5 comments about Sony HDR-FX1 3-CCD HDV High Definition Camcorder w/12x Optical Zoom.

1. truly a dream come true. even received a phone call to tell me when they would be delivering it since it is a higher dollar item. very professional.



2. Got my hands on one of these babies this weekend for a no-budget short film. Loved it. So easy to use, and the picture is great. It's true, the finished look is not "cinematic", which is a fair criticism, but for the price it is great if you're looking to upgrade to a high-def digital picture. Watched the playback on a 16:9 widescreen TV before editing and it was beautiful. However, you can't rely on the auto-functions. Tried using auto-focus and auto-iris at the start, but ended up doing both manually for the most part. A small complaint considering a real filmmaker shouldn't be using them anyway. Otherwise, a great camera.



3. I have been using the DCRVX 1000 for over 10 years and it has done well. However, the FX1 is so far superior in every way. The only feature I miss is the "overlap". So far, the color, the detail, the feel (a bit heavier than the VX1000) are even better than I expected. HD is as close to reality as possible. I have 2 weddings that I will soon record, and I feel confident that the FX1 will perform without fail. I recommend this camcorder for the very serious videographer. It is priced $2 thousand less than the VX1000 sold for in "96 at $5 thousand. Technology has improved while costs have fallen. A good buy at 3 grand.



4. Sony HDR-FX1 3-CCD HDV High Definition Camcorder w/12x Optical Zoom
   
   Just one word of warning, the camera can get heavy, especially if you use the standard battery it makes the camera very front heavy, but oh well.
   
   This camera is totally customizable in which it is either all auto, manual or some of both. It has 5 presets that are customizable. The cool features about these presets are that you can get a 24p, 30i (cineframe and cinetone), and 60i modes. The 30i refers to the "film" setting. You can record in true 16:9 widescreen or standard 4:3 letterbox. The high def mode will only do 16:9. I wouldn't listen to anyone who says the widescreen is a stretched 4:3, because its not. You can also hook in headphones, and an XLR adapter. This comes with a 2-hr battery.
   
   I'm a video production major and I love this camera. It not really just a consumer camera, but a professional consumer camera. I highly recommend it, its well worth your money.



5. My wedding cinematography studio purchased this camera just about a year ago. We love it! The quality is outstanding - the 16:9 is so beautiful.
   Easy to learn. Good weight and feel. The LCD is HUGH!!!! We are planning to purchase two more early next year!

5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD205 1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom.

1. I bought this camcorder and have exchanged it three times. The first one I bought before I even had it a full week broke and had an error message I called sony and they informed me I would have to send it in to be fixed! Uh, NO, I think I'll take a new one, thanks! made the mistake of exchanging instead of just returning! the second camera had audio problems which, come to the third to find out that this is just the sound "non"-quality of this camcorder. There is an everpresent frog croking noise in the audio of the recording from the camcorder that I was informed is the gears from the dvd and is supposed to be there, they turned the mic level down in hopes of it not picking the noise up, didn't help. I would buy a different camera or just get a cheap mini dv since they seem to make these things to be replaced every two years!



2. I am happy with the quality of the video of the Sony DVD Handycam. It is easy to use and basiclly easy to record to a regular DVD. I wish the picture taking capability involved a memory stick. This is easier.



3. I am still somewhat in awe of the accelerating technology which puts such a potent camera in one's hand. It does everything that one can hope for or expect, just select the 'easy' mode and point and shoot...and voila! How can it be so easy? Videos permantly on DVD - easy to play on any computer or player - also easy to copy to regular sized DVD's and sent to friends or whomever. A great buy, user friendly consistantly delivering a quality product.



4. This was my first Camcorder purchase. It is just the right size and the features are worth the price. Most important the picture is clear and sound records crisp. This will be a good investment.



5. I bought this camera as a replacement for one that recorded with tape. That's about all it did. Well I tried it didn't like it and brought it back for a refund.Right then and there I decided that I was going digital if I could find the right camera at the right price.I found this one on Amazon for $300 bucks.The price range went from $700 to $300.I bought this one and I'm tellin ya' I'm one happy camper.It is so easy to operate a kid can do it,yet it takes great videos and pictures on dvd format. It's touch screen so if you have never done that,it will take a bit of practice to get used to. There's 2 filming formats. One for the advanced user and another one called easy.I use them both because with either one it works just great.I also ordered a camera bag that came with assessories.DVD's and a handy wallet to keep them in.The photo or still picture as they call it is as close to rapid fire as you're going to see at this price. I gave it a 5 rating because it's great. It has a lot of cool features I haven't mentioned because there's to many to name here. Buy it you won't be sorry. Believe me!!

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

1. Sony dit it again. What can I say one of the best camcorders. The only bad thing is you need a bluray dvd but you can use the camcorder.



2. 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.



3. 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.
   
   [...].



4. 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!



5. 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 comments about Sony HDR-HC3 4MP High-Definition Handycam MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom.

1. I happened to get a great deal on this camera at $500. It has more than been worth it for that price, but there are several shortcomings that keep it from being worthy of the premium price range at most retailers, and the interests of mid to pro level videographers.
   
   First of all in terms of manuel control, there is very little to be said. It is, for the most part, non-existent.
   
   You can set the small wheel to adjust the "exposure" and the focus, but that is about it, its also very easy to jiggle the frame when using the wheel.
   
   Apparentlly you can shut auto shutter off, but sadlly after doing so, you aren't given the ability to adjust the shutter speed.
   
   White ballance can be set manually, but you will need to go into the extensive menues to do so, and the camera resets to auto each time it is turned off.
   
   Low light situations are a problem for anyone that is going to be filming indoors whitout any extra lighting.
   
   My personal most inconvenient problem with the camera is its complete lack of inputs. For me its a real shame because i need to do a lot of signal captures from different sources, which means I can't bring along this cam for a good amount of work. Also audio is a pain because of this, At the moment I'm having to record to minidisk, and even though the quality is better, allways having to sync up in the edit is becoming a bit of a pain.
   
   
   Aside from all these things, this camera really does create wonderful images under the right conditions, and with its size, its incrediblly convenient if you want to get great shots without having to lug around a huge kit.



2. I must agree with an earlier reviewer, that this camcorder is not worth the asking price ..... especially now, since Mini DV seems to be a dying technology. Don't get me wrong; for what it is, the HC3 does a great job, with quality video and relatively easy operation. But the tape mechanism, as I've had to discover the hard way, is very delicate and it is getting harder to find people to service these machines ..... unless you want to send it directly to Sony and spend over $500. Ouch.
   
   What happened in my case was, at one point the camera prompted me to insert a cleaning cassette for dirty heads. Never do this. I got one, it became stuck, and caused damage to the camera's tape eject mechanism. It ended up in the repair shop for nearly three months because, as they informed me, it is getting harder to acquire parts for these cameras, despite their being only 1.5 years old! One of the reasons for this, I believe, is the popularity of the newer DVD and hard drive recorders that are replacing Mini DV camcorders. Though the downside of that is compatibility issues with standard editing software, at least for now .... that's the technology race for you.
   
   Anyway, I know this isn't really the best example of a product review. I was very happy with the little I was actually able to accomplish with this machine, but if you're going to spend this kind of money on a camcorder, I'd have to recommend one that captures to disc; it makes for better backup, and compared to the high maintenance of a tape transport-based unit, would definitely spare the user enormous expense and headaches on a device that will probably prove unreliable (not to mention obsolete) a year from now. Especially once the capture formats become compatible with non-linear editors.



3. I purchased my HC3 several weeks ago to film a family wedding. I didn't really intend on purchasing an HD camcorder, but I got a really good deal on a closeout and went for it.
   
   Having shot quite a bit of VHS and 8mm tape in the past, the images from this camcorder are unbelievable. Even downgraded to DV format, I'm amazed at what this little camera can do. I'm also very impressed with the auto focus and white balance. I reprogrammed the small "manual" button to do AE-shift and it worked perfectly. Even in very strong backlight or high contrast shots I was able to quickly dial in the exposure. Very very good.
   
   I also used the still image capture feature quite a bit. Despite being a camcorder, the images I got were almost as good as those taken with my small Casio EX-Z. However, they weren't nearly as good as the shots from my Canon G. My only complaint on the still imaging is a significant release delay between pushing the button and capturing the shot.
   
   The only thing I don't like about the camcorder is the steadyshot feature. I was hoping for more. Long-zoom shots were not nearly as corrected as I had hoped. I don't have expereince with the Canon or other steadyshot models, so I can't compare. Still, I was hoping for more. If you're going to do a lot of long-zoom video with this camera, because of its size and low mass, you'll need a tripod or steadicam.
   
   Low-light performance is average. I've seen better.
   
   Also. I purchased the Sony Bluetooth wireless mic and videolight. These were great. I can't say enough good thinga about the wireless mic. It worked perfectly. The videolight is terrific for its size and weight. It won't give enough light to fill a room, but it does a great job for what it is.



4. The Sony HDR-HC3 worked well. However the great drawback of Sony camcorders is shown in my recent experience with my HDR-HC3 which I purchased here on Amazon.
   
   We went as a family on a cross-country trip this past summer, filming hours worth of video. When we finally arrived home I plugged my camera into the DV port of my computer. In the past I have had no problem uploading video and making DVDs of family adventures, using our old Canon DV camcorder. We liked that the HDR-HC3 had the option of normal DV or HDV output.
   
   However, unlike with my Canon, my computer (and subsequent computers) could not recognize my camera. After much research online, I found that the problem was that I had assumed the ieee was similar to firewire in that it was hot-swappable. In fact, it was not. Both the camera and computer must be off when attaching them, or the port will fry.
   
   It takes a lot of concentration to remember how to connect the camera. According to other Sony users on various webcam boards, this is a common problem for the general public who are used to USB hot-swappable devices.
   
   The repair fee for this "misuse" is from Sony about $350, according to what they said. One person mentioned that they had been able to open up the camera and purchase a $75 fuse and connected that to the camera hardware....a complicated vs expensive choice of options for a general user like me. Sony acknowledges the fact that the port is extremely sensitive, but still considers it a user-mistake and the fried port is not covered under warranty.
   
   Consequently, I am in the market for a new camcorder that I will only use connected to my computer.
   
   Use of tapes filmed on my Sony HDR-HC3-- Oh, the clincher is this: I tried to use my Canon as a conduit for uploading my footage to computer, but because it was HDV, my Canon could not read it--and this goes for trying to use my Canon to watch the video footage on television. Also, you cannot plug the camera into the TV with a normal 3 to 1 composite DV cable, it requires a camera-specific cable, so tough luck if you forgot to pack it!
   
   This all said, I am pleased enough with the camera that having experienced all of the above, I have learned from my mistakes and probably will purchase another one on ebay for my computer uploads.
   
   I hope that you will learn from my mistakes if you decide to purchase this camera.



5. I love this camcorder. I used in during my vacation in Hawaii. I still can't believe how amazing it looks on the screen. Most of my guests who started watching the video thought that we were watching a discovery channel broadcast. It works it's best outside especially with great lighting. Lighting really is the key. The more the light, the better the image. I just use the component video cables on my HDTV LCD. I'd recommend it to anyone who's really into image quality.

5 comments about Sony DCR-SR62 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included).

1. This camera takes good video quality and good picture quality (about 1MP). I bought this camera to possibly be a good all-in-one camera, pictures and video. The 30GB holds more than I need and it is easy to transfer to a Computer. My only problem at all with this camera is that it does not have a flash. I believe the Sony SR200 and SR300 have a flash. So, it turns out that for taking pictures indoors it is still better for me to use my other sony Camera. Other than that this camera fits all my needs and I think it actually works out better that I use this camera for video and the other for pics.



2. I was amazed at how this worked. The light for darkness blew me away. I wanted the next size up but this one was the better buy for the price.



3. Easy to use, good videos. We're not descriminating, so there's not much I can say that hasnt already been said. Takes great videos for the price; easy to use - right out of the box, we connected it to the TV to view the videos and were very pleased with the results. I especially like the fact that I no longer have to deal with disks or tapes.
   
   Only problem is that these small handhelds are geared towards right-handed users. You cant really hold/use it with your left hand as all of the controls, and also the screen are on the left side of the camera. I suspect most of the small handhelds suffer from this problem.



4. Parents bought the camera and it was too late to return it. Pros: very light and easy to use. Everything functions very well. Cons: Image quality sucks and you must use the dock to transfer files to computer. For the image quality alone i would have returned this but i cant anymore. Would i buy again? for the price, definitely not.



5. We got this when we are expecting our first baby. It's rather easy to use overall. Videos are gorgeous and we couldn't be happier. It holds hours of video. However, the still photos are of VERY poor quality. Thank goodness we brought our regular camera to the hospital. We had hoped to only have to lug one piece of equipment around, but the photos simply are of poor color and very blurry. We also are unable to figure out how to upload the videos using just the camcorder. You have to have the base, which means another piece to lug along if you are uploading on vacation.

3 comments about Sony DCR-DVD710 1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom.

1. We are leaving for a trip to Australia and have been shopping for a camcorder for a year. We ordered this one because we have been so happy with other Sony products. The camcorder has a very short field of vision and noisy. Everything is fuzzy except the center of the picture.



2. I purchased this item from another merchant(Dell for $339) about a week ago. In my opinion, its much better than the mini dv format. I love the ability to go from camcorder to dvd player without any problems. I have not tried recording on the memory stick yet, but dvd video is clear.



3. My wife was given this Handycam as a service award at work.
   
   We have owned camcorders ranging from RCA full-size VHS cameras 20 years ago to Toshiba full size VCR on up to Sony 8mm & Super 8mm.
   
   Honestly, and I think you will see this confirmed by many sources on the internet... the picture quality of older camcorders seems much better than these newer smaller models.
   
   It seems despite the hi-tech digital wizardry, video enhancement and all the other tricks the manufacturers try to use to squeeze to get more performance out of their small "handycams" today.......... you simply CAN'T FAKE GOOD FULL SIZE OPTICS AND LENS.
   
   This DCR-DVD710 has worst color and picture quality than our Sony Super 8mm.
   
   In fact, the Super 8mm is not as good as our regular Sony 8mm which had a large front lens.
   
   More importantly, the power button on this camera broke the 3rd time we used it.
   Now the only way to turn it on/off is by removing the battery.
   
   On the other hand, our old cameras have traveled with us to Asia and Europe and still work great.
   
   I am glad we did not pay for this camera, but it did help teach us a lesson.
   
   If at all possible in your budget, don't spend less than $900 on a camera if you are the least bit concerned about picture quality and go with the largest full size lens you can get for your money.
   
   Trying to use fancy digital tricks to get a good picture thru a lens that is smaller than a dime is technically NOT GOING TO WORK WELL.

5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD408 4MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom.

1. I think the camera itselfes is a good one, but unfortunately my model had a malefunction after 2 minutes of operation. During recording it shot off completely and could not be restated at all. So I had to sent the camcorder in to SONY service center. UPS shipping was $ 31,-!!!



2. After a lot of research, I decided to purchase the sony dcr-dvd 408. night vision works great, a bit grainey with telephoto, but the instructions tells me this. Telephoto is very good, everything works as expected, no surprises.
   Great color, easy to operate, great price and free super shipping. This is a
   sure buy, Shoot the disk, finalize, throw it in a player and there it is.The
   manual is a pain tho, you read about a function in the front and then either the middle or back of manual to finish reading about areas of the same function. Has a disk that comes with it, a little editing, haven`t worked with that much. Usually software that comes with a product is only bits and pieces of a real program anyway. I am going to purchase a program anyway.



3. This is a very nice camcorder at a very decent price. I would definitely recommend this product.



4. I recently purchased this as a gift for my cousin on the arrival of a new born. We took some videos of the baby and they came out really well. The sound quality is excellent and the auto focus works very well. The camera design is very intuitive and easy to use. This is overall a great buy!



5. I got the handycam to film my son at the national beta club coonvention. It was exactly what I needed. The microphone picked up his voice well and the zoom picked up the picture. I got the camera for a song too.(385) Well below the price charged by other dealers. Very happy with this dealer. I would buy from him again.

5 comments about Sony DCR-HC96 MiniDV 3.3MP Digital Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Includes Handycam Station).

1. I bought this product to replace an aging JVC miniDV recorder and am absolutely thrilled. We used it to record a focus group sitting around a table in dim light (using the sony bluetooth microphone) and had excellent results both visually and audio-wise.
   We also recorded our greyhounds doing their chasing after things thing and the camera had no trouble keeping up with them.
   Much improvement over the old JVC.
   Can't wait to use it for some upcoming seminars and some utube stuff.



2. Overall, this maybe be the best non-professional camcorder I've personally ever seen, maybe disconsidering only the gs-500, but I was still amazed by the picture quality, and specially, by the vivid and strong colors that the camera providaded, which everybody told me I should expect the opposite... But it's not a perfect camcorder, far from that. The Handycam station, though a conceptually great idea, is incredibly irritating to use, not only because of the fact that it doesn't effectively lock at the camcorder, leaving it open for many outcoming risky situations, but also because it makes impossible to hold the camera over a tripod and connected to some source at the same time. Also is important to say that, despite the fact that the Touchscreen provides possibly many more ressources of menu in the camera, it is also very uncomfortable to be greasing the lcd screen with the finger all the time and to make contorcionism in some situations to be able to reach the menu.
   
   Except for those facts, and an extra compleinment about the few-button remote control which makes it pratically unuseful, it's a grat piece of recording machine and I would recomend it to anyone willing to have the best movie-like experience!
   
   Bruno S.,
   Brazil.



3. I've had this camera for 6 months. 4 of those months have been spent fighting with Sony to service it.
   
   Stay far, far, far away.



4. Nice sharp video much better then the Hi 8 that I had and much better then the hard drive models. Nice cam if you can find it but dont pay over 400 for it.



5. I purchased this camera eight months ago. Since then, I've recorded more than 30 hours of video. The HC-96 has performed superbly in some incredibly demanding environments. The touch screen is very easy to operate (although sometimes I use the tip of a retracted pen to make sure I hit what I intend to). Additionally, the programmable "P-Menu" ensures the features/options you use most are right at your fingertips. The transition from video recording to photo taking is extremely simple and fast. I recently took the camera to a wedding and was very pleased with the speed of the transition back and forth, not to mention the fact that I didn't have to reach for a still camera every time a photo opportunity presented itself. A 3 megapixel image won't win you any awards, but it's plenty clear for an 8x10 photo.
   
   Picture Quality- Simply amazing. When people see the detail, color, and contrast that my little Sony is able to recreate, they are always impressed that such a little device is able to produce such incredibly crisp, detailed video. As long as your lighting is right, your videos will look like they were professionally shot. Example: While on a trip to Rome last fall I shot a facade at one of the many basilicas. Initially, I was focused on the outer columns and scupltures, which were in direct sunlight. But I also wanted to shoot the mosaics that were set well back from the front of the facade and in such dark shadow that I could barely make them out with my naked eye, three stories below. I simply zoomed in on the mosaics and as the white marble walls left the field of view, the camera adjusted the white balance so quickly that the mosaics were immediately crystal clear. The description hardly does the performance justice.
   
   Ease of Use- Fantastic. The buttons fall under your fingers, it's lightweight, it's very durable (I've dropped mine, spilled Sprite on it, and done a hundred other things the manual doesn't recommend) and it's small enough to be inconspicuous.
   
   MiniDV Media- I wouldn't trade my tapes for a harddrive or DVDs. The ease with which I am able to view, download and edit my video is awesome. Plus, each tape holds about 9G of video, for only $2.50. The firewire interface works very well (buy a 4-4 and a 4-6 firewire cable, because not all computers take a 6). Rewinding and playback do use a fair amount of battery, but most of the time I'm viewing I can have it plugged in.
   
   Battery Life- The included battery leaves something to be desired. Buy the bigger ActiForce extended life battery. It's definitely worth having. I can have the camera on and recording for more than three hours at a stretch.
   
   Other Features I've used:
   
   Smooth Interval Recording- Produces fantastic time-lapse shots. Works beautifully. Allows you to choose from 1-120 seconds per frame.
   
   Night Shot & Super Night Shot- Great for low-light shooting within about 100 feet.
   
   Spot Focus- Works very well when you need to manually direct the focal point. Very good for off-center shots.
   
   Steadyshot- The HC-96's electro-optical stabilization is amazing. The camera not only steadies out the bumps, it helps smooth out your panning, as well, so the resulting video is very smooth and a pleasure to watch even when zoomed in very tight on distant objects. I've taken it to the lake to film wakeboarding and waterskiing and the picture is incredibly steady- shot from my hand without any kind of external stabilizing equipment.
   
   Remote Control- Works very well. Must have a clear line of sight to the front of the camera.
   
   Variable Speed Playback- Allows for frame-by-frame viewing and editting. A must-have feature. The controls for variable speed playback are extremely easy to use.
   
   End Search- Will automatically cue the tape to the last frame of the last shot you took and seamlessly transition it to the next shot you record. It's extremely convenient.
   
   Summary- I'm so happy I purchased this camera. It has all of the features I want and produces video that is every bit as clear as that of much larger, heavier, more expensive cameras. More to the point- it produces video that is so clear I'm amazed every time I watch it. It's hard to believe that such a little device could turn out such a professional looking product. Add to that the convenience of taking still shots to a Memory Stick Pro Duo media card with a quick USB interface and I can't really say much more. It's a great piece of gear and it's held up for eight months. I would recommend this camera to anyone.

5 comments about Sony NP-QM91D Lithium-Ion Battery for DCR-DVD101, 201, 301, SR1 & HDR-HC1 Camcorders.

1. I have the Sony battery that came with the camera and bought an additional Sony battery that allowed for 2-4 hours. However, I wanted a battery that I could count on for the better part of an "all day" event and I found it in the QM91D.
   
   I was asked to photograph a wedding from getting ready (hair dresser at 0830, until the end of the reception at 11:30pm) The QM91D held strong. I did not constantly video tape, but with my digital recorder I had 6 sony 120 tapes (60 min digital) -- 5 were captured using the QM91D. I did switch some of the tapes before they were completely used to make sure I didn't miss important events ... so I never actually used up "all" of the QM91D battery.
   
   This battery was used again during the evacuation from Houston (secondary to Hurricane Rita) -- I used it entirely and it did not faulter ... it lasted throughout the trip and I had no need to change to the smaller batteries.
   
   The size of the battery did not really bother me -- I was aware that it would be larger than the others and it did not hamper the use of the camera.
   
   Read the manufacturer information on battery life, charging time etc ... for this battery it is valid.
   
   I would recommend this battery.



2. Just bought this for my Sony HDR-HC1, The battery is big, but it balances the camera better than the standard battery. I think that sony designed the camera a little heavy in the front to make this battery balance the camera so well. The price seems steep but it is less than buying three standard batteries, that it replaces.
   A great buy in my book! Buy two so you can always have one charged and ready to go. You will run out of tape before ypu run out of battery!



3. I was amazed on how well this battery has performed. I did make sure when I got it I did a complete charge and complete discharge and it has not let me down since. I can shoot well over two hours without needing to change to the very meek battery that came with my camcorder (Sony HDR-HC1). It is thicker and sticks off the back a little bit more so you can not get your eye up to the eyepiece but I use the LCD when shooting anyway, and almost always on tripod.



4. for a battery of this size, the price was great. i applied for an amazon credit card and got $30.00 off which made the price even better. battery works great so far.



5. Excellent comcorder battery, don't worry about the time. The only complaint it is a little bulky.

5 comments about Sony HDR-HC9 6MP MiniDV High Definition Handycam Camcorder 10x Optical Zoom.

1. The Sony HDR-HC9 is a great camera in a small package. The HDV footage is stunning in clarity. The Super SteadyShot really works well as long as fast zooms and pans aren't in the plan. The NightShot is super fun to use at dimly lit parties and events. Smooth Slow Record is a blast! Tape something with lots of motion (volleyball serve, trampoline flip) and dissect it. Coonectivity is great with component video, AV, and HDMI outputs. All this functionality in a camera that fits in your pocket (almost) is awesome! most of the time...
   
   Some of the buttons are too small and hard to reach if the LCD screen is out. Also, the manual focus control is difficult to use. It is a scroll wheel which is hard to control. A focus ring would have made this camera much better.
   
   Overall, I would recommend this camera for anyone who wants to shoot HD footage of family events or even use professionally as a 2nd or 3rd camera as a stand alone on a shoot of an event.



2. I've been playing with my HDR-HC9 for only about one month now, so I am still not familiar with all the bells and whistles. The big positive feature - I think this camcorder has just about everything one could ask for in a small package. The positives outweigh the negatives, but there are significant negatives, too. Some of the negatives I've found are:
   
   1. Extremely complicated owner's manual with many conflicting statements. Many of the camcorder features are only minimally covered, and I think conflicting statements made may be due to poor translation into English.
   2. If you record in HDV and then transfer to DVD, you'll never play your video on an old TV where you can't pick a 9:16 aspect ratio. Camcorder is supposed to automatically sense TV aspect ratio, but that doesn't translate to DVD recording.
   3. On-screen menu. That means your hands have to be clean to use it - no fish slime or axle grease allowed!
   4. Compact camcorder, but everything is too compact. Designed for someone with spider fingers, not cigar sized fingers like mine. I have difficulty opening up the output covering because my fingers are too big to get under the opening flap. Etc...
   5. To activate fader you have to go through several menu items and it reverts to the default "no-fade" after you use it only once. Can't fade-in and fade-out with an external button like my DCR-TRV9 this replaces.
   
   I haven't used it enough to say more. I'm sure I'll like it more when I become more familiar with it.



3. This is our first HD camera, so we didn't really know what to expect. (Note that for video review, we played the output via HDMI to our Sony Bravia 46" HD TV.) In full light, the picture is fantastic; you get some blur and artifacts during movement or in shadows, but I don't know if that is normal or not for an HD camera, so I'll take that at face value. Night shooting without the IR light (Nightshot) is pretty grainy, even with an add-on light. The Nightshot IR functionality works great and is a lot of fun to play with. The built-in IR light seems to work well up to 7 or 8 feet and then drops off.
   
   Still shots are pretty poor; even in picture mode, they look like video captures; the contrast and color balance are bad compared to a dedicated still camera, but that seems to be common with most if not all dual use cameras so, again, take it at face value. Note that it does have a built-in flash (I couldn't find that documented anywhere).
   
   It is small and light; you can almost stick it in your pocket, even with an extended life battery. Contrary to the CNET review, I didn't have any issues with the touch screen functionality.
   
   Video and still import work fine; I had to buy a different firewire cable (the one included has the small end on each side, my PC has a large firewire connection). The Picture Motion Browser did not work; it crashed with an error when trying to open on Vista. Sony were absolutely no help; they just kept sending me to knowledge base articles that were of no use, and refused to make any effort to help (given that I just dropped $1500 on camera and accessories, you'd think there would be more love there).
   
   On the whole, I'm pretty happy with the camera, although I'm disappointed that I have to carry two devices to get quality stills, and I'm very frustrated with Sony's support for their worthless software. But, at the end of the day, I paid for an HD video camera, not a still camera or software...so, four stars for the video functionality.



4. Justin Paxton's review is right on the money. I couldn't have done better. If you want a miniDV tape format camera (for all the right reasons such as image quality, editing capability, shelf storage) then read his review carefully. I also agree, that this camera needs a 20x-25x optical zoom lens. I've been holding out until such a camera comes on the market at this price range. A 10x is basically useless to me.



5. I love this camera! The image is good quality and the colors are vivid. I would recomended!! The only thing is that the battery doesnt last long, only about 1 hour so I would recommend a second battery but they are expensive.