5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD405 3MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom.

1. I could not use the software that came with the handicam and I tried five other programs and none of them could access the cams video or controls - It may be possible to link PC and handicam but I don't have a degree in science fiction. If you're going to edit and make movies on your PC keep looking. This one is only for propeller heads.



2. This is the best camcorder I have ever had, i did a tremendous amount of research on this one and it paid off....buy this do not hesitate.



3. This is our first camcorder. We bought this for our twins who were born recentely. The long story short, this is a good deal. I spent about a week researching and decided to buy this for its user friendliness, DVD, price and qulaty. I made a good choice. HOWEVER, if you don't like the touch screen, which I like, do not buy this.



4. But the customer support was very good. My money was returned as promised, but it did cost me a week of my time.



5. I bought this for myself. But my son has four kids and I ended up giving the camera to him. I have no little kids no more but when I did I was always taking video. I used this cam a bit and it was great.

5 comments about Sony DCR-SR82 1MP 60GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included).

1. I bought the SR42 1st, Which is Lower Resolution and the WideScreen Features are Not as Good. So I upgraded to the SR82 (The SR62 is the Same as the 82 but only 30 Gig). The SR42 isn't bad, you get alot of features for the price, if you can live with less than perfect video quality.
   
   The Video on the SR42 was just slightly worse than my 10 Year Old Sony Tape HandyCam. I was using a 50" TV in my comparisons. So I got the sr82. The Video Resolution Upgrade is much better on the 62 and 82 models.
   
   The Other thing I notice is the sr42 did not handle the Widescreen the Same way. When I recorded with the sr82 the Picture filled my Widescreen TV whereas the sr42 did not since 4:3 put Black Bars on the Side and 16:9 had bars on the Top and Bottom. It seems as if the sr42 is 4:3 Native and the Widescreen Mode was 2.35 to 1 Aspect Ratio which I did not Like for Home Videos. The sr62 and sr82 are Native 16:9 Widescreen. They can Also do 4:3 as well.
   
   The ActiveShoe Interface allows for adding InfraRed or Microphone or Lighting Attachments.
   
   The Touch Screen is Nice and Works well. It Rotates 270 degrees. So you can Flip it 180 degrees one way and fold it back towards the camera for doing playback or when connecting to the Computer.
   
   I did notice that the Camera Defaults to SP Mode and Not HQ. So the Highest Resolution is not the default. Just a Heads up.
   
   The Battery gets you at least an hour of Recording. There are Larger Capacity Batteries Available.
   
   I use this Camera in 2 Difficult Recording Situations.
   1) Recording my Band. Usually from Far away. Music Really Loud. Varying Lighting Conditions (Stage Lights). It works well but you must use Manual Focus.
   2) Video Taping my Sons Hockey Team. Hockey Rinks are tough to get Still Pictures in as well. Subjects are moving Fast but Flash cannot be used due to the Glass along the boards. The Netting also plays havoc with Auto Focus. The Sony also worked well in this situation. I got good video using Auto, Snow and Sports Settings. I think the Auto may be the best except when the Metal Halide Lighting is too low in certain rinks it can cause varied brightness in the video.
   
   Overall a great Camera at the Price. Cameras $100 more are probably better. But you get what you pay for. Decide How much you want to Pay and get the Best Camera in that Range. This one Seemed to be the Best one in my Range. Plus I have always had good luck with Sony Products Lasting for 10+ years. Something I cannot say for just about every other brand I have tried. How much did I save when another camera was $50 cheaper but I have to replace it in 4 years...



2. I had the worst experience shopping for SR82 at butterflyphoto thru Amazon. I always loved shopping at Amazon but this has been my worst experience. First butterflyphoto put this product as on sale for 570$. I was really waiting for an offer as the last time i got this handycam was in christmas and for $500 thru Amazon. So I quickly hit the checkout and purchased it. I recieved a shipped mail (thru fedex) from butterfly after a few days and on the same day I received the mail that the request had been cancelled. I went in Amazon my stuff section to find my order but it clearly had dissapeared. Initially the money was withdrawn but then they had cancelled the payment.
   
   Now whats so worse when you got your money back you might think. The worst part was the item was shipped to my address and was cancelled half way thru and the only reason I can now find for this is that SR82 rates have increased twice fold.
   
   Why should they provide a sale if its a false one. If they did not have the product I can understand. But it waas shipped and cancelled and so much for customer satisfaction.
   
   This is my first review. Many good experiences do not provoke us to write about them but one bad one does.



3. I never review anything, but I felt I needed to make a review of this product. We purchased this camcorder just before Christmas. Normally Sony makes great electronic equipment, but this camera has been terrible from day one.
   
   For a long time I thought "Well, maybe it needs perfect lighting" or "Maybe the boys were moving to fast", but then I realized that our ancient camcorder - also a Sony - NEVER had a problem with these issues.
   
   This camera almost never focuses properly. It's off just enough that you rub your eyes thinking maybe its you, but its not. If you watch through the view finder, you can actually stand there and see the picture go in and out of focus - and I'm not even moving.
   
   I like the video to disk thing, but it's not worth much if you go to video you little boy's school play and get home to find everything is out of focus.
   
   It's up to you, but I for one would never spend anything on one of these cameras again.



4. This is my 3rd video camera and my first Sony and I absolutely love it! I have officially become a Sony Snob! It is worth every extra penny! I originally had a Panasonic then JVC and only wish I spent the extra money the first time for the Sony.
   
   I am extremely picky with picture quality and could not be happier! For a personal/nonprofessional camera this is the best! My camera has been on 2 vacations all over the place in low light and bright light, even on a boat and I had NO problems with focus or color.
   
   The touch screen is so easy to use and convenient. I love the setup and how easy it is to watch or delete a video.
   
   I was sceptical about the night vision but think it is just as good as a regular light (I had one on my other camera). The picture is slightly grainy with the night vision which is to be expected in low light but I hands down prefer to not have everyone I am filming squinting from the bright light in their eyes.
   
   I don't know what everyone is complaining about with charging the battery. I do not find this to be an issue- simply plug in the camera and the battery charges..... The battery seems to stay charged for 2-3 hours. I bought an extra one for $50 which works great.
   
   I was not sure if I should purchase this model after reading the reviews of the picture quality compared to an HD model. THIS IS NOT AN HD CAMERA! Based on this, the picture is AWESOME! I could not be happier! This is the best quality I have had in a video camera by far in all areas.
   I have not tried to take pictures since I have my own camera and don't think you can expect the best pictures from a video camera. This was not a factor for me.
   
   In my opinion, this is the BEST HDD video camera for the money and I will never buy another brand!



5. I've taken this camera on multiple outtings now, I have used it for a San Francisco vacation and several family functions. It is a great camera and I highly recommend it. I am not a novice but I'm not an expert and the camera seems fancier than I ever will need. It's easy to use and I love the touch screen but I HIGHLY recommend you get the bigger battery. I did and the big batter will be all you ever need. It also makes DVD's very easily with it's software, and I had no problems using any function.

5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD92 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom.

1. This camera is small enough to carry around "just in case." And the small DVD's are easy to duplicate quickly onto larger DVD's so I can easily share them with others.



2. i love this camera i hear people are having problems editing on this but you can edit right from the camera and use rw disks this thing is awesome and you can record over them



3. 
   This is truly a remarkable dvd camcorder, until you go to make a copy of your dvd-r that you recorded. What? Sony won't let you make a copy of your own recording? That's correct, if you use a dvd-r, you can't make a copy for friends and family. also, you can't rip it to your hd for editing on your pc, combining multiple discs etc. here is your solution.
   
   Honestly, I searched over the net and finally found one person with this answer and I wanted to share it with more that are having problems. If you use a dvd+rw mini dvd, your problems are solved. The original problem with the dvd-r comes when you finalize the dvd, as sony puts some unreadable copyright protection of some sort on the dvd. If you use a dvd+rw, there is no finalize required. Just pop it in your pc and copy or rip it to your computer. Just wanted to put that out there. although, if you don't plan to make copies of any of your footage ... ever, you won't have any problems. Hope this helps.
   
   Railey Marie (11-25-06 to 12/10/06



4. This camera has served me well for over a year with no technical issues or defects.
   
   I purchased it because my digital camera died while on a road-trip, and I had always wanted a video camera. I had the money, so I thought what the heck.
   
   I should have done my research on this camera before buying, since I didn't notice that the camera was not equipped with a fire-wire port until after getting it home.
   
   However, using a simple DVD Ripping program (ImTOO DVD Ripper), I am able to convert my videos, directly from the discs to the computer for editing.
   
   I do recommend this camera, as it is small enough to put in a cargo pocket or backpack and takes beautiful home-videos.



5. The Sony DVD Handycam is good value and user friendly. Sony DCR-DVD301 1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

5 comments about Sony DCR-HC32 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom.

1. Sony does a great job again. It could be a bit better in low light conditions, but with the 'back light' option it works well.



2. Working perfectly 3 years after I bought it with heavy use. Good quality videos too. Great buy.



3. This camera is not very good - poor video resolution after recording it on a memory card. The software is horrible and Sony tech support just plain lousy.



4. I once thought this was a great camcorder for all the reasons already noted. Great video and audio quality, easy to use, good price.
   
   But guess what? It's broken and out of warranty, and in order to even get a quote on the cost to fix it, I must send it to Sony, because Sony doesn't allow anyone but Sony repair their cameras any more. So, instead of going to one of the hundreds of capable and convenient repair shops in Denver, where I can get an estimate and repairs fast, I have to mail my camera to Texas. TEXAS!
   
   So what's wrong with it? The camera refuses to properly load any miniDV tapes now - I get an error that says "Reload tape" and the error message won't go away no matter how many times I reload the tape. Apparently this is a common failure, a quick google search shows this same problem in discussion threads all over the net. And, believe it or not, the most common suggestion to fix this error is to smack the camera repeatedly on the side to "unstick" a stuck part. This did not work with my camera, but good luck to you if you buy this piece of junk.
   
   This is the last Sony I will ever purchase. Been burned too many times by Sony now - a TV, a PDA, a digital camera, and now this. I'm buying a Panasonic PV-GS80 miniDV Camcorder to replace this doorstop. I bought an Olympus 790SW camera to replace my broken Cybershot, and it works great. I should have learned my lesson by now, but I'm brand-loyal to a fault. Sony pushed me too far this time. No more Sony. Never again.



5. Bought this to digitize tapes shot on my procam. Now I use this more than the HDV camera. Has all the controls I need but I wish it had the audio functions I miss on the prosumer camera. Never thought I would prefer this over the big brother. I haven't had disappointments with the zoom but I did install a wide angle adapter for better room coverage. Keep it mounted ALL the time.

5 comments about Sony CCDTRV43 Handycam Hi8 Camcorder.

1. I've had my camcorder for 2 1/2 weeks now and LOVE IT! Has lots of features but yet simple to operate. Great picture and I think the nightshot feature is cool. Can't go wrong on this one!



2. This is my first camcorder and I'm very pleased. It is easy to use, has many features and the output looks clear and sharp. I could not ask for more.



3. Hi Everyone, I believe that this is a good cam corder but recently I bought Sony DCR-TRV 120. It is year 2000 model and has got all the features normally you find them in Sony camcorder, plus it has got 45x/450X zoom and I got it for 650$. Very good deal. Picture quality is amazing. 21/2 " screen is kinda small but still it works fine. In short check out this camara before you go for any other model.



4. This camera is as close to digital as you can get without the price, it has many features and is simple to use, a great buy



5. This is by far one of the best entry-level camcorders. With all the features including night vision, it is well worth the $$.

No comments about Sony Hard Transit Case for Sony HVRA1U HDV Camcorder.

5 comments about Sony CCDTRV318 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and Steady Shot.

1. I really believe this is the best camcorder.It is very cheap and really easy to use. I'm 14 and I just used it to film my spring break and I still haven't even touched the instructions, if I can use this camcorder anybody can. I highly recommend buying this camera it has so many features like nightshot, steadyshot,a really powerful zoom, a really long battery life, and many more. It can even play back those old 8mm tapes you have lying in your closet. So if your looking for your 1st video camera or a camera to bring on all of family vacations this is the camera for you.



2. I got this camera because the moment i saw it, i knew it would rock
   
   ........ I WAS RIGHT!!!
   it is such an awesum camcorder with great quality and wonderful zoom.
   The sound does not go up very high when you listen to recordings strait from the camcorder and it is a PAIN to try to plug it into the television BUT... other than those 2 minor problems this camcorder is THE BEST!!!
   
   it rox (<:
   
   if i could have given it 4.5 stars i would have.



3. I purchased this "factory restored" camera and it was very dissappointing! The focus is terrible. There are only two spots with the zoom that are actually in focus. Even when it is zoomed all the way out it is blurry. I just had my first child and I bought this to record his first years and because of this camera I have already missed recording two months! This was such a waste of money!!!!!



4. I have owneds my CCDTRV318 for about 18 months and I think the camera has performed very well. Or, I did until I tried to use it at the first high school game this fall. It didn't work. The picture on the LCD screen and in the viewfinder was all blurry and distorted. I tried changing every setting and every adjustment I could think of. I couldn't fix it.
   
   So, I took it to the local Geek Squad and they sent it out for analysis. The result? Sony would have to replace the CCD and other gizmos for a total of $196! After 18 months.
   
   No, I did not buy warranties or anything - c'mon be serious.
   
   So my question: do I spend $200 for repairs? Do I buy a new camera for $300-$400? Should I buy a Sony ever again?
   
   I'm off to try to wrangle Sony customer support and perhaps will post the results of that wrangling here.
   
   EDIT UPDATE: Sony ended up fixing this for NO charge and now it works like a champ. If I could I'd change my review to 4 stars now.



5. I bought CCDTRV318 for about 18 months and the camera has performed very well. Just 2 weks ago suddenly it didn't work after 5 months of last use.The picture on the LCD screen and in the viewfinder was all blurry and distorted. The picture is getting clear little bit after half hour. I tried changing every setting and every adjustment I could think of. I couldn't fix it.
   
   I did not buy warranties so I don't know where to go and how much is going to repair.
   
   I bought canon Digital 8 camcorder 6 months ago to give present to my friend. Its working really nice. I think there is nothing in name brand. I would prefer small brand with warranties.

5 comments about Sony DCR-PC55 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Silver).

1. If you want to capture every precious moments, this is the right camcorder for you. It's easy to operate and the video is crisp and clear. The sound is pretty good as well. You can also take still picture and video at the same time (thanks to the memory stick).
   
   Don't burn your video using your computer, it took me time to download to a CD or DVD. Instead burn them as you watch them. It's quicker that way.
   
   You will love it the first time you use it.



2. I have own this camcorder for 6 month
   it's a good camcorder, esay to use, easy to bring
   As it's design purpose, PC-55 is enough for home use
   Only one thing I want to mention here, before I buy this camcorder, I thought that I can record video on MS duo in mepg format, and it's easy for post-edit on PC, you know, tansfer a MiniDV tape to computer may need a huge space to save.
   However, when I replay the video which stored on MS, the sreen was full of mosaic
   fortunately, when use DV type to record, this situation never happens. good quality.
   The one press photo button also becomes useless because the bad quality.



3. The camera is one of the best considering the price and the size of it. The only problem I found is that it has not a light, so you will need to buy the external one, if not all the shots that you do at night will be very dark.



4. When you buy a product that is designed and meant to fulfill certain needs, just expect the best performance out of those features.
   
   The PC55 is a camera for the everyday home shooter, easy to use and made with the best SONY quality for one of the smallest MINI DV camera ever created.
   
   If you are thinking about buying this camera don't hesitate one minute, this camcorder is one of the kind, it gives you pretty much the flexibility and video quality of a regular camcorder but with the amazing bring-it-in-the-pocket size and all the coolness and attention that it brings along (let it be your best Ice breaker, believe me it works like heaven!). I work for a camera store and let me tell you: we haven't received one return of this model during the time I've worked there (8 months), which proves the high quality SONY has built into this model. I have been using mine for a few months now and all I can say is that "the product is great... period!".
   
   Let's get real, the 500 bucks you are paying for it is not for the film quality kind of movie you get in the picture (for that you need to spend at least a couple of thousand dollars) but the portability and worriless of no need of the big luggage a camcorder used to be in the past" (some times people don't realize a motorcycle couldn't be compared with a truck or vise versa).
   
   About the picture shooting option, well let's see! A camcorder is for videos and a digital camera is for photos, if you want to have them both in one package, that brings excellent quality, you'd have to spend a lot of more money than if you bought them separately, let me explain you in a few words, the average photo quality for a MINI DV camcorder is 1.3mp or lower (the same quality you get out of your cell phone camera) to be honest with you, the manufacturers add this option just to give it an extra feature and at the same time take more money out of your pocket, with tape less digital cameras it happens the same way, the video and sound quality are very poor; so why bother paying more for a camera with both functions being excellent (there are quite a few out in the market now, starting around $1200 for models of similar size) instead buy two little cameras, one for each use, for half of the price.
   
   If you are looking for a cool, high quality & durability MINI DV camcorder with the smallest size available in its kind, The SONY DCR-PC55 is your BEST option.
   
   To finish, I just want to wish you all enjoy, more than the product, the unmemorable moments you will live with your loved ones because of this little fellow.



5. Ordered product expidited and after a week it was never received. I finally received notice from Amazon that the order was cancelled (by the vendor). My guess is they never had the product to begin with. I'll NEVER use them again. I don't understand why it took over a week to discover the product was not available. I would not recommend.

5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD508 6.1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

1. DVD508's battery charging connection is a bad design, after 2-month of using, the plug is not connected well, way too loose. We have to buy a separate battery charger to solve the problem.



2. With Sony's introduction of the 508 I am now convince that they had issues with the 505 model. I purshase the 505 model about two years ago and after one year, the touch screen stop responding to a touch. Now the camera is useless to me as it refuse to take still and video shots. To add more pain, it was past its warrenty period and after I contacted sony, they suggest it be shipped to their factory for repairs and will cost several hundred dollars for it to be fixed.
   
   So, anyone contemplating to purchase and of these units make sure you find out if that model has this apparent flaw.



3. I am a gadget guy that wants to get the best bang for the buck. Loyal to Sony for generations and after many hours of intense internet research I have narrowed down my options to three formats, three top cams. MiniDv, MiniDVD, HDD.
   MiniDv has proven to execute clear video performance for years now. Editing capabilities are simple because it uses a very flexible format known to many editing programs. Transferring to a computer is a bit annoying because you have to wait out the entire length of the tape. The top choice for MiniDv is the Sony HC-96. A bit more expensive than the newer HC-48 but pixly speaking it's worth every cent.
   MiniDVD was my choice. With regards to HDD, the need to always transfer my videos and load up my computers hard drive was not appealing. Invest in DVD-RW, rewritables are a must have otherwise you will have to finalize your dvd before popping it into a dvd player, AND your long term disc cost will be less. Crystal clear CMOS picture, Super steadyshot, and a horseshoe to put an external flash. BTW, CCD replaced CMOS for a while now, but it's back, and the DVD508 flaunts the new updated image capturing technology. A nice feature is the 6.1 pixel still shot, but you will need to invest in a memory pro duo card to utilize it. The top choice for MiniDVD is the DCR-DVD508. second the dvd-408, but do not buy the DVD-308, or dvd-108.
   HDD are becoming more popular. The sole reason to get an HDD is not CLARITY, it's convenience. Sleek, quick transfer time, and for those that don't like futzing around with tapes of discs, this is a dream. Opt for the Sony SR-62 for a few more dollars than the SR-42. The SR-42 is almost the exact camcorder, except for the hard drive size.
   Coclusion: MiniDV, is almost extinct but provides easy editing, cheap tapes, and for $300 you get the top model. MiniDVD, newer, easy to navigate on the camera to specific location, clarity, and 5.1 dolby surround sound. For the price of a low end HDD, your get a High end MiniDVD. HDD, ease of use, 7 hours or video without the need to transfer to a computer(for those long trips). $500 will buy you the lowest end HDD.



4. This camera, like all of the Sony DVD camcorders, creates great movies. However, a MAJOR limitation is that most commercial DVD authoring programs do not work with the proprietary MPEG-2 codec Sony uses when you download the movies using Picture Package to your computer. Also, since Sony is stingy about licensing their codec to other software vendors, it is difficult to find converstion programs out there. Roxio products will not work at all, while uLead sometimes work, but often include a timestamp that you cannot remove. Typically Sony = great hardware, lousy software. No wonder LG and Samsung are eating their lunch.



5. Overall the 508 performs just as advertised and I'm very happy with it. It is compatible with several different 8cm DVD discs giving you different options for recording. I did not realize a memory stick was required for still pictures, so I had to make an additional purchase after receiving the camera - - not sure if the advertisement mentioned it. The menu and touch screen work very well, making for easy set up and review. The Operating Guide is sometimes confusing, but all in all gets you to where you need to go.

5 comments about Sony DCR-DVD505 4MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom.

1. The camera is very nice, the still images quality is very high.
   The software is not so good, it can not get a normal DVD for support the videos.
   I paid a two days service because I needed my camera, but after two days I did not receive the package, I contacted UPS office and I had to go to UPS offices three times, and in third I got my package, Terrible service.



2. This camcorder is super easy to use. We set it to take wide screen movies (16:9), so when we are done recording, we simply remove the disk and place it right into the dvd player to watch it on TV. My kids love the instant viewing of their movies. This camcorder will also allow you to take still pictures captured on a memory stick. This function saves you from carrying a camera and a camcorder. We have only had this camcorder for one month, but we took it on vacation and have been very happy with it.



3. I haven't utilized all of the features yet, but what I have has produced both high quality pics as well as video.



4. Definitely agree with other posts that the DCR-DVD505 is one of the best cameras around. However, if you are like me and would like to use a computer create feature length DVDs from those little discs you need to be a little computer savvy.
   
   Sony could have done better to help, but is apparently not quite a software company like Apple...
   
   If you have Windows Vista, forget it...your handycam driver will simply not work. Need to download a much more reduced feature-set driver from Sony (the import takes hours). Even if you have Windows XP, make sure that your flash version is circa ancient...i.e. version 6 or before otherwise even the XP driver. Here is my "protocol":
   
   Step 1: Downgrade Flash to Version 6
   -------------------------------------
   
   1. First Uninstall the current Flash (using uninstall_flash_player.exe)
   2. Next simply run fp_6.0.21_activex.exe
   
   (Need to get both from Adobe site...just google for the exe files)
   
   Step 2: Get all MPEGs from camera
   ----------------------------------
   
   1. Connect Camera to Power Source.
   2. Connect Camera to Computer.
   3. Turn on the camera (just like getting to stand-by mode when shooting)
   4. Press the right arrow "Play" key on screen.
   5. Select Computer (disc).
   6. You will see "Preparing" on camera.
   7. Cancel any native Windows pop-up Prompts
   8. Launch Picture Package (if did not start already).
   9 From Picture Package Menu, select Viewing and Handling Pictures
   9. Click on DVD tab after selecting Video Handling (in "DVD Viewer")
   10. Click on DVD Handycam on left hand side menu.
   11. Select Movies.
   12. Confirm the folder choices, if prompted.
   13. Select ALL clips and click on Copy to hard disk.
   14. Wait until copying is done.
   15. Finally! Now you have all the content in mpeg format to do what you wish with.
   
   Step 3: Use the various mpegs to generate movies
   ------------------------------------------------
   
   (Using NERO, Pinnacle etc)
   
   1. Basically, using burn menu, join all the mpegs
   in any sequence to capture the DVD menu chapters.
   DO NOT use any third party stuff like movie joiner etc.
   
   2. Now set the menu titles, background music etc.
   
   3. Burn.
   
   4. Create a DVD/jacket cover.
   
   5. Done.



5. I gave the camcorder as a gift to my son who just loves it, he videotaped me too, I loved the quality of the tape on the big TV. I would recommend it to a friend.