camcorders for an entire generation; you'd think they would have noticed this by now!). And the camera does have a "Zebra" function that will alert you to areas of your frame that need to be toned down.
   The final thing is focus. Again, in bright light, this isn't too big of a problem. Even in flag football, the auto focus worked remarkably well, adjusting to the focus point within a second in almost all cases. Indoors, it does okay with one big exception that I just found out: Christmas tree lights totally screw it up. I don't know what it is, but our tree lights, my friend's tree lights and my aunt's tree lights all had the auto focus totally confused. However, the focus can be manually controlled by a switch on the side and through the dial at the front of the camera. I quickly zoomed in all the way, focused and then began to shoot. In any case, I recommend you zoom in all the way before you shoot as it is very difficult to tell on a three inch LCD screen if the scene is properly focused, but it is very easy to tell when you are watching it on a 46" HDTV!
   There is a single button on the side called "ASSIGN" that you can have set up to do a number of things. However, you cannot assign ANY function to the button, just SOME functions. For example, you can't set it to black fader.
   A "nice to have" would have been an HDMI out. You have two proprietary outputs for standard video and component HD video that I have hooked to my HDTV permanently. I need both of them because the component only outputs the video, so I have to use the RCA outs of the standard audio as well.
   The 10X zoom is okay. I think I would have liked about 15 - 20X though, especially since I primarily use the camera with a tripod. Another issue with a tripod is when you eject a tape. It exits from the bottom, so - at least on my tripod - you have to take it off the tripod, take the connection plate off and then reconnect it after you put in a new tape. This is an annoyance for me about twice a month as I generally shoot 60 minutes of tape every couple of weeks; not critical, but more of why did they change it from the top loading mechanism on my Digital 8 camcorder?
   The battery life with the original stock battery that would get sucked dry in less than an hour. However, I picked up a six hour battery and got rid of that issue. Actually, that helps to balance the camcorder in my hand when I use the audio breakout box which fits on the top of the camera towards the front. I use that a lot because the built-in microphones seem to pick up more sound from the sides rather than straight on and they really seem to pick up a lot of wind noise. The external microphone that comes with the camera isn't bad. I shot a football game with thirty mile an hour gusts and only the worst ones came through the wind screen.
   The camera will shot still pictures to a Sony MemoryStick. I have a 1GB stick and can fit something like 800 pictures on it. The pictures are okay (no flash) and they are in the 16:9 format of the camcorder. One nice thing is to be able to take a still while recording video. Again, in flag football, I could be shooting the action and then taking a still or two while the kids were running and the 10X zoom was much better than my 3X on my snapshot digital camera.
   The camcorder comes with a hood for the lens with a built in lens cover. Unfortunately, if you want to put on any filters, the lens shade can't be used. I have a clear filter on my lens to prevent scratches, use the 37mm lens cover from my Digital 8 camcorder and generally live without the hood.
   All in all, I'm pleased with the camera and generally astounded with the quality of the video. It took me a couple of months of use before I was totally comfortable with the camera layout and didn't accidentally turn it off when I wanted to start shooting. It's taken me longer to figure out how to best shoot in HD versus SD, but I'm getting there! I'd recommend the camera though there are now consumer level camcorders with external audio options that you might want to research before buying this one.



4. I purchased this camera last month, and almost at once I knew it was not the camera for me. For several years, I've owned and used a Sony DCR-VX2100 3 CCD Mini DV Camcorder, and have been truly impressed with it. I thought that buying a high definition camera from the same company would be a great move. I was so wrong.
   
   The HVR-A1U is the most disappointing camera I have ever come across in my life. It is astonishingly slow to auto focus, and at lower light levels makes nearly continuously adjustments. Even with the CCD turned up to full brightness, the picture looks washed out. Admittedly, I used it mostly at 480i, but even in 1080i mode, the result was no better. So much for the manufacturer's boasts about the Zeiss Vario-Sonna lens; they are, in my opinion, thoroughly unwarranted.
   
   The sound quality was also poor, despite the large mic, and when rewinding tapes, this camera makes the most horrendous noise. It is actually designed to do so since the noise changes pitch as the tape spools from one segment to the next. The sound is irritating at all pitches, and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to listen to it.
   
   The camera was also a lot smaller than the photos lead one to believe, so check the dimensions if you're used to a bigger, semi-professional camcorder.
   
   I returned this camera after trying it for 10 days. Buyer be warned about this one.



5. I recently had the Canon GL1 and thought it was time to upgrade to Hi-Def. After reading about 30 customer and 20 pro reviews it was the only camera that was offered pro features and great image quality worth way more then the price. It is all because of the CMOS sensor the camera uses. It consumes less power, less money to produce, better image quality then CCD and does not smear light. Some people say it's a consumer camera because it only has a one chip sensor instead of three like a CCD sensor but a CMOS sensor is a lot different then a CCD. A single chip CMOS sensor is three mega-pixels just like three CCD chips. It should be considered a pro camera instead of a consumer camera.
   OK; now what the camera can do..... It has a touch screen which is handy but you have to keep wiping it off because it smudges easily. The personalized menu is a great idea; you can have all your most used items at a touch away. The cineframe and cinematone features are a good idea if you want your movies to have a more professional Hollywood look to them. The picture quality in good light is almost identical the image quality of the Sony Z1U which cost $4,000 and that's really amazing!! The low light performance is not that good, this is a downside of the CMOS sensor. I really like the exposure lever, one strange thing is that the camera does not give exposure increments like F1.6 ..... F2.6 it just gives you a bar. Three quarters of the bar is for exposure and the last quarter of the bar is gain which digitally brightens the picture and makes the picture real grainy. Just make sure you adjust the exposure manually in dark places and turn the gain off by not going to the last quarter of the bar. It has some other great features and that I am not going to go in to but you can read about them on this page. One other thing is that this camera is quite compact and I am really amazed at the picture quality that it takes.
   Over all it is great camera and a good choice for any one who needs a good Hi-Def camera for a low price.
   I hope this review helps and I will be adding more to this review.
   06/29/08
   I don't know what the problem was with the guy below me. I think he had problems in low light with the camera, this camera is not the best in low light. The auto focus is a little slow indoors but it's a lot better in good light. He also had problems with the mic, there are a lot of settings for the mic and you have to set them right to get good sound. When rewinding tapes I did not think it made a horrendous noise but it does make different pitches as you rewind it. The camera is small, they made it compact so pros could get great images in tight places. If you need a good low light camera go with the Sony V1U.

5 comments about Panasonic Pro AG-DVX100B 3-CCD MiniDV Proline Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom.

1. It really doesn't need much review.. everyone would tell you is a great camera.
   I use for tv channel material as well as training videos, etc.
   Is the best you can get without spending $4000+



2. This is the camera you need to shoot videos, movies, commercials, shorts, weddings, sporting events, family gatherings, and just about everything else in between. I own several formats of movie cameras both video and film and have worked with just about every brand and type of Prosumer and normal grade camcorders around and this is by far the best thing since film. It can look any way you want it to, if you know what your doing, and have a few extra bucks for attachments and learning booklets and or dvd's. Nobody said making movies was easy, but its the greatest job a person could ever have or dream for. This camera records 16:9 similar to but less than HD quality but with a great film look. If you buy the panasonic anamorphic adapter it adds the ever so famous dof look that every movie has. Over all this is the best digital 24p film quality movie camera for under $5000.



3. this camera suprised me with how good it was, i knew it had been used in tv before, and in a few films, but i had no idea what i had gotten myself into. the image quality on this is beyond anything else. and the built in microphone does wonders. only flaw i have about it is the zoom. this camera comes with a 10x optical zoom. which is still nice, and i dont know how much more zoom i really need, but it would be nice to have 20x. but for the price you pay. you cant go wrong



4. I bought my first DVX100b around May-June 07, and my second this April of 08. Impressed enough to buy a second one.
   But really this camera is a well rounded DV camera. Its about as good as you can get with out going HD.
   The shots are solid as well as the quality of image. It does not take much to learn the controls, yet in no way is it consumer level technology. Between the white balance controls, the light gain levels, and the 3 filter settings this camera can adapt to a wide range of settings. The color and clarity of the image is brilliant but where the DVX100 really impressed me was in low light conditions. I am a wedding videographer and I was terrified of the reception because theres usually very little lighting and the footage looks black. The DVX100b can keep a good quality image while in very low lighted settings.
   The only problem I really had was when I first used it, it was difficult to keep a steady shot. Still with practice over time it becomes easy to hold and have a steady shot.
   Above all this camera is freindly for those who have never used a pro camera before, and customizable enough to fit even the best of professional videographers. I recommend this camera to any videographer out there, I especially recommend this camera for those that are beginning and need a camera that can hold you together until you get your style down.



5. I bought this camera on Amazon with $[...] Panasonic rebate. the item quality build is top notch. Look very professional.
   -Pro : Image quality is excelent with Leica lense, sound quality with XLR connector built in -48V , no external -48V needed, 24P is main buy of this camera, I used to have GS400 this is big upgrade for me, thanks for the DVXUSER.COM that offers a lot of information you can learn from that.
   -Con : personally I think not good for travel due to the weight of the camera if you have a strong arm then will be OK. Because during traveling you do not carry tripot and carry camera long time that make your arm get tired. I use the GS400 for travel.
   Conclusion : excellent image quality , quality of sound, decent zoom, only minor problem is the weight factor for me.

5 comments about Sony HVR-V1U 3-CMOS 1080i Professional HDV Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom.

1. Amazing Picture, Perfect Zoom, EXCELLENT handling of low light. Super happy with my purchase!



2. I love this camera the picture quality and audio quality is good!! having XRL imputs is a very important plus. The only downside is white balance feature. Its not true white balace, just two presets, one for outside one for inside. But other than that, for the price you are getting great quality!! I would recomend this highly!!



3. I got burned on my VX-1000 with its 32K stunted audio, no firewire in and no manual zoom. The PDX-10 that followed was great- except for still missing a manual zoom. I looked really hard at the first HDV cameras- and decided to wait, and V1U was well worth it.
   Bought the Sony HD- and am totally amazed at how much faster my edit process is. The picture quality is phenomenal- but, we've mostly used standard DV since clients are quite ready to pay for HD.
   If you've shot with a PD-170 you'll find the form factor very familiar. Still not in love with the way Sony sets white balance- it's not really totally intuitive- but, overall- this is the best camera I've worked with. Friends who've borrowed it are gaga- and they are used to shooting with Sony pro cameras. As always- audio is the most difficult part of shooting with a prosumer camera- and the handle mounted dials are a bit tough to manipulate while shooting- but, all that aside- this camera is amazing.
   Also picked up Sony's LED light- it amazes me every time I use it- great light- no heat- and forever battery life.
   One thing about all the accessories- there isn't a really good solution to mount HD, Light, Wireless receiver to this small frame. We've bought a bracket off e-bay that makes it easy to mount at least the HD and wireless box to the camera- when the light is on- and the battery for the light has to be on the extension cable. Still- very hand holdable.
   Only thing I miss from the VX-1000 was my Century .55x plus fisheye reversible lens- haven't seen anything like it for 16x9 aspect ratios.
   If you've shot with Sony in the past- this is the camera for you.



4. I have had the chance to use this camera a few times, plus compare it to some other HD cameras out there in it's price range, and came away impressed by a few aspects, and more knowing about a few others to consider.
   
   All in all this is a great little HD camera that takes great pictures right out of the box. It handles really nice, has a true microphone that comes with it, and the lens is great on it with it's 20x ratio. It's slow-motion, though at quality a little less than SD, looks fantastic and is great fun to play with. The camera's low light capability is not as good as the Canon XH-A1 in the same price range, or the Panasonic HVX200 (another $2k+), or as good as the older Sony Z1 (which doesn't shoot 24fps). Looking back, the Sony PD170, which was the low-light standard is about 2 stops better in very low light. But the V1u's low light performance is almost one of taste. The camera tends to give a little more fine grain in such low light, kind of like film in some ways. My guess is that this "effect" is pleasing to some people, who don't view it's low-light grainy issues as a problem. Test for yourself before buying. The display and viewfinder are very nice too. Very sharp, with great readout info, including histograms, making sure every shot is properly exposed. The camera also has a really nice automatic gain control. Much better than the Canons in it's price group. Nice focusing features too.
   
   The camera is also part of a larger packaged idea - it doesn't come with, but works perfectly with a portable hard drive (HVR-DR60) that allows you go HDMI out, for much less compressed picture (though most people will think going to tape looks fine) and those files can be dragged and dropped right onto your computer - no more capturing! The LED light is really cool too. Again, these are extra cost.
   
   Pros -
   
   Gorgeous picture quality in most all lighting conditions. Doesn't require a lot of tweaking, it looks good almost all the time right out of the box. But if you want to tweak, you can. If you want to really tweak, consider the Canon line-up.
   
   True 24fps, and true progressive chips, for filmmaking. Great film like gamma curves.
   
   Feels great in your hand. Very well balanced.
   
   True 20x zoom lens. The 30x digital zoom looks terrific!
   
   Nice zoom and focus ring. I was expecting lower quality.
   
   CMOS chips have very nice lack of smearing you see on most cameras that have CCD chips (those sharp vertical lines you see when taking footage of sunsets, for example) and the chips have a certain film like look to some more than other video cameras with 24fps features (including me).
   
   Comes with a true microphone - while not a $500 Sennheiser, it's better than most any other on-board camera, which is a nice extra.
   
   Slow motion, if lower quality, looks really cool (up to 240 fps!). Very usable for video going to regular DVD (not HD) or to the web.
   
   Cool HDMI out, with other accessories (not included) such as shooting to hard drive, or a neat LED light.
   
   Con's -
   
   Questionable low-light capability. If you're shooting a lot of night time shots, dark indoors (horror movies, dimly lit interviews) you really need to test and compare this to other cameras before buying. If you're shooting regular footage, especially a lot of outdoor, daylight, or professionally lit work, it shouldn't be an issue at all.
   
   Cost is about $500 more than Canon's comparable XH-A1 (which doesn't come with the microphone).
   
   Files that go to the HVR-DR60 HD are .m2t format, which must be converted if you're using a Mac (though still usable and convertible on the Mac).
   
   As good as the lens is, I believe the Canon is better, and has better image stabilizing capability.
   
   In summary, this is a great little camera for most uses, with a somewhat unique picture to it. Just about anyone going into a store to shop for one can easily compare this to similar cameras and see the features and issues I speak of. They should answer your questions right away whether this camera is for you or not.
   
   
   Finally, a price comparison:
   
   For $500 less, you can buy a Canon A1, which works better in low light, has more picture control, plus a better image stabilizer. But it's a little bigger, can't go HDMI out, has no slow motion, and doesn't come with a pro microphone.
   
   For $2k more you can buy Panasonic's HVX200, which has superior compression, and solid state capability, and slow motion in high definition (not down res'd, like the Sony).
   
   For $3k more, you can buy Sony's new XDCAM PMW-1, which is an extremely impressive camera with a superior picture to any of these cameras.



5. I bought my HVR-V1U and have had it a week now. I am very impressed with the quality of video with very good light. In low light the quality of this video camera is poor. But after doing hours and hours of research I decided on this model for a few reasons.
   
   1) Size - This camcorder is about the same size as a VX-2000 with the same feel and pretty much the same layout.
   2) 24p - This camcorder can shoot film in true 24p which is great if you want to give your video that "Film look"
   3) XLR - This camcorder has 2 XLR inputs to put real good microphones on it if you want and comes with a $230 microphone.
   4) HDMI - This model has an HDMI out so I can quickly and easily with one cord connect it to my HDTV. The Sony HDR-FX1 doesn't have this.
   
   I think the slow motion feature is pretty cool to experiment with. But the quality is low and of course there is no sound when you do this.
   Everything on the camcorder is made very well. No cheap buttons or parts.
   
   Disadvantages: It has a 62mm lens. The bigger the lens usually the better the low light quality since the lens can let in more light. The battery that comes with it is ok, but you definately should buy the biggest battery you can get. My extended battery lasts around 490 minutes record time or about 690 minutes on playback mode.
   
   The extended warranty Amazon offers on this model for 4 years is only $199.99. That is a really good price for a camcorder this expensive.
   
   Bottom line: If you want all the features of this model but want the best low light recordings possible, then purchase the Sony HVR-Z1U camcorder which is another $600 or so. The XLR is worth it because sound is usually the weakest link when watching any video recorded on a camcorder.

5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD108 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom.

1. This video camera is light-weight and small enought to tote around. It's easy to use and takes great video!



2. Initially, I loved this camera.
   
   Pros:
   EXCELLENT video quality. Absolutely stunning imagery.
   Great zoom-in for extreme close-ups.
   Long-lasting battery that charges quickly.
   LCD screen is good quality.
   
   BUT it died within a year of purchase, inconveniently AFTER the manufacturer's warranty expired. After the first ninety days, the camera stopped recording on DVD-RW (even the more expensive ones made specifically by Sony), bringing up an error message that said the disc was dirty or corrupted, even if the disc was brand-new out of package. A few months after that, it would not record on ANY type of disc and refused to even play back the ones that had already been recorded.
   
   Worst of all, because I did not purchase any extended warranty, Sony has a flat-rate repair policy that would be 211.00 specifically for this model, REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. It doesn't matter if they just had to blow air in around the lens, I would still have to pay nearly two-thirds of the purchase price to fix it.
   
   My advice:
   If you're adamant about buying a camcorder that records onto DVDs, regardless of which brand you decide on, purchase an extended warranty plan.
   If you don't really care what your camcorder stores your memories on, go for something that doesn't rely on laser capability which is more pricey to repair (or they'll pretend it is and jag up prices for it).



3. This was a gift for my boyfriend and he loves it. Its easy to use, the quality of the picture is great for the price, and its small enough to bring anywhere. FYI it does not come with any of the discs.



4. I have had it for over a year now and love the quality and ease of use. It produces great family videos!
   
   My only complaint is that it's hard to find compatible video editing/burning software. I finally found Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 with Dvd Architect 4.5 This software is necessary to make great family dvds with this camera. Try the free download at sony before you buy.
   
   Would definately recommend!



5. This camcorder may have good features, but it fails its primary function. It turns out that if you have a full DVD and try to finalize it, it can corrupt the DVD and lose all your data. I had to spend $351 on a data recovery service to recover footage of my newborn daughter. You'd think they would mention something like this in the instruction manual!

4 comments about Sony DCR-SR220 4MP 60GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 15x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. When my miniDV tape camcorder finally died, I knew that I would be getting a hard drive based camcorder, but I didn't know it would be so hard to pick the right one out, so I did a lot of research and finally chose the Sony Handycam DCR SR220. My biggest concern with this model was that I didn't think the 15x optical zoom would be enough. The real selling points were the good sized hard drive, the better than average lens, the excellent video quality and really good still picture quality (4 mega pixels, which is a lot better than most camcorders). This camera turns on quickly and is very easy to use. The software that comes with it isn't terrible, but if you use Adobe Premiere and Photoshop you will probably stick with that. Getting the videos and photos to the PC is very easy and quick, especially compared to DV tape. This camcorder has some very cool features too, like night vision (video in total darkness). "Drop protection" which I thought might include a parachute :-) but it doesn't. It just moves the sensor away from the hard drive and locks in place as well as shutting off the camera. The manual does say that this can be turned off if you need too, in case you are taking video while you are sky diving. It also doesn't work well in non-gravity environments such as outer space. Overall I am very pleased with the quality, ease of use, and mainly the speed of using this camcorder as well as transferring video and photos to a PC. As far as the 15x zoom goes, I did try out the smart digital zoom up to 30x and it was actually better than the optical zoom on my old Panasonic camcorder, so I am satisfied with that. My only recommendation would to be purchase a spare battery and travel battery charger. The reason for this is that the battery can only be charged while in the camera and in the docking station, plus you always have a spare. I think anyone looking for a hard drive based camcorder that doesn't require super zoom features would be very pleased with this camcorder.



2. I actually returned the sony DCRDVD 308 and purchased this camera instead. I wanted a camera that worked decently in low light conditions. For the price and without having the camera look like I'm from the local news station, I'm very pleased. I was having problems with the 308 not being able re-focus after zooming in and zooming out in low light conditions.... but don't seem to have that problem with this camera. I don't use the night vison feature because that shoots pretty much almost in black and white-but very clear. The color in the regular setting even in lower light is pretty darn good (for a camera that isn't a 3cc). I usually shoot with a tabletop tripod but don't always have the opportunity to use one- and find that the built in stabalization has worked wonders. If you read the manual, you have a lot of options for different settings, too. I agree with the last reviewer, though. I did purchase an extra battery and highly recommend doing so.
   I film bands (mostly my husband's) and purchased the extra microphone with the stereo surround sound. It is worth the price! The sound quality is phenomenal! With the 308 I was having problems with lower frequency sounds (bass rhythms or deeper voices)picking up a hissing sound, but don't have that with the 220 even without the extra microphone.
   My only disappointment is with the picture taking function in lower lighting conditons-but I'm still working with that and plan to call sony to see if I can work a little more with the settings. But in daylight it takes decent photos. I programmed the camera so the photos go to the memory stick and the video records right to the hard drive. But I bought the camera for the video capabilities, which I have been very pleased with. I have had no problem downloading what I have recorded quickly right to my computer and then right onto a disc to view on my television.The camera is also very small, easy to handle and carry and very user friendly.



3. I first got a SR200 and then saw that Sony released a successor, SR220. So I returned the SR200, bought the SR220 thinking the successor will be better. The SR200 was a good camera, but I liked the grip and size on the SR220 better.
   
   After I got the SR220 I compared the videos with some samples that I took from the SR200 before returning it. I was just disappointed. The details were far better in the older SR200 and there was less noise. I did notice from the specs that the CMOS sensor on the SR220 is smaller in size than the SR200.



4. good stuff easy to use.
   still pictures are not that great but nice enough (i guess 6MP should have been better)
   very smooth to use. and no noise in zoom action. touch screen gives added advantage of reduction in number of button on the panel.

3 comments about Sony DCR-SR65 1MP 40GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom.

1. I have tried it at a local store. After recording, I heard loud noise sounding like "click, click" in the video. Although other features are OK, I could not bear such kind of noise. It drove me crazy. So I did not buy this camcorder.



2. I bought this camcorder after a lot of research and I'm glad I made the right choice. The only camcorder comparable with SR65 was the JVC MG330 or MG360. JVC 330/360 has less than 1 mega pixels and the price difference between the two was not much and I found it was worth spending on the extra resolution for better video quality.
   
   Video Quality : Very Good. I ve taken video Outdoors and Indoors. On burning and playing it on 27 inch flat tube Sony TV, it proves to be very close to or almost DVD quality, especially for outdoor .
   
   Audio Quality : Dolby Digital. Very good sound quality.
   
   Camera Menus : Easy and Intuitive
   
   Ergonomics : Pretty small. Easy to handle and buttons are easy reachable.
   
   Still Image : I would not care to take still image using this, it s as good as taking pictures on a cell or PDA.
   
   Zoom : 25x is good enough. Anything above that would be difficult to hold it steady, unless you would be using a tripod.
   
   As long as you re not looking to spend over $800 for a High-Def quality for which you need to have High-Def LCD, High-Def burner, HDMI and the entire package, this camera is just perfect for the low $500 range.



3. I just bought this camcorder. I used sony dcr sr 40 and dcr sr 42 before. I can say that this camcorder is perfect comparing to other two. If you want a better one you should buy a high definition camcorder with a higher price. The only cons: you cannot expect to take high quality pictures with it. This is a common problem in most of the camcorders.

5 comments about JVC Everio GZ-MG335 30GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom (Includes Everio Dock).

1. I spent considerable amount of time researching on the camcorder. It was a tough choice with available choices ranging from MiniDV camcorders to HDD camcorders and varieties within these two categories. I finally narrowed down to HDD camcorders for two reasons. No messing with tapes so operating cost goes down, and easy transfer to PC and create your DVD within minutes. In HDD I had a choice between Panasonic SDR-H40, Sony DCR-SR45 and finally JVC GZ-MG335. Panasonic has a bigger CCD resolution (800 K Pixels) but had a annoying problem, you need to remove the battery to download videos. Sony DCR-SR45 has a smaller CCD (1/8) and touch screen LCD is a big no for me. That left me with JVC GZ-MG335 and was newest product on the market. Read through many good reviews on JVC GZ-MG330. JVC GZ-MG335 is same as 330 but with an additional dock. I am happy with the outdoor performance, pictures are DVD quality (Ultra fine setting), low light resolution is ok, but for me it does not matter. Burnt a DVD using the provided software, it was a breeze. Read quite a bit of negative reviews about the software but i did not face any issues with it. The 2.7 inch LCD is pretty neat with the laser operation. The camera is very tiny and can easily fit your pocket. The hard drive is 30 GB and can record up to 8 hrs (more than enough for a year for me). Additionally you can store your videos on Micro SD card (8 GB capacity available), so expandable as well. So far so good and I am happy with the purchase.



2. I love this camcorder. It is lightweight, easy to use, and I especially love the HDD. If you have a Mac, make sure you buy this version with the dock. I originally purchased the GZ-MG330 only to discover that it does not have a firewire port. Only the dock can connect to a Mac via firewire. With the firewire cable, your video clips are easy to import to iMovie. I haven't had a chance to use it too much, but so far it's great. The "laser touch" feature seems to work well and I like how it turns on and off when you open the screen, rather than having to turn a switch so a particular mode.



3. great product, easy to use and handle, plenty of on-board recording time. easy to connect to computer or dvd/vhs recorder. First bought a panasonic of the same size, but the jvc was much easier to use. Very satisfied.



4. JVC GZ-MG355 is a good value camcorder. The price paid was about $30 less at retail stores plus there was no tax charged. All I wanted was a camcorder to capture vacations and home activities with family. High definition was not needed. Video quality is very good in daylight and indoor lighting. Have not had a chance to do any night scenes. Controls are relatively simple to use. The laser touch along the side of the screen is much better than touching the screen itself like on the Sony model. I would hate dirty screens or scratched up screens. If you need an extra battery, buy a JVC battery on line and save some money. There are two complaints I have about this product. One is that it might be too small for people with big hands or fingers. The "on" button is small and may be a little awkward for big fingers. The other thing is the lens cover, which is manually operated rather than automatic so sometimes you forget to close it up. Other than that, I would say go buy this model.



5. I bought this camcorder to replace an old Panasonic MiniDV recorder. After reading the reviews I decided to give it a try. My first issue was volume, if the people in the video did not speak very loudly, you could not hear them during playback mode. This improved once the video was downloaded to the computer though. My second issue was with the orange tinge that alot of my video took on. Unless I was in direct lighting, everything came out an orange and tan color. My biggest issue was the fact that the included software did not work with Vista - the movies played ok in Microsoft Photo Gallery but I could not use the software. I contacted JVC who directed me to the software's website, and I would have to pay at least $35 for the Vista version of the software. Next problem I had was after taking only about 5 minutes of video, the battery light flashed red and the camera turned off. The battery had a full charge and died after 5 minutes!! Ok, it could have been a defective battery but at this point, I was pretty much done. Also, the docking station was a problem. When I hooked the docking station to my external DVD burner by firewire, it kept telling me to connect a USB cable! It was as if it had no clue that the firewire was connected. Then, to really make me hate this camera, the next time I turned it on a message came on saying that there was a memory failure, a broken something or other, click on "recovery". All this and I had the camcorder only 2 days!! Needless to say, I returned it. I was very disappointed in the quality of the video and the camcorder itself. I had to work way too hard to make it functional.
   
   I didnt give this one star because I'm sure that the software would work nicely on XP, and the camera itself is very light and fits your hand comfortably. I only wish it would have worked better, I think I would have really enjoyed it.

2 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.

1 comments about Panasonic SDR-H60 60GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 50x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. This was great for our recent vacation. The size is so convenient. We were also interested in automatic adjustment for the sun and it performed wonderfully. We have only used it for a short period but so far it is what we wanted.

1 comments about Samsung SC-DX103 DVD Camcorder.

1. About a month ago, I bought the Samsung SC-DX103. Unfortunately, it was defective. It froze on me several times the first day I tried it (my daughter's senior prom) and then the battery heated up. Eventually, after several attempts, it just wouldn't work and a black screen would appear on the screen and the viewfinder. Walmart did not have anymore in stock so I contacted Samsung directly regarding an exchange but was told they'd need to repair it under warranty. However, if they were to exchange it, I would have to waive the warranty and would be shipped a refurbished one.
   
   I paid for a brand new product and was not about to compromise that by having the defective one repaired and returned to me. I could see the product needing repair if something happened after years of use but not if it was defective in the first place.
   
   Needless to say, I do not have memories of the two major events in my daughter's life (senior prom & high school graduation).
   
   Many apologies for the long-winded note, but I am furious and I do not recommend this product to anyone.