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

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 Sony DCR-SR85 1MP 60GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom.

1. This is one of the best camcorders I've ever dealed with. It's a big step up from a old VHS mini tape one. The hard drive makes it very convenient. With the charger station that comes with it, you can use it to charge and watch the video footage at the same time. I paid $550 which is quite a deal because it is a $700 camcorder. I do wish some more accessories came with it but that's okay. The zoom is great. For being only a one megapixel camera, it looks pretty good except when zoomed in. I would definitey consider this to all my friends.
   - real easy to use and great capabilities



2. Although this is a good price and good picture and has a large hard drive you cannot edit your movies which is why I bought the camera in the first place. Unfortunately we've had it for over a month before we discovered this. I am very disappointed.



3. over all, it is great, but when you change the optical times, you should do it slowly. otherwise the video will become not clear.



4. It is a good handy cam, however I was not satisfied with video resolution. But at this price you can't expect more then that. Camcorder had a problem with zoom in and out operation, there was some mechanical noise and it was getting recorder in video. So returned it. Got full refund from amazon instantly... no troubles at all, Thanks amazon!



5. This is my first camcorder and I selected this after a careful study of exisiting models across various brands like panasonic, jvc, canon. This was fitting my budget with lots of required specifications. I did go to nearest electronics shop and had a look at it before ordering it and comparing it other models. I used it extensively in my recent trip to smokies and it was fantastic. Lots of space..I need not bother about space. Four days of usage and I was hardly using 10 gb out of 60 gb. Clarity was good. Wish I could explore all the features of it. I would recommend this to any new comers into the camcorder world.

5 comments about Canon ZR900 MiniDV Camcorder with 41x Optical Zoom.

1. Great screen view, easy to use, more zoom than needed. Only wish it came with one cassette.



2. I've just received my camera, bought right here, and I'm VERY disappointed because the description is FALSE...
   for starters, it says "Genuine Canon 41x Advanced Zoom", when the optical zoom is actually 37x, which isn't half bad, but it is NOT as announced...
   "Level Shot and Grid Markers", they just DO NOT EXIST, unless theres some obscure, not-documented way to get them to work.
   "Still image recording", this was a KEY FACTOR for me to buy the camera, and it DOES NOT TAKE PICTURES! it doesn't even have a SD slot!!! and NO I don't have the wrong camera, check for yourself in the pictures (as i should have...) do you see a SD slot? NO!
   "Advanced Photo Features", are you kidding me? the stupid thing DOES NOT take still pictures!!!
   The video quality is sub par, and I'm VERY disappointed! if you do not need good quality or those characteristics, go for it, or just go get a real camera...



3. I am forced to write the review because of totally uneducated review left by "E. Robles "VJ Pike". He apparently never went to the menu section of the camera. When i get any electronic item, the first thing I do, is to go to the Menu and play around with the setting. If he had ever visited the Menu section, let alone play around with it, he wouldn't have written an embarrassing and incorrect review. While I agree with SDHC part is falsely advertised, markers and 41x zoom are not.
   
   Go to Menu->Camera Setup->Zoom and you can select between 37x, Advanced 41x, and 2000x digital+optical zoom options.
   Go to Menu->Display Setup->Marker and you can select level marker and grid options.
   
   These are not falsely advertised, but the user did not have the opportunity to find out. I wonder if he bought the same camera or thought he did and bought something else.
   
   Regarding the camera, its a solid performer. Zoom is more than enough. Video quality is pretty good although not the best (For something less than 200$ what do you expect? HD?).
   The external mic jack is a big plus. It's very light and fits right into my hands. Mini DV allows me to get uncompressed video out of my tape. Manual controls are adequate, although they could have thrown in more controls for spot exposure, more focus controls.
   One drawback is the picture is grainy when shooting in low light. Also it could have had still picture mode to a sd card or something.
   I paid 185$ for this camera. I certainly am not complaining. It does what its supposed to do and it does it pretty well. I am more than satisfied with what I got for what I paid.



4. Very happy with product--thought there was a catch as I've never ordered online and the fact that it was so cheap! Cheaper than the manufacturer...no catch it was brand new and I have been using it ever since



5. This camcorder performs well and does everything I was looking for.
   Easy to move video to computer.
   User friendly menu.
   Zoom is steady until it reaches near maximum.
   Small in in-obtrusive.
   Easy to carry and set up.
   Sound quality is very good.
   Over all, excellent buy for the money.
   I would highly recommend.
   Del - Montana

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

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. i bought this camera on wednesday.today[monday]when i look at it it has decreased by 100.00 there is no place to cxontact amazon about this & i am really upset.had i purchased this at best buy i would go back & get a refund for 100.00.i am going to reconsider purchasing from amazon



5. This was my 2nd camcorder. The last one was purchased about 6 yrs ago and was a Hi-8 Sony. This camera has fantastic resolution on my 36" Sony Wega Tube TV. The Hard Drive is great to see different videos very quickly (instead of waiting for tapes to rewind.) It is not so clear on my father in-law's 58" Plasma though. High Def would be better. But for recording my family's Birthdays and swim meets its GREAT!
   
   A big thumbs up for the amateur family videographer.
   
   Aaron

5 comments about Panasonic SDR-SW20 Waterproof Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Red).

1. I bought this camcorder for my backpacking trip on Mt. Whitney. I figured since the manufacturer claimed their product was waterproof/dustproof/shockproof (surprised there was no lens cover), that this would be a good fit for the environment I would be placing the camcorder in. It is very easy to use and the menu was easily figured out. I did record while it snowed and it performed fine afterward. However, what I wasn't prepared for was the poor and low quality of the pictures and video that I took on this trip. I was severely disappointed and had to spend time on Photoshop to make the photos look decent. The videos also had a lot of contrast and the sound quality on the videos were fuzzy and muffled. I liked the look, weight, easily handling and use but that's about it. I'm returning the product.



2. The little red camcorder is easy to use and carry with a dial mode. Videomaking is simple but don't use it for taking photos. Though it's a 8MP camera supposedly, the photos came out very grainy and not useful. Also, there is no flash so dark pictures remain dark even with photoediting. Overall, it's fine for simple videography. Haven't tried underwater yet, still new.



3. Recently purchased the SDR-SW20. I was looking for a easy to use, practical video camera that I didn't need to worry about getting dusty or wet. The first day I owned it we took it to the pool. The camera performed well in video mode. The stills it takes lack the quality I was hoping for. Be sure to buy an extra battery as I ran through mine in what felt like a short amount of time. Overall, I'd recommend it.



4. Very nice and practical little camera. Very easy to use for a novice user, can stick it into any bag without a cover and not really worry about it. Picture quality seems decent, however if you want HD quality don't buy this camera. If you wan't something very practical and easy to use and carry around, then I would highly recommend it.



5. I really like the portability, durability, and features of this little unit. I am happy with my purchase, still, there are a couple weaknesses potential buyers should be aware of.
   
   Battery Life is abismal. You may want to order another battery. Also, turning the unit off, rather than just closing the door (which puts it into standby), will save additional battery life.
   
   The unit needs a fair amount of light to take decent video. There have been several low light situations where there was enough ambient light to see, but the video came too out dark.
   
   Video quality is good for such a highly portable unit, but falls a bit short of standard camcorders. Video stabilization isn't very good. Overall I'd rate the quality somewhere between digital cameras and standard camcorders.

5 comments about Canon XH A1 1.67MP 3CCD High-Definition Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom.

1. I chose this camera for the HD function and the manual rings around the lens, not to mention it seems to be the best deal for the money. For the record this is my first serious camcorder, and I am currently in film school so I already have a good understanding of how a camera (film or digital) works.
   
   For the HD remember that it's not "true" HD it's Canon's answer to it. I haven't finished a project in the HD function so I can't rate how close it comes to true HD, although I bet I won't find a difference with my naked eyes.
   
   The manual focus/iris/and zoom rings are great for small and precise control, but lag quite a bit when you really want a fast and smooth transition. You just loose that feeling of complete control when you really want to crank it for a quick zoom or focus change.
   Still the great amount of control built into the camera is great and fairly intuitive to use, and being able to save multiple presets with almost every option is great.
   
   Also for those looking for a camera that works with multiple lenses(like a fisheye maybe???), keep looking.
   
   End of the day, I'm very happy with my purchase.



2. Basically this camera is everything its cracked up to be and more. I bought it purely for the image quality (1.67 Million pixels per CCD, compared to Panasonic's 554k per CCD for the HVX) and the 24f/p "film look." I have not been disappointed.
   
   Firstly, the resolution is a huge improvement compared to regular DV. It gives you instant credibility and professionalism over other films shot on regular DV. You're also operating at 18.5 mbps during playback, which is far greater than DV. You've got a lot more to tweak, color correct, and work with. The lens on this camera is also a amazing, go out and take some night shots with it, you'll be amazed.
   
   Basically, film people like to talk a lot about the limitations of HDV and the compression etc. And rightfully so, it's a pain to realize that you're not getting exactly what you're shooting but compressed GOPs. But honestly, if you watch a short film on DVD that's been shot on the uncompressed Panasonic HVX and then watch one that's been shot on the Canon HX A1- they're going to look very similar if not indecipherable. (if the DP knows what they're doing).
   
   Ultimately this camera provides 95% of the look of what a professional camera, or in my case the HVX, does. I'm really not willing to shell out the extra 2 to 4 thousand to increase a few percentage points. Also, I think people, filmmakers in particular, tend to forget that audiences don't watch films for the amazing uncompressed footage but for the strong characters and compelling narrative.
   
   So far with the XH A1 I've shot two HD films that have gone on to screen at festivals. When the image is on the big screen, it looks great. I am very proud of my work and that I own such a nice piece of equipment to shoot my films with. It is also loaded with an incredible amount of options and features- which is a bonus.
   
   On a side note, the idea of P2 workflow is amazing to me, but I simply can't afford it. I've also heard the HX A1 works with a drag and drop Firestore hard drive that's only $400. This offers the same simple workflow at a fraction of the cost. : ) I'll put it on my list.



3. Since the purchase of this excellent camera We have been able to capture some of the greatest hunting footage my team has ever experienced. Camera has performed flawlessly in 30 degree weather and up. Beginners can pick this camera and be filming in no time at all! Some of the highly detailed settings are complicated but the auto mode eliminates the guess work on them. Fitting it in my budget to purchase TWO more of these by september. Will never use anything but a canon. Got an eight year old XL1 that performs just like a new one! What are you waiting for? ORDER ONE NOW!!!!!



4. I love this Camera, as soon as I can afford it I will get another one.



5. I own it. I use it a lot. 9 months now and it's still working fine. No drop outs on the tapes and I've put it through some challenging climates as well as racking up significant hours shooting and digitizing.
   
   I like that it shoots tape, as that's what my clients demand from me (it's the reason I had to buy this particular HDV cam in the first place) and I can buy stock anywhere in the world (and have). However, with the cost of digital storage these days, the cams that offer recording field footage on advanced flash cards start looking like a really nice option as it bypasses the issue of tape mechanism breakdown as the hours usage starts to add up.
   
   My first week of shooting with this cam in Beijing I suffered through a chinese dude stumbling into my gear and basically sitting on my XH. The mic broke right off. It's not attached with a sturdy mount, just internal plastic with a lot of play, so if you're doing extensive run and gun you might want to consider that. It sticks out there and is vulnerable. I use an external shotgun anyway, so while I was sad to see the mic break off, it doesn't affect my work.
   
   I don't really like the image chip presets/defaults on the camera, very bland, but they're easily changed and one can do endless tweaks for the settings that work best for you and your style. I do a fair amount of work for live music acts, and the ability of this camera to counter-balance the heavy red light typical of live venues has been a blessing. Also, there are plenty of users out there that share their chip settings and downloading them from the net and putting them on your own XH A1 is pretty easy. Many many things are user programmable on this camera. Color settings, gain settings, focal ring sensitivity, zoom speed, etc. I use the camera exclusively in manual mode, so these controls are ideal.
   
   I find that editing HDV on my FCP system has been almost as fluid as my DV projects. It's ever so slightly bogged down by the necessity to do on-the-fly time-code calculations due to the nature of the codec, but it's very negligible. In fact, because of HDV, FCP defaults to a nice real-time capture process that I like --where it grabs clips individually rather than consolidated (as on DV). So that's a nice bonus!
   
   As far as the limitations of HDV, Yes, they exist. Big deal. I don't understand the logic of folks that bash the codec/format. If you don't know what the HDV format is all about, then chances are you're not shooting as a true pro, and you're working the middle ground in some way (and there's lots of work in that part of the market) so what's the worry? The color sampling is highly compressed. Yeah? And if you were doing a real shoot that required serious green-screen or some such, something tells me you'd have the budget for gear north of 3k. Sheesh. Otherwise, your gonna get a cam that has the capability of creating really nice motion picture images that's ridiculously affordable. And, if you're an aspiring pro or a motivated enthusiast, you're going to find that your skills and ambitions will allow you to push this camera to really high levels of image quality.
   
   Basically if you know what you're doing the camera will deliver. Keep in mind that ANY camera in the same budget can and will accomplish the same.

1 comments about JVC Everio GZ-MG360 60GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom.

1. I've recorded probably just 10 hours with the camera, and I am pleased with my purchase of this camera. My wife and I were expecting our first baby (who was born 7/9/08), and I had done quite a bit of research before deciding to but this particular model. I "test drove" several different brands and models by JVC, and decided that the Everio was the route I wanted to go. The good things about this camera that I've noticed thus far are the battery life, the massive 60 GB hard drive, the built-in light, the size, and definitely the price. There are points that I would like to warn folks about. The video and audio recording quality is decent, but not exceptional. If you are looking for a camera based upon purely video and audio quality, you might want to look at something else. The video files are shot with proprietary files with a .MOD extension. Although file extensions and video files are relatively simple to convert, you can't just drag and drop the .MOD files in most applications. The software that is bundled with the camera will convert the files to any type that you want, but this is just another step or another application that you must go through to burn your movies via PC. I haven't yet got the direct burn stations that JVC markets, but I am willing to try them just to make it a bit easier to get my movies on DVDs. For the most part, to view our movies, we hook the camera directly up to the TV...which works very well for quick video showings.
   
   All in all, for my entry level camcorder and the way in which we will use this camera, I am happy that I chose this model (Everio GZ-MG360). I hope my little review will help...because I know how nerve-racking shopping for a camcorder can be!

5 comments about Canon ZR850 1MP MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom.

1. This is an excellent little camera for the price. It was everything I expected. There is a little bit of motor noise when the zoom is used but nothing major unless you are looking for something super professional. I like the size - fits in a pocket or purse for travel. I would recommend it.
   It also takes still photos on a card - nice extra.



2. Great small convenient camera! Have not yet checked the recorded DVs for image & sound quality but so far I can say its a very good camera for domestic/ vacation use!



3. Capable camcorder/camera which performs very well. Easy to use and captures excellent rich video footage. Camera function works very good.



4. This is damn good camera, and for the price it really is a deal. I've shot my first short film with this camera, and am going to buy two more for my first feature film next year. I love it!



5. We purchased this camcorder for our wedding and honeymoon. The camera is great: small size, easy to use, good quality. However, toward the end of the honeymoon, the camera stopped working. We contacted the seller, and they were very nice and asked us to return it for an exchange. We have not received our new camera yet, (I can update this review once we do) but we're looking forward to having it back. The cons of buying this camera were obviously that we did not have it for part of our honeymoon, so we have no footage of my husband parasailing or us swimming with dolphins -- which was the reason for purchasing the camera -- and we had to pay shipping to return the camera only two weeks after purchase.

5 comments about Panasonic HDC-HS9 AVCHD 3CCD 60GB Hard Drive High Definition Hybrid Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. I write this review because I wish it had been written during the time I was purchasing my camcorder. I will summarize this review between the Sony HDR-SR11 vs. Panasonic HDC-HS9 as basically a toss up, but the little things of Sony leaned me to the SR11.
   
   First, let me say that I really did not want to buy Sony HDR-SR11, granted a Bravia TV is my LCD of choice, but I cannot stand their proprietary memory. Since this camcorder was not purchased for photos this was not a big deal. Though I commend Panasonic for using SD that can be readily found. Sony is pricey (though some may say justifiably so because of the quality) but competition is good for the consumers as we benefit through new, quality, and innovative features.
   
   A salesman from a particular store told me that Sony was good to get for camcorders, and I'd add Nikon or Canon are a way to go for digital cameras, anyway I digress.
   
   Having to see it for myself, initially I purchased the Panasonic HDC-HS9 and after a tough decision I had to switch for the small things mainly from software which I'll get to later, but first let me give a side by side comparison between the two after testing out each product for a couple hours about the features that matter to me at least. I will refer to the products as HS9 and SR11 for the remainder of the review.
   
   Appearance: I'd have to give it to the HS9 for being noticeably smaller. But the SR11 is not big (especially not 90's camcorder big), as I have a man sized hand, but the HS9 wins the compact comparison in this case. While we're on the physical appearance of it, I was disappointed in the HS9 placement of the external adapter. The battery must be physically removed every time you want to connect the adapter as the cable connector is behind the battery. Therefore you cannot charge the battery simply by pluging in the charging cable as you can on many products that you can usually do this and as you can for the SR11. And the HS9 forces you to use the external cable when transferring a video, even though this may make sense, but when you have a short clip and just took the battery off the charger, it's annoying to remove the battery and find the external adapter every time to do so. Bad placement of the external adapter on the HS9 unlike the nicely placed (as is with most camcorders, at least with a previous Canon ZR200 that I own) with the HS9. If size is an issue for you, the HS9 may be your choice.
   
   Video Quality: My opinion of the quality between the HS9 and SR11 was comparable. Between the two it's a toss up during daylight conditions as both are excellent, and the SR11 is stunning as your eye sees it, it appears on the screen, very nice. The HS9 records in a 1080p vs. a 1080i format, that may give the albeit slight edge in terms of theoretically video quality to the HS9. Though the software provided with the HS9 to play back these high quality videos ruins the superb video recording. I hate to say my eye didn't notice the difference between 1080p and 1080i though my correction lens aren't the greatest, mileage of your eyes matter perhaps.
   
   In low light conditions, the HS9 seems to record slightly brighter images which are decent, the SR11 are a bit darker, though look extremely realistic. A true toss up, and really based on personal preference and would have to say they're evenly matched for you to decide.
   
   In extremely low light conditions I found the HS9 surprisingly grainy. It seems to brighten up a extremely dark image thus resulting in grain. I have not recorded the SR11 in low light conditions other than finding a youtube video of a low light condition video and it seemed to keep it's realistic tone but remained dark. The HS9 seems to be on the right track to attempt to brighten up things, as the SR11 does not, but at this point I would have to say the HS9 was unsatisfiability grainy.
   
   Both were grainy in bedroom light condition when displaying directly from the camera to the TV (not recording, just displaying through the cables) though the SR11 might have had a slight lead when panning or moving the zoom in and out a bit more responsive, though hardly noticeable.
   
   Formats: The HS9 takes the lead in this regard as it has a 24 cinema mode, that records frames at 24 frames like some movies. Otherwise the HS9 records in 60 frames per second. However, the Pinnacle trial version could not handle the 60 fps mode and only the 24 cinema mode (though it said it was 30 fps). Though the HS9 software could handle its own 60 fps video fine, more later on software. The SR11 records it's videos in 30 fps
   
   Night vision between the two the HS9 uses a blue illumination for night vision and the SR11 uses the commonly known green illumination as often seen on TV. I like the green better, but the blue was a nice change and this did not affect my decision either way, though it was nice to have on both.
   
   Transfer to PC: Both transfer to your computer via a USB extremely quickly and at seemingly equal times.
   
   Sound: Both are 5.1, the sound is acceptable and nice on both camcorders, I would say that the wind cut function on the HS9 was nice to have and did seem to work, the SR11 does not have this feature, though I'd wish it did. I'd give a slight edge to the HS9 in this one, especially if you record in windy conditions often (soccer games perhaps), which I don't.
   
   Optical Image Stabilization: Both claim image stabilization, the OSI on the HS9 seems to slightly work better, though not noticeably. I think both still need to work on this.
   
   Face recognition: The SR11 impressed me with the facial recognition as it just works. Turn the camera on a person and a white box appears around a persons face and moves as the person does, always keeping focus on that persons face. The focus on the HS9 on faces seemed very good, though I couldn't figure out the white box feature, it might have had to been enabled through a button a readily accessible button at the very top, so not that bad, but the HS9 was automatic.
   
   Cables: Both have an ample about of cables that allows you to connect your camera to the TV with both RGB and Yellow and white/red audio cables.
   
   Remote: Both had remote controls, a definite plus.
   
   Software: This is where I must reluctantly gives this definitely to the SR11 or Sony. First, very few software handle the AVCHD videos at this time, so both Panasonic and Sony include their own software to retrieve the videos from the camera. The Panasonic software is a bit clumsy when it asks which folder you want to save it in, it's a bit manual where the Sony software detects when the camera has been connected, and simply asks whether you want to import all your videos, one click and it does, in a folder already created with an independent name. The Panasonic software called HD Writer had some additional editing capabilities to slice, merge, and delete unnecessary scenes and save to dvd and mpeg2 whereas the Sony had no editing features.
   
   Playback software: I really hope panasonic gets this point. Their playback software most likely did not use directx, where the Sony PMB or Picture Motion Brower does. What this does is use your video card when the HD videos are playing back video. At one point I thought there was something wrong with the camcorder because the playback would skip using the HS9 playback software, but after encoding it to another format, my native video player kicked in and played back smoothly. This really scared me thinking that there was something wrong with the HS9 when there was not, however my x2300 dual core processor was not able to handle the playback of the native HS9 videos alone. This is in contrast to Sony PMB software for playback that installed directx that utilized my video card so that playback of the native format of the camcorder was silky smooth. What's more the Picture Motion Brower is a nice video playback software that throws in additional calendar features of when a video was imported and such, a nicety that should be used with backing up as it's insanity to store large amounts of precious moments on a computer instead of constantly backup up these priceless moments on DVD's and such, those who have had hard drive failures know. Panasonic included a copy of Pinnacle trial version 11 for HD cameras, it could import the HD 60 fps videos, but did not encode them properly. The 24 cinema mode (or 30fps) videos has no problem in Pinnacle. The SR11 videos also were imported into Pinnacle with no problems. Once additional nicety of the Sony software is that you can make a still picture at any moment making a jpeg without importing it into an editing software. Though the HD Writer software has nice features to backup your videos, hard to use in other cases like loading the HD videos stored on your computer. Sony's Picture Motion Brower software is very good to view and backup, though a register folder option was awkward, why not just allow the ability to just drag in folders to register, always room for improvement I guess.
   
   Viewfinders: Both viewfinder display a clear image, though the SR11 has a touchscreen where the HS9 does not, though understandable with the price difference. I was disappointed I could not navigate to playback a video on the SR11 without using the touchscreen since the screen would get a lot of fingerprints, though there are less buttons to complicate things because of the touchscreen. Both have easy buttons to begin recording.
   
   The HS9 had a feature to offer advice how to record like turn on the low light feature (should have had a feature that this would turn on automatically) or you're panning to fast, this advice can be taken as good or bad.
   
   Zoom: The HS9 had digital zoom, but it would not work in 24 cinema mode, go figure, and was adequate. The SR11 had no such zoom, but the normal zoom was satisfactory, though not as far as the HS9.
   
   Conclusion: If you can tolerate the size of the SR11, and wind is not a major issue and are looking for a camcorder with excellent video in all light conditions, good sound, facial recognition, and easy and nice software then SR11 is a fine choice that I am happy with.
   
   The HS9 is a nice choice when size is an issue and windy conditions to utilize the wind cut feature, beware of extremely low light conditions and be wary of the battery having to be removed each time for the external adapter and native format playback skipping (it's not the camcorder, you're computer is too slow, just encode it to another format), there is no touch screen and there is a mini joystick that can be cumbersome as when engaging night vision is easier on the SR11 as opposed to the HS9 as well as low light mode.(though there is a price difference to offset the differences).
   
   I am enjoying the SR11 and things are drastically improved over the miniDV of yester-years. The only thing that I battle each day is why I didn't get the SR12.
   
   The HS9 that I've just noticed has an added feature that you can put wide angle lenses on it - nice.



2. This camera gets every detail every blade of grass and every little rock.
   It looks incredible on an HDTV looks like you are really there.
   The only problem I can see is the panning,it seems to not like fast panning too much.



3. I've had this camcorder for almost a week, and like any new gadget, I've been using it quite a bit. Here are my thoughts.
   
   It fits great in the hand and is easy to handle. It has a small size for a Hard Drive camcorder and easy to shoot and hold. Image stablization works well and the zoom is good.
   
   BAD: I played the video on my plasma, and while the footage I shot outside was beautiful - the clips shot inside were very soft and in some instances pixelated - even with the interior lights all turned on for max lighting. The room I was shooting in has multiple windows and lots of natural light, so this should've not been an issue. These clips didn't live up to the moniker "High Def." From what I've learned from several blogs, this is something to expect to some extent from many consumer camcorders - even HD versions. That would probably be tolerable, but what I didn't count on is that the footage shot with this camera crashes Final Cut Express 4 and iMovie. I'm no techie, but from what I've been told Panasonic does something a little extra to the AVCHD format that iMove and FCE can't abide. There are work arounds, but I'd rather just use a camera that doesn't require workarounds. This has been documented on multiple blogs, which I should've consulted before making the purchase....I have Macs at the house, and the included software doesn't work with Macs. SO - I'm taking it back and will probably exchange for the Canon Vixia HF10 which I've read good things about. If you're not a Mac user and don't use iMovie or FCE for editing, this is a pretty nice option. Otherwise, get ready to learn workarounds or buy a non-Panny camcorder.



4. As some of the earlier reviews have pointed out, this awesome little camera suffered from lack of support in Apple's editing applications like iMovie 08.
   
   Well that's all in the past. With the release of OS 10.5.3 and QuickTime 7.5 a few days ago, the HDC-HS9 (and the non-hard drive HDC-SD9 as well) are now fully compatible. You can easily import and edit your HD movies in iMovie, in all the camera's formats.
   
   I love this camera. My only complaint is that spare batteries are absurdly expensive. Other than that, it's fantastic.



5. Love it. The only "bad" thing is how grainy it is when recording inside without a lot of bright light. But from what I've read and heard most are this way.

1 comments about Canon DC310 DVD Camcorder with 41x Optical Zoom.

1. I bought this camera for our family summer vacation. My old digital camera did not zoom close enough to anything. I was looking for a camcorder that was small in size that could get close up & that is exactly what I got. I have found it to be easy to use in every way and it is small enough to fit in just about any normal size bag.