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

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

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Sony HDR-SR7 AVCHD 6.1MP 60GB High Definition Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Reviews

I am using this camera, and it is nice. However, my biggest gripe is that it is not Mac compatible. Many creative types use a Mac, which comes with very nice movie software. I have both Macs and PCs, but would have preferred to use my Mac.

Because it wasn't compatible, I purchased Sony's Vegas, but would have been much happier using iMovie.

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JVC Everio GZ-HD6 3CCD 120GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

I am very impressed with the image quality that I see on the built in display of the HD6. The battery life is relatively unimpressive. But the big difficulty I am having is in transferring the video from the camera to my brand new Macbook.

I have attempted to use Final Cut Pro and IMovie and neither one recognizes the files on the camera. In doing research after the fact, I discovered the lie that the camera is a true 1080P camera. JVC is not doing themselves any favors by misleading naive buyers. But worse than that, the fact that I have footage to edit that is totally unusable to me makes we wish I had returned the product within the 14 days for a full refund.

JVC, get your act together. Offer adequate solutions to import video from the camera to the computer or at least be honest enough to inform the buyer that "the GZ-HD6 is not a Macintosh compatible product." Get in touch with me, resolve the issue and I will remove my review from Amazon.

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JVC Everio GZHD7 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

Funny thing about Amazon reviews: anyone can create one and there is minimal fact checking. They range from single review shills who post ad copy verbatim to dingbats who rate a product one star because the delivery took an extra day.

With this camcorder, there appears to be three overall groups: those who don't even own it but feel they have to inform others about competing products, those who can't get it to work well in automatic mode or with their computers, and those who love it. For those who have only read reviews on other sites and copy that info here, yeah, I can and do read other websites, too. It's not helpful to include that information here, especially if the reviewer has not even used the HD7.

For the second group, I'd agree that the GZ-HD7 does not perform very well as a "point and shoot" camcorder. To get the most out of it, it should be operated in manual mode. It's not difficult but does take a little practice and experimenting. I'd admit the image stability system doesn't seem to work well and drops it down to 4.5 stars. As far as the computer interface, I just bought Corel's Ulead Video Studio 11.5 Plus program and that works perfectly with this--just copy the files over and open the .tod. Note: I got this as an open box and didn't receive the software. The Ulead program was the same price as what JVC wanted for the replacement disc.

Put me firmly in the third group. This thing is GREAT! Except for the image stability, it's perfect. Others say mini DV systems are the way to go for archival purposes. Sure, if your camcorder still works. I have a bunch of old tapes and a broken camcorder... and a new MiniDV camcorder that doesn't play those old tapes. Give me an HDD, 3 CCD, slap on an f1.8 Fujinon lens, and I'm happy.

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JVC Everio GZ-MG505 3-CCD 5MP 30GB Hard Disc Drive Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Reviews

I really love this camcorder. Great video quality, easy-to-use menu, and all kinds of functions which are similar to a professional camcorder. Since I have to buy an extra battery so that I can make full use of its 30G hard disk, I find it's hard to hold it still for longer than 3 min with the extra battery. So far this is the only problem I have with this camcorder. I saw several reviews complaining about its video quality, well, you have to adjust its settings to whatever you need. Its default setting is not the best this camcorder can do and may not suit our various need. :D

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Sony HDR-SR12 10.2MP 120GB High Definition Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

I'm amazed that a tiny little camcorder like this can pack in so many features. And the quality is fantastic! I've only begun to explore the capabilities of this thing, but I'm already in love with it! And the street price is pretty darn good and getting better all the time. Don't miss out on getting hi-def video of your kids while they're still young. I used a Sony Hi8 during my daughter's early years. It did a great job, but this---well, this is at a whole new level! And you can buy inexpensive wide angle and telephoto lenses for it. I bought a 2x lens so I can get 24x optical zoom from it now. Wow!!! Should be great for all sorts of settings--nature, family, sports, whatever! And you can take 10 megapixel stills to a memory card-- on the fly-- while you're recording video to the huge 120GB built-in hard drive! What's not to like?

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Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD 2.1 MP 30GB High-Definition Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Reviews

I bought this HDR-SR1 the same month it first came out in October of 2006. Our old one is a Hi8 Sony HandyCam and my wife and I decided to invest on another videocam that can captures in digital our son's first moments, our first vacation in Hawaii, etc. I was so impressed with the functionality and the quality of this camera. As an avid audiophile, I cannot settle for anything less than an HD quality video. The quality of the video and 5.1 Dolby digital surround it captures is breathtaking. Not only we save money on buying tapes, you can burn it to DVD with an ease. You can now save your videos and archive them for as long as you want them. Since I also have a PS3 and it supports AVCHD playback, I am able to enjoy full 1080i resolution and watch it like a professional video capture. It's a definite must for me, especially capturing those special moments with my son (and another one on the way). The built-in hard drive and the capability that you can switch to digital photo is excellent. Now I don't have to carry two equipment. This unit is bundled as an HD video and a digital photo unit as one. Last but not the least, it is made by Sony. I have owned many Sony products in the past and none of them has dissapointed me. Just like any investments, there is no guarantee that it will not break or last forever so I recommend on getting warranty extension. It's worth the piece of mind.

Why not I gave it a full five star? I was expecting more of a 2.1 MP resolution photo during video recording.

I truly recommend this item.

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

Great Camera.. The only problem is that you have to detach the battery before connecting to the PC. The software that came with the camera is OK.

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JVC Everio GZ-MG40 1.33 MP 20 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder w/15x Optical Zoom Reviews

I purchased this camera in December of 2005 to use to record the milestones of my then 6 month old son. I ended up using it sparingly, as the battery would drain quickly while not being used, so everytime I went to use it, I had to remember to charge it up. But that's not that uncommon with rechargeable batteries, so I got used to it.

The biggist issue that 22 months after I bought it (Halloween 2007), I went to record my son for Halloween and got an error message that said "Lens Cap", even though the lens cap was not on the camera. With a bit of online research, I came to find out that this was a problem with the CCD (the image sensor, I believe) and it was a known problem with JVC models and JVC was replacing/repairing units with specific model numbers. However, this model was not on the list, even though I found dozens of postings on line from people with the same problem with this camera. I was able to convince JVC to provide a free evaluation of the problem (they tyically charge $60). It was the optical block (of which the CCD is a part, so I'm not totally convinced it wasn't the CCD all along). They quoted over $280 for the repair. When I told them not to do it and to send the unit back as the repair is too expensive, they immediately lowered the price to $190 - a little sketchy in my mind. But, I went ahead with the repair. I haven't yet used the repaired unit, but will shortly as our second child is due in days.

I would recommend staying away from JVC as I don't feel I was dealt with fairly and evenly in this manner. Even though they did the free evaluation, I think the issue with the CCD is something they should have handled at no cost, since it was such a wide-spread problem. And the negotiating on the repair cost is pretty sketchy for a company the size of JVC - I expect that from a local yokel. I expect JVC to quote me the best price they can acheive.

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JVC Everio GZ-MG70 2.12 MP 30 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Reviews

I bought one of these a little over a year ago and am very happy with it so far. The video and sound quality is usually great and I never even bothered to put on the little things that limit electrical interference. My only regret is not getting the 60 gig because I use mine a lot and the space would be helpful.

Pros:
-tends to have very good video/ sound quality (I've had one or two times it was only avg or good)
-good software comes with it to convert file types
-easy to use
-the new version of windows media player supports the save format on the camera without having to convert it

Cons:
-videos take up a lot of space, especially when not converted. 5 minutes is about 100-150 megabytes. You can convert formats and change settings to limit space, but it can diminish the quality.
-battery seems to die quickly on mine.

--edit--
amazon won't let me change it, but I lower this to 4 stars now because the camera performs poorly in dark lighting (focus beomes a disaster)and when you convert to another file type, either the quality becomes extremely poor or you save quality but the file size goes up 4-6x it's already huge size (yes you have to convert because nothing plays the extension used). I haven't found one, but if there is an mod media player out there you may want to look into it.

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

This has one of the best picture qualities ever with the three CCD's on it. I love using it and have recorded numerous shots just with the one 60 Gig hard drive on it even though you can add a memory chip to it. The battery last a long time as well. I would have added a mic input to it though then it would have been perfect for the novice film maker. However, the sound quality of the camera is great. I would buy this product again. Also, they have great customer service.

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JVC Everio GZ-MG360 60GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Reviews

I will say that the video quality at the highest setting is very good. I also purchased the largest additional battery that was available and i am not diappointed with that either. I have shot over 30 hours of video so far and the quality is pretty good. The camera is light weight and easy to hold for long periods of time with no problems, which is a huge plus. The menu is easy to navigate to make any adjustments.



What does disapoint me is that i have had several drop detection errors occur when i was filming, even when i was not moving my hand. I do have a professional camera mount kit for my car and when i film inside the car (mounted on the dash) at high speeds and high g forces (think of how the car leans around a turn) the camera is fine. But once i take it outside the car even at speeds around 60mph and no turns, i get camera errors such as hard drive issues, I happened when i wasn't even going over 30mph. I also found that the editing software is very poor. I went ahead and ordered the recomended software upgrade from jvc, Cyberlink power director V6. I find that windows movie maker does a pretty good job, but it won't import the files from the camera.

overall, if you don't want to edit and want too keep it simple, buy this camera. If you are looking for something a step better i wouldn't recomend this camera. I personally would not buy it again.

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JVC Everio GZMG57 1.3MP 30GB Hard Disk Drive Digital Media Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom Reviews

Being able to record 8 hours at a time is great. The only drawback to the hard drive type of recording is that a new file is created each time. The positive to that is that it makes for ease of transfer. You can record to DVD with the software they include and it's very easy. The battery life is awful, so get an extended or extra battery.

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

I have to admit that I acted a bit on impulse when I went ahead and bought this digital video recorder after doing a limited amount of research and having read some of the reviews here. Our previous video recorder never entirely satisfied me because it never let in enough light to make the picture look good. It would always be either too bright (from the light present or using the onboard-light) or too dark. Thus, you can imagine my impulsive action after reading the rave reviews on the video quality of this camera. As it turns out, everyone here couldn't be more accurate. I've used the camera in several different settings with different lighting and the resulting video is consistently clean and crisp. The only complaint I have so far is that the auto-focus isn't perfect...if you watch really close you can see moments where the focus adjusts just enough for a fraction of a second to cause a slight blurring only to readjust back to fully in focus. I haven't been able to identify a trend or reason for this yet so I'm left to assume right now that it's just something in the camera you have to deal with. Time will tell. Even with that, I still gave it a 5 because in my family you can't always have the light where it should be so to have a camera be able to record a crisp video from any angle is essential for anyone with kids.

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Sony DCR-SR40 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam with 20x Optical Zoom Reviews

This camera has proven to be very convenient in size and features for the period of time it has worked. Feb 2007 - July 2008 with very little problems. I purchased it with no extended warranty, an extra battery and a good case for it. I have always taken care good of it , keeping the cover on and in the case when not in use. I also made sure to disconnect from computer through software before USB removal. I have used an average of maybe 90 minutes every two months since the purchase date. Im presuming most people would expect to use the same. All the features on the camera and convenience of size, HDD, extra zoom, 'okay' night mode, wide screen, etc. etc. is what may justify the price. Considering the extreme care and maintenance I provided, this camera is obviously not a quality made product from an electrical point of view. The power no longer turns on. Not with AC.. not with either battery... not even with the 30minutes of technical support tips. Sony says the warranty is expired and repair will cost $211.00. For an $800 camera at the time- brand new from a respectable seller, you would expect a better warranty. I should have asked, oh well. It seems I am not the only one having this problem. I guess I'll send it in for repair. The only problem is I needed the camera for the next two weeks more than the last year that Ive had it. The camera is great if you put convenience over picture quality. MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY-- consider yourself warned.

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JVC Everio GZ-MG30 30 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom Reviews

Nice camera, but TERRIBLE video format - not recommended
The camera itself is simple to use right out of the box and takes very nice still pictures. The video, however, leaves a lot to be desired. For whatever reason, JVC has decided to use a proprietary "MOD" format and no programs (3rd party or stock) on my media rich macintosh can play these files. Go figure, but my little Palm Treo can create video files that are easily uploaded and viewable, so why can't JVC? Very poor showing from JVC in my opinion.

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JVC Everio GZMG555 5MP 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Includes Docking Station) Reviews

I have found this camcorder takes fantastic video as long as you set the indoor / outdoor button properly.
Negatives I have read about and agree with:
1) It is a little slow to focus at times
2) Still pictures don't look good
3) Records in .MOD format so editing and playback of files stored on a computer can be extremely problematic. I agree the included software for this is not very sophisticated and not user friendly. I found it an unacceptable long term solution.

HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT SOLVE THE VIDEO EDITING PROBLEM = Adobe Premiere ($400-$600 I believe)and Pinnacle Studio (multiple versions) support the .MOD format (format support listed on both websites). I use Pinnacle studio "plus" version 11 which I found on sale for $99. It flawlessly recognizes, plays, and edits video from this camcorder and is a much more powerful program the Microsoft Movie Maker which I was previously using. With this software I love the camcorder. Without this software, moving, playing and editing files on anything other than the camcorder was a nightmare.
So, I would rate this 5 stars except for the negatives above. Without the Pinnacle software I agree w/ the 1-2 start rating a few have given.

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JVC Everio GZHD3 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

Impressive fit and finish, easy-to-use features, image quality is good under daylight, but poor in a low-light environment. I paid $530 on Amazon in August '08 so it's a good value.

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

Bought the camcorder about 2 weeks back. Was delivered within 3/4 days. Takes great videos and excellent pictures. Also since its quite handy to carry, don't have to take my Nikon Digital camera always.
Only con for me is the sound volume on the videos. For some reason the volume sometimes is barely audible if one is not speaking loudly wherease my old Sony Hi8 Camera would capture the slightest sound clearly. Have tried all the sound settings but haven't been very successful. Took it to daughter's performance concert and there the volume was good.

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Sony HDR-SR5 AVCHD 4MP 40GB High Definition Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Reviews

This is a good camera but lacking hardware controls for zoom, focus, and iris. The AVCHD format is good but support for it is still catching up. Invest in Nero or Vegas Pro to edit.

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Sony HDR-SR11 10.2-MP 60GB High Definition Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

I bought the SR-11 here from Amazon. Got it in time to head straight to my son's basketball game literally right out of the box (I had bought an extra battery that was fully charged).

Programed the date/time, no prob. Then just started shooting the game (My son scored 31 pts..and we won!) I recorded in the HD just so I could see what it was like (plus it was by default set on that). Got home found the cables and plugged into the HD TV and it looked fantastic. Played back fine.

Then for the next test- iMovie and Final Cut Express... It mounted for iMovie and I was able to bring in the footage. I made a 25 minute highlights show. Went fine. At one point, had a little glitch when in the editing area the filmstrips weren't visiable, but you could tell they were still there because the pointer would show the dates/time of the shots. I know this may not be clear, but I think it happened due to me taking 80% of the footage and dragging it into the project window at one time. iMovie suggested I not, but I did. It was OK.

iMovie changes the file type so that it is not HD. I don't know much about the technical side of all that.

So I thought I would try to see the HD footage by importing and saving it with Final Cut Express (I don't own Pro.) I am not familiar with Final Cut Express only bought it so I could do slow mo because iMovie can't, but haven't used it once. I read a bunch around the forums, etc. and learned FCE will recognize the camera as "unknown" and it clips with the "Log and Transfer" (which I had no clue what it was). I really just wanted to get the HD footage on one of my backup drives to save (it was my son's career high pts).

FCE did see it with the Loop and Transfer. I really didn't know what I was doing, but started "saving" the clips in its original format, except I understand, it is "converted" to Apple Intermediate Codex...so something like that..read around you'll see info on this. The point is supposedly the file sizes increase. Bottomline line....it worked, BUT the file sizes are huge! I mean something like a 17 second clip is like 200 MG file.

I am thinking about getting Sony's DVDirect/Recorded/Blu-ray Disc Player and not using the computer to "save' the files at all. Also, I understand, if I shoot in "standard" mode and have HD files on the camera's harddrive , there are some problems...don't know the details...had something to do with either retrieving the files or the quality.

I am going to shoot footage in "standard" mode. The file sizes are smaller and I can use it easliy with iMovie.

Anyway, sorry for the typos and poor sentences....but that is where I am after 36 hours of owning this camera. Oh yeah, the software won't load on a Mac, fyi.

One a 1-5. I'd say a 4. The quality is excellent (of the footage). It is just I am not a "video" guru...the different file types, etc. and it is a little bit of a hassle not being able to work in it and save it as a native file (which isn't practical anyway due to the huge files, unless you are a professional, but for the average Joe- we have to figure out how to save the HD files, which is why I am looking at the Sony DV Direct. Burn them in HD to DVD and them take the footage to the Mac and then save it as a standard non-HD file type to play with in iMovie.

Hope this helps. I like the camera. The little face boxes are pretty cool when you are shooting footage at a basketball game. So, far I am pleased.

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Sony DCR-SR80 60GB 1MP Hard Disk Drive Handycam with 12x Optical Zoom Reviews

this camera is good with the two exceptions:
1) they should have used avi instead of mpeg2
2) the camera is below DV quality

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Sony DCR-SR300 6.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Reviews

We bought this camera right when it came out in spring of 2007. It worked great for a little over a year. We loved having both a digital camera and a camcorder in one small camea. After the warrantee ran out we started having problems. First the LCD screen stopped working because the connection had cracked. We hadn't dropped it or anything. After paying lots of money to get that repaired, it worked well for another couple months and then something with the lens stopped working and it was all black. We sent it for repair again and dumped more money into it. We've had it back a couple weeks and now the docking station isn't working. Again, we didn't drop it or anything. It worked one day and didn't the next. So now I can't get the images off the camera. Very disappointed with Sony on this product. Next time I will definately buy an extended warrantee.

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JVC Everio GZ-MG50 1.33 MP 30 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder w/15x Optical Zoom Reviews

WE HAVE USED THIS ITEM SO MUCH! GREAT MOVIE MAKER! EASY TO TAKE ON TRIPS AS IT IS NOT BULKY..FITS IN A BAG SO EASY

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Sony DCR-SR45 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom Reviews

This is my first time that I bought a Sony Camcorder and just I can say it is great, its compact ( it is the same size of my hand ) and its working splendid...I can recommend again and again.
The only thing that I forgot to buy for my Sony DCR-SR45 was the Sony memory stick pro duo 16 GB by Usd$97.00 here in Amazon.

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JVC Everio GZMG155 1MP 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 32x Optical Zoom (Includes Docking Station) Reviews

So far, I love this thing! I haven't had many chances to use it, but the ties I have, it has great zoom, and the best part to me, is it is very light weight!

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JVC Everio GZ-MG20 20 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom Reviews

First off, I want to say that the camera shoots pretty good footage outdoors, not at all superb quality, but passable for just archiving personal footage. Indoors is another story, out of the box the low-light conditions pretty much blacked out the playback.

After researching, and changing settings, with help from a review on a similar camera, the indoors picture is pretty good. With the lenses and filters I purchased for this it actually has it to a B-. What I did was set it to M mode, shutter speed to 1/30 and set it to cloudy. You can also gain up while in this mode for a brighter picture, but it does add some grain.

The hard drive is so easy and convenient. I didn't bother installing any of the included software because I use Sony Vegas to edit video. Sony Vegas doesn't recognize the MOD format the video files are saved in, so again I did a few minutes of research to find out that you can simple highlight the MOD part of the file name/extension, backspace 3 times and type MPG. This instantly converts it to MPG format, which Vegas and all of my other playback programs recognize.

Sound is great, for a built in speaker it was almost one of the best I've heard on a simple video camera. The lense comes with threads to attach wide-angle lenses, and filters to make the picture even better... all in a camera a little over 5 inches long!

I was really pleased with this camera, and recommend it to anyone who really needs a good camera, but nothing extravagant- for people who rarely use it. It takes a few minutes of tweaking to get it right indoors, but most cameras aren't cut and dry to begin with.

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

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.

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JVC Everio GZMG130 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 34x Optical Zoom Reviews

This is the worst waste of money ever! We've had it for a year, and are still unable to burn a dvd that wont skip, or freeze up! You can not edit you video with out purchasing the software, and the software is a joke!!! Your forced to only use this software, and you can't even delete parts out from your segments you have to split the segment where you want to delete, and then trim the beginning of the next segment to remove unwanted video! I spent six hours trying to edit a dvd because the software runs so slow, and at the end it told me I had to purchase the software if I wanted to burn the dvd! I WILL NEVER PURCHASE JVC AGAIN!!!!

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Panasonic SDR-H18 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

This camcoder requires ImageMixer 3 software to watch videos on PC and I did NOT get one with my purchase and trying to find help on internet to buy this software is not much encouraging either. I found like around $30 to buy IMAGEMIXER 3 SOFTWARE to make your videos work on PC. This is ridiculous. I would NOT recommend this camcoder.

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

Great camera, easy to use
I bought this camera mostly for home movies, and after doing extensive research on camcorders. First was the decision of going to Hard-drive over DVD or Tape. The ease of downloading videos to your computer, plus the fact that it's the way most camcorders are going to be heading in the near future made this almost a no-brainer. Then was the question about which model to buy. I chose the SR82 over the SR42 and SR62 because of the extra storage capacity, and the improved resolution over the SR42. The video resolution for the SR82 is good enough for most televisions. If you want HD video, you will need to spend at least $200 or $300 more for an "entry-level" HD camera. I'm not too worried about the 1MP still photos because, let's be honest, I'm not planning to use this camera to take pictures! I have a digital camera for that, which has better resolution, low-light performance and options than a camcorder will ever have for taking pictures. Plus, it has a flash, which camcorders usually don't have (unless you're willing to add an accessory shoe and external light).
Picture quality as I mentioned is pretty good, even in low-light, and the camera is very intuitive and easy to use right out of the box. Downloading to a computer was a breeze too. Do get however an extra battery, since the one it comes with usually runs out pretty fast

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

Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Pro & Cons

This is my first HDD camcorder. I owned several MiniDV camcorders in the past. I have owned the camera for 2 weeks, so this review should be considered as initial impression.
PROS:
- Picture quality is very good in good daylight. I had some shots at night in well lit family room, and the video is not as sharp as day time shots, but still very good.
- The Super Nightshot feature is fun to have to take kids video while they are sleeping. As expected, the video is very grainy.
- The quality of still pictures is acceptable.
- Zoom is very smooth
- The touch screen is awsome. Hope the screen won't get scratched in the long run
- Camera is easy to use without having to read too much into the manual
- The menu is sort confusing in some areas, but not too bad
- Lightweight

CONS:
- Pricy, compared to MiniDV models of similar quality
- Battery sticks out too much off the back of the camera making it look sort of ugly
- Allows only 3 still shots during video. I wish I can snapshot still photos from video like most of Panasonic models.
- All connectivities are on charging base. This means one more thing to carry with on vacation
- No separate battery charger. Battery is charged on the charging base or on camera
- Only 10x zoom

Overall, pretty happy with the purchase, and will be a lot of funs making family videos. I did not make a single DVD from my previous MiniDV's. This is a 4.5 stars rating.

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Sony DCR-SR65 1MP 40GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom Reviews

Very good camcorder

I bought this camcorder after a lot of research and I'm glad I made the right choice. The only camcorder comparable with SR65 was the JVC MG330 or MG360. JVC 330/360 has less than 1 mega pixels and the price difference between the two was not much and I found it was worth spending on the extra resolution for better video quality.

Video Quality : Very Good. I ve taken video Outdoors and Indoors. On burning and playing it on 27 inch flat tube Sony TV, it proves to be very close to or almost DVD quality, especially for outdoor .

Audio Quality : Dolby Digital. Very good sound quality.

Camera Menus : Easy and Intuitive

Ergonomics : Pretty small. Easy to handle and buttons are easy reachable.

Still Image : I would not care to take still image using this, it s as good as taking pictures on a cell or PDA.

Zoom : 25x is good enough. Anything above that would be difficult to hold it steady, unless you would be using a tripod.

As long as you re not looking to spend over $800 for a High-Def quality for which you need to have High-Def LCD, High-Def burner, HDMI and the entire package, this camera is just perfect for the low $500 range.

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Panasonic SDR-H60 60 GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 50x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

Great Camcorder, easy to use!
This camcorder is great, it is my first dive into the consumer video world and so far I am pretty impressed. The zoom is killer, the ease of use is great. I am a tech so I did not feel the need to install the built in software since I feel that the bundled software stinks, that goes for most consumer products. I filmed a couple of videos, plugged the camera into my pc, and voila! There they were, ready for me to watch and/or edit using any software I wished to use. This process took approximately 10 seconds. For those wondering my setup consists of Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1, but I imagine if I plugged it into xp or the other versions of vista, I would get similar results. The editing software I used is Adobe Premiere elements 4.0, although I am confident that if I plugged the videos into the built in video maker, I would not run into any problems as the format is pretty standard.

I only write this review because I feel some of these low ratings are unwarranted. The camera itself is great, and although the picture quality could use some improvement (then again I have not played with all the settings yet) I think this is a great camera for a lower budget, the only real improvement I could see by going to another camera is if a High Definition camera is purchased.

Hope this review helps.

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JVC Everio GZ-MG330 30 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom (Silver) Reviews

If you are looking for a camcorder for an easy home video recording. This review might be helpful to you.

I purchased JVC Everio GZMG330 one week ago. I thought about buying a SONY DCR SR42 at first, but the model is discontinued. I thought SONY SR42 was the smallest among the HDD camcorder, but this is even smaller than SONY SR42. This is much slimmer than SR42. This is really small to fit in my small hand very well. I got a sapphire blue one. It's really cool. I wonder why most camcorders are in the silver color only. It looks really pretty in the bright sunlight outdoors.

The HDD camcorder is the right decision I made. I used to have dozens of tapes for the old SONY camcorder (well organized though). After I used this for couple of days, I realized that HDD is the perfect solution for camcorders. You can record video all day long without worrying about the tape recording time. In fact, battery life is your only limit for recording. ^^ I recorded my son's soccer game for about an hour. It spent about 3 GB of the storage. Not bad.

35x zoom is great. I didn't pay too much attention to the optical zoom, but it turned out to be very important for various shootings. You can zoom in and see objects which you cannot distinguish well with your bare eyes. It's a good idea to use a tripod if you spend much time in the zoom recording.

The connection to the computer is easy and intuitive. However, the bundled software to organize the video files runs very slowly and its GUI looks pretty simple and ugly. The video editing S/W has better GUI though.

The image quality is okay. I didn't have a chance to compare the image quality of all the camcorders. It looks better than the old tape camcorder or VHS tape recorded video on TV. It's not as good as the DVD titles. It could be nice if the camcorder had an s-video output. On computer, the image looks much better. Especially after you finish the video rendering into DVD HQ format with the bundled software, you'll find out that the video shows smoother motion than the original 'MOD' one. You cannot play the MOD video from the media player directly. You need to convert it to MPEG2 format using the bundled software. The max video resolution is SD 720x480. Anyway, I didn't expect the highest quality video at this low budget camcorder. For a casual home video recording, the quality looks fine with me. However, I'm curious how good the video quality of this camcorder is compared with others though.

However, you should handle the LCD panel carefully. It looks weaker than other camcorders. The average image and fragile LCD is why I give 4 instead of 5 stars.

Buy JVC Everio GZ-MG330 30 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom (Silver)

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

Great Value for the Money!
I just received this camcorder (DCR-SR85) and I am very happy with it! It is so small & lightwieght, plus it takes fantastic videos. The videos download very quickly with the included software, and are crisp and clear as any DVD movie that I have (standard definition). I stuggled with all the choices out there, but I am very satified with this product. I use it mostly to document procedures for work, but it is great for home movies also. I think it would be nice to have a larger mega-pixel camera in it (only 1 meg) since it is so small it could easily replace my digital camera also! I also purchased the extended warranty from Sony for only 89.00 (3 years), and an extra battery. This one is a keeper!

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Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom Reviews

I got this camcorder a few days ago. It is very user friendly and simple. This is great for those of us that are not the most savvy. Sadly user friendly can also be a curse. Even though the picture quality of the video is great(still shots not so great, but thats not why I got a camcorder) special effects and other features are lacking. So if you want a camcorder thats easy to use and will make great home videos this is a good buy. You'll have few worries and no tapes. Easy DVD burn(just one button). If you want features and loads of them you may want to browse some other models. No light, but good night vision. No view finder, but the lcd screen is pretty good, I could even see it well outside with the sun hitting it. No adjustments to still picture quality. No special effects built into the camcorder. But really easy to use.

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Panasonic SDR-H40 40GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

The first video I took with my SDR-H40 camcorder was of a small conference inside a moderately illuminated, windowless hangar. Since I was new to the camcorder, it was set to auto-white balance. The video came out fine, and better than I expected. When it was accidentally unplugged I was glad to see that it automatically fixed the video file in just a few seconds. Outdoor video is excellent, as is it's optical stabilization. Panasonic uses a larger image chip than many manufacturers do in this price range.

My only disappointment was that it doesn't have a very wide angle lens. Personally, I'd be willing to trade the long 42x telephoto for a decent wide angle shot. Unfortunately, this problem is widespread among most camcorder manufacturers.

What I like is the simplicity of operation, it's excellent video, it's large hard drive capacity which gives many hours of use, it's ability to also record on SD & high capacity SD cards, it's small size (you could fit three of them inside my old 8mm camcorder,) optical stabilization, and value. The software gets the job done, though it isn't feature-rich. That's fine with me, and preferable to software with a steep learning curve and lots of features that I'll probably never use.

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