5 comments about Sony HDR-UX7 6MP AVCHD DVD High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom.

1. I love this camera - video quality stunning. I'm a non-techie so let me toss a question out to the crowd - the 6.1MP still photos this camera takes are average at best. My 6.1MP Nikon D50 takes much better photos. Specifically I'm talking about grain and what I would call pixelation. I've double checked the settings on the HDR-UX7 and have them all set to max resolution. What am I missing? Other than that tiny issue this camera is great!



2. I have only had the chance to use this camera once, during a fishing vacation. I spent some time reading the reviews on the camera and on the DVD player which has to be a Sony Blu-ray. The camera was formated for HD and results were a true 1080 when played back. You will have to spend the money to make the whole thing work right. Purchase the Blu-ray BDP-S1. The Sony package was amazing. I really like being able to go directly from the camera to the DVD player.



3. Not much to say here other than it's awesome! Until 1080p camcorders come out, this is the one to buy for ease of use and portability. Shipping was fast. I am completely satisfied with this product! Thanks Amazon & Sony for having/making an awesome camcorder!



4. I chose this camcorder because I don't do any video editing, and just wanted a high quality easy to use camcorder. The touch screen is great, doesn't smudge up much at all. I can't imagine why this is a problem for anyone unless you play with your own fecal matter and don't wash your hands. The camcorder stays charged for a long time. The picture quality is incredible. The night mode is amazing. The only thing to know. If you do the HD recording, you can only play in this camcorder, or a Sony brand blue ray disk player. Enjoy.



5. I owned a DCR DVD 305 previously and decided to take the next step.
   Glad I did. Nothing compares to AVCHD. Except maybe real film.
   This cam is prosumer. I cont care if it doesn't look like an FX-7.
   The selling points for me were:
   1. The assignable dial for manual control of shutter, exposure, focus, whatever you decide to assign to it. Having auto settings can be great but some shots require some tweaking and manual control is a must.
   2. 6.1 mega pixel still shot. The 305 had a lousy 1mega pixel still shot. Not worth a darn. The 6.1 quality is an option I can boat about. 6.1 mp may be a few years behind, but this is not a digital slr folks. It's a video cam. Often camcorder shot leave traces of interlacing and such that reveal the source of cam it was taken with. Not this one. It looks like a still right from an early digital slr. No interlacing.
   3. Mini DVD storage. It seems most the newer AVCHD cameras are going HDD. Hard drives crash. They are prone to incurable errors. If you have ever own a PC with windows XP, you know this. Lesson learned. My previous camera the Sony 305 was a mini DVD storage based cam. When it failed, I was able to recover the disc out of the cam and rip it from my DD drive on the PC. If this had been a HDD cam, I would have lost the footage forever.
   4. External mic option. I plan on using a lav mic for interview types of footage. This has the option for an external mic. Super.
   Besides the jump to HD, those were the main reasons I bought it. It has all the normal options you will find in a DVR. I used Sony's website to compare shop. Very helpful.
   Some things to think about when you go AVCHD.
   Editing software is still behind the ball. I managed to score a copy of Sony Vegas Pro 8 which totally supports the AVCHD format and the 5.1 surround audio. Nero 8 Ultimate supports it to but, Nero is limited if you want to get creative. Adobe products, so far are still just supporting HDV, not AVCHD. If you like editing, get a MAC or go with Vegas.
   The software bundle with the cam is necessary. I tried to bare bones the install and it would not recognize the cam as a valid drive. Take the hit on your start up and install it ALL.
   Some additional cool things about this camera are that fact that if the cam is on and running on AC power, then a screen saver that is also a tutorial on how to perform tasks runs. Not sure if it is standard but a nice hefty NP FH-70 battery comes with it. Thats about 120 mins of recording. Most Sony cams follow the same ergonomic design so no learning curve required. This cam is not light but also not dead weight. You know you are holding cause it just fills up the hand without rendering your digits feeling fat and uncoordinated. I thought this was the icing on the cake and decided to write this review.
   And NO I do not work for Sony, but let me tell you this, they have a very fair Customer Service Department.
   
   Dave T

1 comments about JVC Everio GZ-MG730 7.2MP 30 GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Includes Everio Dock).

1. I really like this camera. It is compact, shoots nice stills and has good sound qualities. The interface is intuitive and I was tweking settings right out of the box with little or no reference to the manual. It is perfect for quick family videos and fits in a small camera bag, making it easy to transport. The problem is when you shoot long videos and want to edit them down. I have found that for my purposes the .MOD format this camera produces is old and has to be converted to .avi or .wmv for the sort of editing I want to do. That means a very long conversion process through the supplied software, which I did not find particularly usable or helpful. The autofocus also has issues indoors in medium lighting and the image stabilization is not the best out there. If you want a happy cam to grab shots of the family and friends, then this is a really good buy. Otherwise, spend the extra and go for a unit that has more flexibility with its video outputs. I started out loving this camera , but every day I find something else I dislike about it.

5 comments about Canon XL1S MiniDV Digital Camcorder.

1. Most of you need to recheck your information, the XL2 is currently available and it is featured on the Canon.USA website and it is far beyond any panasonic or previously produced XL's. I think Canon waited a little longer to produce this gem so it would be the only one out there like it (especally for the price). I had the ability to see the quality first hand prior to the release, because I was involved in making the commercial for it (you'll see snapshots of us making the commercial in flash when you click on XL2 under camcorders). Believe me the XL2 is the one you really want...



2. As of now, the XL1S is a little outdated by some other cameras that are on the market, but the end product has very desirable results. I have used cameras like the Panasonic DVX-100, and the XL1 will suit your needs at least 90% of the time that the DVX will. There is no LCD screen, but the viewfinder does sort of double as one and the overall shape of the XL1 makes it unwieldy at times, and more convenient at other times.
   
   Overall, if you have the chance to get this camera, then go for it if something like the DVX is out of reach. The XL2 is coming out soon apparently, which will probably drop the price of this camera and it would be a great opportunity for people on a smaller budget to pick up a camera that is capable of cinema quality pictures.



3. Canon still seems to have problems with it's lenses and how they interface with its electronic components, which means a blurry picture. For Canadians, there is only 1 service department in Calgary, while customer service is in Ontario. Imagine the bills trying to track down your camera over 2 provinces. Canon has somehow managed to keep this issue under wraps but it is a good idea to investigate where your nearest service department is and what kind of return time you can expect on repairs. The XL delivers great shots and definately looks the part, which can be important, but if it's not in your hands then it won't do much good.



4. i am currently in high school, in the media tech department. we do the school news, and produce some films. we currently have 3 kinds of camcorders, the sony dsr200, sony dsr300, and the canon xl1. most of the class perfers the xl1 for many reasons.
   it is definately the easiest to use, it is very light weight, and has many options that other cameras just dont have. it has a firewire port directly on it to help get onto computers, though there are other ways.
   
   i have personally used this camcorder, and i must agree, it is a wonderful piece of technology. a few months ago i had bought one of the new Sony handycams that burns to miniDVD, and i had nothing but disappointment, now i am looking into an XL1 of my own, because i know how to use it, it is easy to learn how to use, and there is so much more that you can do with it then most camcorders. if you are looking for something professional, and yet decent in price, you might want to consider the canon xl1



5. 7 years later, the XL1-S still stands as one of the best Prosumer minDV cameras money can buy.
   
   Very comparable to the Sony PD-150. Both great cameras, but I prefer the Canon.
   
   The only drawbacks are the abscence of XLR inputs and the tiny LCD screen.
   
   However, for a camera that is probably 5-7 years old, anything above $2,000 is way overpriced in my opinion. You can always go for the cheaper GL-2, but it does not have all the features of the XL.

5 comments about Sony HDR-UX5 4MP AVCHD DVD High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom.

1. I upgraded from a Sony DCR-HC30E that was 3 years old to this new HD camera and these are the pros and cons that I have found:
   
   Pros:
   * High definition. Pretty amazing quality on good light conditions even when conected to a 32" Samsung LCD TV that is only HD Ready (not full 1080i)
   * 16x9 rather than 4x3 format
   * Power adaptor is smaller (important when travelling)although the power cable could also be shorter and smaller.
   * Faster transfer to PC (not at viewing speed like old tape camera)
   * More efficient for archiving the original videos in external HD (about 1/3 of disk space).
   * Direct one-cable connection to TV with Standard HDMI connector
   * Simple PC Software provided to view AVCHD files and to convert into regular Video DVDs (although it can take the whole night to genereate a DVD of 15 min)
   
   Cons:
   * Much bigger and heavier than my old camera. Now I need to think twice before taking it for my next trip.
   * Being realistic can only record 15 min instead of 1 hour of video, before changing the DVD.
   * Editing AVCHD files require a lot of processing power. Now I need to upgrade both my PC and my video editing software.
   * Not possible to record both high def and standard def in the same DVD
   * All disks have to be finalized before being able to read on a PC, and this is a slow operation that can take up to 5 minutes. So better to transfer videos through USB if you haven't had to remove the DVD from the camera because you ran out of disk space.
   * Battery duration. Battery supplied is NP-FH60 rather than NP-FH70 and sometimes won't last for 2 DVDs of 15 minutes each.
   * Only as emergency photo camera since quality of photos is way below my old Canon Ixus 2 Mpixel camera.
   * Photos taken during video recording are even worse
   * Memstick is not provided, so unless you buy one, you cannot even try it as a photo camera.
   * I bought a Mem stick of 1GB. This is the same capacity than the DVDs, but you cannot recrd video to the memory stick!
   * Camera is slow to start recording since you press the record button, so you may loose the first two seconds. In addition it is slow powering up.
   * No multi TV System. I bough in the US and therefore is NTSC only, but I want to use it in Asia Pacific and in Europe. Fortunately I have a multisystem TV.



2. The price of this SONY HDR-UX5 camcorder is a bit high. Also, you cannot just purchase this camcorder without also getting a Sony blu-ray disc player because you need a Sony blu-ray disc player to play the disc on your tv set if you are shooting with high def. Sony uses a video compression scheme called AVCHD to encode the high def video, so your disc with AVCHD video cannot be playback with regular dvd player. You can use the software that comes with the camcorder to playback the AVCHD video on your pc but I would rather watch my high def video on the big screen. On the pc, image size for AVC HD is 1440x1080 and MPEG2 SD is 720x480 which is about 4 in by 2 in. The quality of the video and audio is good and the 4M still photo is acceptable. In-door video is good if you have proper lighting. You can shoot at the screen of your tv set and get comparable result when you show the recording later on the tv set. Auto flash has three settings (high/normal/low) to give you sufficient lighting for still photo. I do not have problem shooting photo indoor.
   
   The camcorder ($700) is expensive. On top of that, you need money for the accessories.
   
   1. You have two choices of video format- HD OR SD. With HD, you should get the sony blu-ray disc player because the High def is AVCHD 1080i and can be playback on your tv with sony blu-ray disc player. Without a sony blu-ray disc player, you can playback the high def video by connecting the video camera to your tv set with the supplied component video cable. You will not be able to play "the disc" by itself using a regular dvd player if it is recorded with HD video. With SD, it is MPEG2 video. So, for SD, you can play your 8cm disc without the blu-ray disc player. For high def, you should get a Sony blu-ray disc player. I think of the Sony blu-ray disc player as an important accessory to the UX5.
   
   2. Using the supplied battery(FH60), the recording time for SD (on SP mode) is about 75 min. I upgraded the battery to FH70 and I expect to get about 150 min. So I do not need to run back to my hotel to charge the battery when I was only halfway through shooting at the Great Wall. The mini dvd+rw disc records 30 min (single-sided, 1.4GB). If you want to record continuously on a single disc, consider using dvd+r DL. In SD (on SP mode), it is about 55 min.
   
   3. If you record with dvd-rw disc, you can split or trim the video and that is all the editing function you got from sony. Or, you can use Nero 8 Ultra Edition to edit High Definition content in AVCHD format. Roxio easy media creator 10 and Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus will edit AVDHD. I don't know whether EMC 10 down-converted your footage. Certainly, it is much less expensive than doing it on the mac with Final Cut Studio 2. On the mac, you need Intel Core 2 Duo, Quartz Extreme graphics card, Mac OS X v10.4.9 or later, at least 2GB of RAM, Final Cut Pro 6 which is included in FCS 2. If instead, you use imovie '08, which is included with iLife '08; it will downgrade the high def to 480i. To me, it means it is not high def anymore.
   
   So, as I've said before, AVCHD means get a Sony blu-ray disc player, shoot in high def and show your footage on the big screen like it is meant to be.
   
   [...].



3. For the product and technical illiterate, this is a great camera. For those who know a little bit more, it is an excellent camera. Easy to set up, use and edit. Placing the dvd directly into the camera is the best! Finalise it, and walk right over to the DVD player...Awesome!



4. I think that the HD is in progress, because when I record in HD HQ, I can't edit the recorded material in the cam before finished the DVD.
   I don't have been used all the facilities of the cam recorder.
   
   Thanks.



5. This camcorder is awesome. The quality of video is great. It is very versatile and gets the job done.

5 comments about Panasonic PV-GS85 MiniDV Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. My five year old Sony CCDTRV87 8mm camcorder quit working so it was time for a new video camera since I have small children. Did a lot of research and although most people are pointing to Sony for the product they like, I just couldn't buy another $600 camcorder from Sony and have to replace it in five years. This was the second camcorder from that brand that I had owned and quit after 5 years and I take very good care of them.
   
   I have owned other Panasonic equipment and am very satisfied with their products so after reading great reviews on the PV-GS85, I ordered one. Very fast delivery from Amazon, only four days and it was here.
   
   The Good: Light weight, great picture for sub $300 camcorder. Not as good in low light as the old 8mm. Battery life is 30 minutes with standard supplied battery. After playing with menus for a few days, it was easy to navigate to any functions needed for record or playback. Built in light is a big plus although only good for short range.
   
   The Bad (atleast for me): During playback there is no date/time stamp on the video. I am used to seeing the date superimposed on the video at the beginning of each new recording session on a new day. The date would flash on for a few seconds so that you would know when the shot was taken. This camera has no such function and I assumed that it did since I have owned other brand camcorders (all the way back to 1986 VHS-C) and they all had that date/time function. I found that the date is available if you use the analog output (not in any part of the owners manual) but it is on all the time and is annoying to see all through the video. So if you edit the tapes and transfer to DVD as I do, you have to find video editing software to manually insert an overlay to display the date. And if the tape was shot over a long period of time, you will have to take notes to remember the dates the events took place. Very disappointing for me.



2. 
   After searching for a while for a ~300 dollars mini-dv camera, i decided for this one and i dont regret it.
   
   Has a very good video quality and a steady shot for photos, took pictures from moving cars or on the move and the optical stabilizers are quite good.
   On top of that has a 32x optical zoom to match, those two allows you to take great pictures or film from very far.
   Has decent low light capabilities.
   That turn on/off function when closing the LCD is quite good.
   
   Cons:
   The light is not very useful.
   Comes with a 45~60 minutes battery, larger ones makes imposible to use the viewfinder.
   You have to remove the battery to access AC power, USB and firewire.
   Cannot charge the battery while you have the camera connected to AC
   
   Resuming, is a very good camera in the fundamentals and im happy with it.



3. The PV-GS85 is one of many Digital camcorders I've tried in the last two years, and so far the one that has come closest to filling my need for a versatile consumer grade camcorder to replace my old Analog VHS PV-43 which broke after 13 years and 40+ hours of flawless service. Without going into boring detail, the PV-GS85 offers comprehensive manual controls accessible ( with some dexterity ) using one hand, and can even record stills to the SD card "while" shooting video. Low light performance comes close to matching my PV-43 something that was the norm on old Analog camcorders, but very rare on the new Digital models. It also uses MiniDV which uses a tape like the old Analog camcorders which to some may seem a disadvantage, however it provides the least compression artifacts in a lossless form that you can archive and label with a pen just like the old Analog tapes unlike DVDs where the ink migrates into the media. It also has Optical image stabilization, a very large field of view, a battery which will last as long a tape, as well as an external battery charger which is included. All in all a nice well executed camcorder. Panasonic even offers an optional 10 watt video light ( at extra cost ) that mounts on the cameras cold shoe.
   This cameras not perfect, it doesn't have a microphone jack or manual focus ring like my old PV-43, nor are the stills of great quality ( only one of the camcorders I tested took decent, not great stills and had a flash - it's best to stick with a dedicated camera for stills )but it does provide possibly the best compromise available today. As always, do some research an try out different camcorders and have a clear idea of your expectations before deciding to buy and you'll be happier.



4. This camcorder is great for the normal person. It was not made for the sim-pro or pro vedio maker. This is a very good camcorder for the price. It is easy to work, has great Zoom and the OIS is great. I have used this camcorder every where. Please stay away from the PV-GS80, for a few dollars more you can get the PV-GS85 that does a lot more and I had the 80 and had problems with it the 85 is so much better.



5. as mine. but mine possibly seemed to have poor (defective?) cmos sensor. As a result. autofocus was extremely slow and also resolution dropped too low even in the shade, not mentioning real low light. Overall picture quality in SP was worse than with my old Panasonic with same 680kpix sensor in LP. Maybe just my bad luck...
   Great features are: fantastic OIS; VERY comfortable finger controls; webcam capability.

5 comments about Panasonic VDR-D230 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. We bought this as a gift for our kids and so far it seems to do a great job. It is easy to use and the picture quality is fine.



2. The camera records great. The problem I had was I wanted to place the recording onto a standard DVD so that it could be viewed by others. I had to read the directions very carefully and then experiment. I bought some Sony DVD RW disk and those were formated in VR,"Video Recording" and then the software provided reconized them and was able to open it up with DVD Movie Album program. Once opened and the video was there I pushed the Export button to save it onto the computer. Once down loaded I closed that program and opened DVD fun studio program. Then I selected the tool button on top and then selected the collect tool from there. A box popped up with an untitled video in it. I clicked the video then selected the arrow at the bottom to move it to the other box. Then I pushed OK and the video down loaded. Then I selected the size of DVD I wanted to put the video on in the lower left hand corner, a standard DVD is "12cm DVD". Then I pushed the burning buttom. With the mini DVD removed and a blank standard size DVD in the player/burner you just watch it work. It takes about 10 minutes to down load to the computer and 10 minutes to burn the DVD. I have tested it and it plays in the DVD player hooked to the TV. There are alot of features to figure out and I'm still working on them a little at a time. It is quite the camera but for awhile I was not sure if I would ever get it to work the way I wanted to. In fact I gave up several times but finally got. I think it will do anything if you work at it long enough. Recording is the easy part, tranferring the video to another product can be difficult to say the least.



3. M boyfriend gave me this a my birthday gift. I was wanted a camcorder since i like making movies and videos and i use to use the long time ago video camera. I LOVE the fact that the camera is small and easier to handle, that its not heavy and does not act as excess baggage. The only thing i dont like about it is that the battery last for less than 4 hours. I enjoy recordering and catching the moments of simple nonsence but most times i cant because when we are in the middle of having fun or something exciting is happening thats when the battery goes died but apart from that i love this camcorder.



4. The Panasonic Vdr-D230 is my first official camcorder. After going through about 5 camcorders and finding something wrong about them, I bought this camera and it is now one of my best friends. What I was very impressed with was the picture quality of the video. I was stunned. For a camera in this price range, you're not going to find too many camcorders with good picture quality. This does. The quality is vivid and brings the colors out. You can adjust the color and brightness on the camcorder's options. Quality is grainy and a little fuzzy at night, but isn't most camcorders?
   What I wanted was a Camcorder that could work friendly with my computer and upload my homemade videos to Youtube. This camera is perfect for it. Connect the camcorder to the computer, export the files into mpeg, and covert into avi. for my video editing software and I'm done. And the real cool thing is, is that the quality to my picture doesn't downgrade. :D
   I really like the structure to this camcorder as well. Easy to hold. And that it has the black coat instead of the silver coat. It'll probably be less likely to scratch like the silver coating camcorders.
   This camcorder has some features along with it as well. Most Panasonics do. Like Soft Skin Mode, and MagicPix. With DVD's; I just put in some *Panasonic DVD-RW* disks and they work great with my camcorder :D
   
   Pros*
   Very Vivid Picture Quality
   Computer Friendly
   Nice Sound
   Structure of Camcorder
   Brand Name
   
   Cons*
   More Features would've been nicer
   
   I can't find too many *cons* for this camcorder because there really isn't anything wrong about it. Everything came with the package that I wanted with this camcorder. I'm very impressed with Panasonic, they're my favorite :]
   Can't not wait to make more videos with this in the summer.
   
   Recommended for a Youtuber, and the First User.
   Overall Grade* A-
   Jordan



5. I am a total novice to video cameras let alone DVD cams. This little camera works great! I love the 1000x zoom feature.
   
   One thing that people in the other reviews had problems with was mini-dvd's not working. Well - if they would have read the little book, they would have seen that the camera only works with DVD-R or DVD-RW discs. Not +R or +RW. Yes! There is a difference.
   
   Still picture feature was a selling point for me. It takes great digital stills.
   
   Great, easy to use, light weight, and user friendly!

4 comments about Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom.

1. This is an amazing piece of equipment. Get the large battery for better balance and OVER EIGHT hours of taping. Broadcast quality. You will rarely NEED to go off "auto" unless you have special needs or are in a totally controlled studio situation where you can control lighting and movement. Pricey but worth every penny. The HD is as good as Discovery HD Theater's, and the std. DV recording (due to the new chips) is better then other 3-chip cameras I have owned.



2. This is a very easy to use and high end video camera from Sony. The 20x optical zoom is amazing and works great in the outdoors. This HDV is a very nice step up from my DCr-Vx2100 that I have been using for 4+ years. Just hope it can handle the outdoors... I am very happy.



3. I have had this camcorder for two months now and I could not be happier. The camera is great indoors and out, including low light conditions. The high definition quality is incredible, the best I have seen. I also like the small size and light weight, a definite improvement over the fx-1.



4. We needed another camcorder didn't really want a HD because of the problems of no software out there to create HDDVDs. We bought this because our other sony is 10yrs old and didn't want to buy what we had. We are very glad we did. Even regular tapes look stellar in the 1080i format. The 20x zoom is to drool over. It is wonderful we use it for birding only now they are moving. All the techie stuff should come from my husband, but I am writing this so you won't hear it from me. I do not hear him swear or crank about difficult maneuvers. He likes the programable buttons. I found the change to Final Cut HD easy. You edit in HD and made the non HD DVD (we use a MAC) record it back to HD tape and wait till the software is written. Broadcast wants tape anyway. Ease of handling cam great, additional sound source easy to deal with. Mike on cam improved over our other camcorder. Easy to carry with handle. Need to use manual focus at times. Lots of buttons if you want a point and record not a good choice.

5 comments about JVC Everio GZMG255 2MP 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Includes Docking Station).

1. This is a great camera - back up is easy. Negotiating the menus can be a challenge, not the best interface, but learnable. I agree with the other reviews that say buy the extra battery; it is well worth it. The camera comes with a docking station that makes it easy to connect to the computer to back up etc. I have been using the camera to convert all my old VHS tapes to digital and it works like a charm. The process is very easy. The only glitch I have found in this (and with any new videos as well) is that the files are AVI and my old Vegas Movie Studio software does not recognize them. The software that comes with the camera is helpful in that you can convert the files to mpeg1 that can be read by almost anything. Highly recommend the camera



2. Picture quality is very good, but not as good as HD. The software came with this camcorder is terrible. It only allows 50 scenes max to burn into a standard DVD format even if all 50 scenes are less than 4G or 2 hours. I have 120 scenes, but less than 1.5 hours and it still required 3 blank DVDs.



3. I'm sure I can't give a better tech review than c681 has given. So I will say how it feels
   
   Satisfying: easy to use, but you do need to get the feel of it like anything else, use a tripod and the remote mostly. Getting a feel for the zoom on the cam is the main thing. The remote is full speed, so not real useful zoom buttons.
   
   I agree with c681 about low light recording quality, real good, I find a big huge zoom capability is not functional for a grandbaby crawling on the living room floor, for instance. If I wanted big, magnification zoomed I would not be buying a little minicam.
   
   I've seen discussions about Firewire or ieee640 or whatever. USB works fine as does 6 to 4 pin firewire. This video cam will not be a webcam. You can import mpeg2 files into imove or play files in ichat. Can't go into how here.
   
   It's a machine, nothing is perfect, but WoW I'm happy.



4. I agree 100% with previous reviews - I tested, side-by-side, the 255, the new 330, and the new 730. Hands-down, under every possible scenario and lighting condition, the older 255 is BY FAR SUPERIOR. C681's review is 100% dead on.
   
   See my review under GZ-MG330 for full details.
   
   BUY THE 255 over any of the newer JVCs - none offer the larger f1.2 lens, and it IS the difference!!!



5. I read a lot of the other reviews before buying this camera, which was a BIG help. Just got back from Hawaii and using the new camcorder for two week and the movies it makes are UNBELIEVABLE. A relative that went on the trip also bough a HD camcorder (different brand) and we played our different movies back on the same TV and this camcorder provided better clarity. When I looked at their camcorder I thought OH, OH, because it was a lot heavier, but overall this unit was better.
   
   Trying to think of a negative to provide and cannot think of any.

5 comments about Panasonic SDR-H200 30GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. The panasonic SDR-H200 has met & exceeded all my expectations.
   I did a lot of research, and read many reviews. In the beginning, I fully expected to go with a JVC or Sony camcorder, but found the Panasonic SDR-H200 blew them away! The SDR-H200 is the bast value hands down: Color, picture quality, features, ease of use. Panasonic uses the same 3 CCD technology in the SDR-H200 camcorder that is used in the really pricey $1,500+ camcorders.
   I bought this camcorder ahead of a recent trip to Hawaii, and it met & exceeded all my expectations. They say not to plan for good still pictures from a camcorder, but I found this panasonic camcorder takes great still pictures, in addition to awesome video. Made a great second still camera for our trip.
   This camera has a ton of features to satisfy the video aficionado. I learn something new every time I use it.
   I got great battery life, 3+ hours between charges, as long as you keep the view screen light level turned down to a reasonable light level. Even at the low light level the view is really good.
   The remote works great for running the camera while taking couple shots on a tripod, or reviewing footage with a TV.
   Thanks to the folks who provided recommendations in this forum on manipulating the files. I'm learning the best ways/software to manipulate my files.
   I've bought a lot of books through Amazon.com, but this was the first time for electronics. Worked out great! Great price, turn around, convenience, review info.



2. Very easy to use, very good video quality, plenty of manual controls.
   Handling is pretty good, just weird to have the battery coming out so much, especially when using the larger capacity batt... but does not interfere with the controls.
   Joystick is very precise, zoom is sensitive to your touch and will go fast or slow as needed.
   Not so great on dimmed light, but video light will help, however with some noise in the pic.
   Compact, light, very easy to transfer data to pc and edit or burn. Heard issues with mod. files... I use cyberlink power director and everything is smooth (the enclosed software is ok).



3. I had it for about three months. No problems what so ever. I just don't like the fact that I need to connect it to a power plug as opoosed to running it on battery when transferring files to the computer.



4. Have owned SDR-H200 for about 8 months.
   
   Pros: Decent price, good video quality in well-lit areas, no tape, digital recording.
   Cons: poor low light video quality - not unusable, but noticeably grainy picture. Cannot get widescreen mode to work. Video clips are coming in as 4:3. Supplied software leaves a lot to be desired.
   
   recommended.



5. The product is amazing. But I did not get the Power cord (I bought it refurbished, but still a wire less is a wire less). It is necessary for transferring to PC. Need to be sure you got everything.

1 comments about Panasonic SDR-SW20S Waterproof Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom - Silver.

1. Panasonic SDR-SW20 is pretty specific camcorder designed for pretty specific individual. Having wrote that, allowed me to explained some of the good points about this camcorder. First thing you notice is that its a pretty small camcorder and very light. In fact, this camcorder is smaller then some of the point and shoot cameras out there and I brought a p/s camera case to stored this camcorder in. Second thing is that its super easy to use. Its very minimal in design and dial switch with simple on and off button to record. And yes, this camcorder is waterproof and you can dunk it up to five feet as noted. If it waterproof, then it got to be dustproof as well. I haven't tried bouncing this camcorder off the floor but I'll take the manufacturer's word on the shock-proof. It has a 10x optical zoom that worked just fine while recording and an electronic stabilizer that works pretty well. The camcorder do come with several scene modes, manual focus as well as aperture and shutter speed control although its at a pretty basic level. The 2.7 inch LCD worked just fine and its in widescreen mode. The still photo are shot in 4:3 mode. All videos and photos are save on the SD card. I recommended that you get at least 2 gig to get started. It does accept SDHC cards although the manual states that you are better off using a Panasonic brand or else it might not work properly. I'll just buy more 2 gig cards instead.
   
   For the negative side of this camcorder, the video image isn't very good. I would regard the video image to be just average, nothing to blow your mind on but its better then you hope for. The video image really get "noisy" when shooting in dark locations or night times. Its still acceptable but barely at times. Its far superior then the Flip video device but far less then some of the more expensive ones. Let me put it this way, bigger the screen, worst it will look. Smaller the screen, better it will look. This applied even at the XP mode, their highest rating. This camcorder does take still photos but only at .3 mpx, no better then a phone camera. The audio is bit on the weak side and you will get a lot of debris noises no matter what you do.
   
   Reason for my four stars is this, despite of the video image shortcomings, this camcorder fitted my need. I wanted something small, light and bombproof from the elements in a camcorder. I can live with the average video in such a trade off. Due to the size and weight, I can take this camcorder anywhere and used it almost anytime. I like to hike, bike and backpack so this camcorder is perfect. (Of course, bring extra batteries since battery life is pretty short due to the small li-on battery they use for this camcorder.) I supposed it even possible to attached this camcorder to dashboard or on a bike handle and used it that way. The LCD cover does not have to be open for this thing to record. My camcorder fit my needs perfectly but unless your needs are like mine's, you may not be happy with this camcorder since the video image is not as good as bigger ones out there. Just be aware of that.