... Just got the HD-1 for Christmas and haven't given it a full work-out yet but everything about it seems perfect thus far. My computer 'recognized' it right away and I can manipulate the great pictures it takes with my photo software. It charged easily via usb connection and the battery lasted all evening at a family gathering. It is a lot of camcorder for the money! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Aiptek HD-1 720P High Definition Camcorder with Built-in 1GB Storage (Silver)

... I like the camera a lot - easy to use; facial recognition is a great feature; good zoom; picture quality is high. However, I have no idea why there is NO FIREWIRE CAPABILITY! This has to be one of the worst business decisions since Coke went to New Coke. Downloading video to edit takes forever let alone it being useless for live streaming. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony HDR-SR10 4MP 40GB High Definition Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 15x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

... After some research, I bought this item with accessory bundle. The item is about as advertised, although it is very small for my hand and zoom knob looks cheap and flimsy. I would have preferred less play and solid looking plastic, even. The screen looks grainy at night with lights on. (By the way, I am not really critiqueing the camcorder. I don't really know much about it, and I just upgraded after using tape camcorder that's about 15 years old.) I just thought the view screen looked grainy in such a situation compared to my canon camera. I have not yet hooked it up to the TV. Other website reviews and comparisons recommend Canon camcorder and I thought it was the best to buy.
I want to talk about the bundle items and service, which, ended well and me feeling pretty good about the buy. The main 2 items in the bundle (bundle costs about $40 extra) are 8GB sd card and extra battery. The included SDHC card is, however, class 2 card. Other websites recommended class 6. I believe the numbers mean something about recording or replay speed. I recorded about 150 mb of video on this card and it took about 3 minutes for my computer to start playing it. I can not say why it took this long, but it could be because the card is class 2. The camcorder manual says class 2 is acceptable.
Before you choose this bundle or buy extra sd card, do more research.
Now about the battery: Big Value Inc. clearly says that this battery is after-market. When I put this battery in the camcorder, there was a question mark over the battery icon. I couldn't tell how much time was left in the battery.
Because of these reasons I called Big Value. I was going to ask for refund and just buy the camcorder by itself, and then buy canon accepted battery. The Big Value asked me for reason (stating this is for evaluation only and they will make full refund if I want), and offered a refund of $40 and keep the items in the bundle. I find this quite acceptable and feel I made pretty good buy. My wife is happy enough to live with extra battery that does not indicate time left. I plan to do more research on SD card speed and buy appropriate items. My computer is old enough so that it does not have SD card slot (about 800 mb RAM). Maybe it is better SD card reader that I need.
...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon FS-11 Flash Memory 16GB Camcorder w/48x Optical Zoom BP808 Battery/Rapid Charger 8GB BigVALUEInc Accessory Saver Bundle

... So far so good. I have had this camaera for over a year and have recorded many many hours of video. Controls are easy and user friendly and well placed. Zoom is very good and so is the video and video playback quality. It is versatile since you can also take pictures and save them onto an SD card. Picture quality could be better but is perfect for the unexpected shot. Night light sucks though, you litterally have to be 2 ft in front of it to see anything in the dark. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon ZR850 1MP MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

... I purchased this camera mainly to have a professional look when shooting weddings and events. I felt like I could produce a decent video using a normal consumer camera that would satisfy the customer just fine, but because most consumer cameras are so small the customer might not feel they were receiving a quality product. This camera with it's professional look came to my rescue. People are now treating me much more seriously with respect because of my "high-end" camera look.

Because this was a sub $2,000 camera I wasn't expecting a whole lot. It wouldn't be fair to compare it to a $10,000 or $20,000 camera, which I think some people were trying to do, especially with the poor reviews for low light conditions, plastic construction, and poor audio performance.

I was pleasently suprised with the performance of this camera, it out-performed all of my expectations. I left everything in the default HDV settings and turned it on to shoot my kids playing indoors under bedroom light conditions. I was amazed with how smooth and clear everything appeared, especially with the low reviews I read about in low light, it blew my other camera (Canon Optura 50) out of the water.

It also exceeded my expectations with audio, from what I read the shot-gun mic on this camera isn't the best, but I was greatly satisfied with it's performance. I could hear the subject speaking clear with little motor or background noise.

This camera looks and feels great, there were some reviews bashing it's construction, but whenever I take it out of the bag, people are impressed.

This is a great camera if your looking for a camera like this one (which I was) or an affordable professional looking camera with good quality this camera is great when comparing it with other consumer cameras.

If you're used to working with industrial high-end expensive cameras, you'll probably be disapointed with this camera as it is limited in manual controls (no manual iris, xlr outputs etc...) and only has one 1/2.9 single-chip cmos censor, but that's one reason why it's thousands of dollars cheaper.

I don't regret purchasing this camera one bit and I feel this will satisfy most all of my production free-lance needs ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony HVR-HD1000U MiniDV 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

... In my opinion, the camcorder deserves 4/5 stars. The HD picture quality outdoors (rain or shine) is PHENOMAL. I got a similar picture in SD. It wasn't quite as sharp as HD but still an EXCELLENT picture. The sound quality is amazing. I had no problem with wind noise when outside on windy days. The camcorder itself is lightweight and I found the menus and buttons to be user-friendly. I read several negative reviews on the included Sony software but had no trouble installing it or using it. It does have limited capabilities but it was sufficient for me. The camera itself does have a "divide" option for cutting video. You choose where you want to divide and it will create and save a new clip. It also has excellent focus capabilities. It focuses very quickly when zooming in and out as well as moving left/right and up/down. I was overly impressed with its performance outdoors. Shooting indoors took me back a few steps and it could be that I expect too much in lower-light conditions. When the lights are on AND sufficient natural light is available through windows, the quality is REALLY good. During evening/night hours and during the day when its cloudy outside, the picture left me disappointed. The picture was grainy and the more I zoomed, the grainier it got. I did adjust the exposure and white balance which helped the situation but still left me wondering what I was doing wrong. I also played around with the different scene settings (sunrise, sunset, candlelight, etc...) but found the "auto" option to work the best. I would gladly welcome any suggestions or recommendations on helping the low-light situation. It's the only disappointment I have and it could very well be the operator. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony HDR-XR200V 120GB HDD High Definition Camcorder w/15x Optical Zoom

... I've just begun testing this camcorder, and it seems to work very well. Be aware of two limitations: (1) maximum file size is 4 GB, so the manual says it will create a new file at that point if you are continuously recording. (2) the MOD file format is indeed MPG, and can be copied from the camcorder and renamed as .mpg and edited. However, even when acquired in 16:9, the file has internal tags that tell all Windows software that it is 4:3, so it appears "squeezed" on screen. The solution is to shoot in 4:3 only, or to use DVDPATCHER to change all tags to 16:9 (be sure to keep the other parameters unchanged). Ultrafine has 9100k and Fine has 8400k data rate. The software provided for conversion only converts to WMF at low data rates, so is not useful. Oh, and JVC was completely unhelpful in this regard. They referred me to Pixela technical support, even though the software was not the problem. (I would quote the rather dismissive email, but that would be illegal, according to JVC.)
I do not have an assessment of battery life yet. Menus I would assess to be a bit cumbersome, with scrolling and selection buttons far apart from each other. Overall, though, a good camera -- very narrow in body and light in weight. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on JVC Everio MS130 16GB Dual Flash Camcorder (Black)

... I was very impressed with the quality and size of this cam. Though it lacks a lot of features of higher priced cameras, it makes up for it with size and ease of use. The biggest feature that is missing is the ability to manually control focusing and other features, but at the same time you can pull it out of a large pocket, open the cameras screen and start recording within just a few seconds. The 30 gig hard drive is enough to hold a ton of video. Since I received it, I have shot video all day at the SD zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World, Disneyland, and a couple of family gatherings, and still have a lot of space on the drive. I would suggest a couple of upgrades for this camera that can be purchased separately, one which is a necessity, which is an extra battery. You will only get a 1.5 hours of recording time at most. If you like checking what you just recorded it can be much less. These batteries can range from 30 - 75 on the net from my own research, some generic ones come with wall and car chargers, which tend come in handy. The other upgrade I would suggest would be lens filters and extra shooting lenses. I was able to get a 3 piece lens kit and a 2 shooting lens kit that fit this camera for around [...]. Most these lenses are just to broaden the scope of what and how good you can shoot something. The one lens I would make a priority wold be the uv lens it will protect the cameras lens and slow the degradation of the lens from uv light, and gives a little to the shooting quality. Another good purchase would be a lens hood, just to cut out more sun and glare. If you spend between an [...], you will go from having a decent fun camera to a pretty good and functional camera. Overall, for the couple hundred I spent on a refurbished model and the [...] I spent on upgrades, it well outperformed similar classes of cameras I researched, and most importantly I enjoy using it. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on JVC Everio GZ-MG330 30 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom (Red)

... Ordered camera on gift card. Recieved the camera in a timely fashion, but it kept acting up. It would quit working and show low battery with new batteries, along with lights going on at the wrong time and generally odd behavior. The obvious thing to do was to ship it back for a trade in, but I'm as broke as it gets right now and couldn't afford return shipping. So, having limited choices I chose to open it up, voiding any return claim. since the front lens parts seem to be glued on, it wouldn't open all the way, but would pry apart enough to see the problem. The positive lead from the battery box had been pinched in between the case and the metal memory card cover during assembly, and was apparently grounding out on it. Long story short, moved the lead, put it back together, works fine. So I have a camera and a small adventure. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Jazz DVK141 3.1MP Digital Video Camera (Red)

... We bought this camcorder before our first child was born in January. Due to the horrible faults of this product, we have lost precious video memories of our son's first six months! We have tried multiple disc formats (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW and brands (TDK, Maxell, Sony), and every time we receive a message of "Disc Error" or something similar and all of the data is lost. It cannot be replayed on the computer or DVD player. When we actually got one disc with video saved on it, it was impossible to copy the video onto the computer or another disc to share with family. We have wasted countless hours trying to figure this thing out! And Samsung help gave pointless explanations of "bad discs," "wrong disc format," "you overfilled the disc." Count on losing whatever you want to record. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Samsung SC-DX103 DVD Camcorder

... This camera is a great bargain and so versatile.

The optical zoom is incredible. I was able to film a drowning swimmer being rescued down on the beach from my 12th floor apartment!

Not only is this an excellent camcorder, it also makes a great webcam when connected to your computer with a Firewire cable

The USB streaming is useless: for some reason it won't let you record the audio track over USB even though it installs an audio driver when you plug it in, and the camera will go into standby while it's in use if you're not recording or playing the tape, so I recommend sticking with Firewire.

Note that if you buy this camera, keep the application CD that comes with it in a safe place. Sony does not offer drivers for download for this camera and when you call tech support to request them, their customer care doesn't know where to get them either. I was only able to find them by scouring random seedy websites.

One of the best features of this camera is that it records digitally on standard Hi-8 video tapes, which saves you a lot of money over the more expensive digital tapes. This is the only video camera in the world that does that.

Another great feature of this camera is its onboard stereo microphone. You can use this camera as a digital sound recorder by recording the sound and then dumping the video to your computer and extracting the audio track over Firewire.

I've had two of these cameras and I will buy another if something happens to the one I currently have. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony DCR-TRV280 Digital8 Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

... I wanted a camcorder that was small so I could take it with me most places and very simple yet took good video. The DCR-SX41 has been all of this. Yes, if I wanted the best picture, I would have spent four to five times as much and gotten an HD Camcorder. Simple, is what this camera is. When I have finished taking video I just plug it into the computer and record straight to a DVD. How much simpler can you get? The built-in memory takes apporx 2 hrs of video at the highest resolution, and you can add an additional memory stick to increase your storage. The last camcorder I had was a Sony that recorded to a small tape. It took good pictures but was a lot of trouble getting it to a DVD. I see all of these reviews where people are complaining about this camera not working with Mac's. Well Sony tells you up front that it is not Mac user friendly. If you are looking for something to take on vacation or taking video of the grand kids (that is what I do) you will love this camera for its simplicity and price. I am over 60 and not the most computer literate individual you will find. The picture is not HD, but it is as good as any non HD video I have seen. I would most definitely recommend this to my friends. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony DCR-SX41 Flash Camcorder w/60x Optical Zoom (Red)

... I got the camera from different retailer but I love it.
It beats the hack out of Panasonic HDC-SD9 (borrowed from a friend for a test drive)in PQ department.
It's much better on low light as well. Of course it gets grainy but if you play with presets you can get dissent picture. I like the form factor! It fits perfectly in my pocket and loads faster than my canon elph digital camera even when not in standby mode.
I figured that the zoom on the flip out screen is more presize
And guess what it's 1080p as appose to 1080i only for the SSD models from samsung.
Anyway I thought I'm going to miss the remote that I have on my old canon minidv camera but PS3 recognizes the camera as usb drive and I can use the PS3 interface and remote - doesn't get any better than this.
I guess it uses h264 main profile level 4 which is enough - I've seen it go even over 20 mbit/s which should be the cap. And I've seen not many scenes if br disks to go over 25 mbit/s.
I'm finding cool features every day ...and I yes I read the manual and review from camcorderinfo.
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Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Samsung HMX-R10 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/5x Optical Zoom (Silver)

... Way too expensive for what you get. The resolution is awful even on the player's screen. Don't think about watching it on your PC full screen or upload it to YouTube. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Archos Helmet Camcorder for Generation 5 Archos Portable Media Players

... well, this was my first real camcorder
this camera is packed with great features, is very light and compact, has great zoom and the image quality (still or video) is fantastic.
the thing that really got me was the format that it records in. ---.mts---
this was a real pain in the wedding vegetables, as no editing software that i have is compatible. i ended up buying a program online for about 40 bucks.
i also have a free one too, which works just fine and is made by koyote soft.
another thing is, it doesnt come with a case, but thats ok. this camera is also tough. ive dropped it several times, once from about 15 feet high and it survived without a scratch. the price on amazon here is rather steep, and i ended up buying one in my local electronics store for about 150bucks less, and a 2 year warranty
great camera, definately reccomended. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

... This is the second Sony we purchased. I received this last year for Mother's Day eventhough it had a tape and wasn't digital. We wanted to be able to transfer our old tapes onto dvd's but wanted to record also. To our surprise when we went on vacation and went to record we get a black screen, playback works, but you can't record. This is common with this camera, save your money and buy a different camera, this is the second sony we have had problems with. check this problem by doing a search and put in the model number, but please, if you want to use for special occasions, how would you like to get sound only? and be faced with costly repairs? Buy a different camera. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony CCD-TRV138 Hi8 Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

... I own 2 Canon GL2's. The picture is really great when the camera is new. I use a VCR to import video for editing. After about 20 hours of use I can no longer use the vcr. I must use the camera to import video. I have had both cameras fixed twice for $240 dollars each time. After 5 months one went bad again. I went back to Canon and they have now raised the price to $400 for the same repair.They claim parts are hard to get. This is a current model! I have sworn off Sony, now it's Canon's turn. By the way the problem is caused by the same issue as the eject message, The tape transport. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

... I bought this camera recently but now use it almost exclusively. It's the second videocam that I've owned and this one is a real improvement over its predecessor. The videos come out HD and I upload them onto YT with ease. Honestly, they're pretty impressive. [...]. Further, you can set the camera on high resolution and it creates some absolutely beautiful pictures. Yes, its size is a little ungainly but I have Carhartt shorts with a side panel pocket that's just big enough to hold it. I have to say this camera is one of the best buys I've made. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Aiptek A-HD Pro 1080P High Definition Camcorder (Silver)

... This camera has very good video and sound quality. A long lasting battery life, and the timelapse mode is awesome. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony DCR-HC62 1MP MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom

... Price was better than most others. I was satisfied with the JVC product and the delivery was fast considering the shipping is absolutely free. The only problem is the memory card...its limited to find microSD which is compatible with this product. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on JVC Everio GZ-HD300 60GB High-Def Camcorder (Black)

... It's supposed to be entry level but so far it's turned out first class footage for everything.. Of course, I do know how to shoot..but it will work for anybody..and don't let the gripes about the menu discourage you. It's a simple menu and easy to use. I use a battery powered sound board to mix sound before I send it to the cam..but this AG 20 records sound better than any other I've ever used. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Panasonic Pro AG-DVC20 3CCD MiniDV Proline Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

... I did a great deal of research before I bought my DVX100B. With the rising popularity of HD, prices on the DVX will be dropping. It is still a very versatile camera. Images are excellent and the camera is easy to use. Check out the DVX User website. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Panasonic Pro AG-DVX100B 3-CCD MiniDV Proline Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

... This thing is small, compact and Amazing, Keep in mind you can get the more expensive one with the higher models but its the same thing just without the built in memory. But this is a better bet, because you can get 16 and 32 gig memory cards cheeper anyway and there removable. This camera has no memory internally like the more expensive ones but your going to purchase memory cards anyway. So purchase this and save! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Samsung HMX-H100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

... This is a pretty good camera for planning out shots for an independent film. However, I wouldn't recommend it for youtube or home videography use because the image is very dark and grainy. Like I said, the only real use for this low quality camera is planning out shots that will be filmed with a much better camera later on. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Samsung SC-D382 MiniDV Camcorder

... I wholeheartedly agree with reviewer Clank of Iowa who says that if you are considering purchasing a camcorder such as the Flip Mino HD or similar type of mini camcorder in that price range, you may want to spend the extra money to get Sanyo's VPC-TH1 HD. You'll get 30 X optical zoom and superior audio recording capability and quality.

Of course size if size is of great consideration to you and you want a camcorder the size of the Flip or Vado HD, then you'll find the TH1 too big.

As mentioned, the TH1 has a 30 X optical zoom. That's a pretty powerful optical zoom, and if you don't already know this, there's an important difference between optical zoom and digital zoom. Optical zoom is "real" zoom; the lens moves closer to the subject. Digital zoom is simulated zoom that is achieved at a loss of image quality (the more digital zoom used, the grainier the image).

The TH1 is easy to use, as Sanyo claims. I found it as easy to use as both the Vado HD and the Flip Mino HD, which is to say that it's pretty intuitive, though the TH1 is a bit more complex than the aformentioned mini camcorders and thus there is a bit more of a learning curve involved in learning how to use it.

One must have an SD (Secure Digital) or SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) card to use the TH1(though it did capture a few seconds of video without a card), so that is going to be an additional expense for purchasers of the TH1. Flash memory (as SD and SDHC cards are) is one of the stablest, most durable media formats, as there are no moving parts. Bump a hard disk camcorders while recording and it will likely affect the recording. Hard disk camcorders get hot when recording; flash memory camcorders have very low heat emission. Flash memory camcorders also boot up faster than hard disk camcorders.

The TH1 is an HD (High Definition) camcorder but not all HD is the same. Set to the highest quality recording level, the TH1 is capable of recording at a resolution of 1280 X 720 also known as 720p where "p" stands for "progressive scan." Camcorders capable of recording at a resolution of 1080i ("i" for "interlaced") typically produce clearer images but this depends on the TV the recording is played back on as well as on what is recorded (according to Kerr Cook at Sony HDV Info dot com, "720p recording may hold the edge if you are recording sporting events or where there is a lot of high-speed motion and you want to later Pause and examine, step through frames, extract still snapshots, or do slow motion analysis." Aside from that, Cook says, "For the highest resolution, 1080i can't be beat today...for general recording..."). Technicalities aside, when video recorded at the highest quality level possible on the TH1 is played back on an HDTV via the included AV (audio visual) interface cable, the image quality is good but not great (I'd say a 3 to 3 1/2 on a 1-5 scale, and I'm sorry but I don't know the specs of the HDTV I tested the TH1 on and it was not mine; I do not yet own an HDTV). Image playback quality improves when one uses an HDMI cable (High-Definition Multimedia Interface, which is NOT included with the TH1; the Vado HD comes with an HDMI cable but it seems that most consumer camcorders do not) to playback video on an HDMI capable TV. I own a compact camcorder that can record at a resolution of 1080i, and the playback quality is far superior to the playback quality of the TH1.

The screen is a good size and my aging eyes appreciate it; my other compact camcorder cost more than twice what the TH1 cost and it has a smaller screen.

The audio pickup is good, meaning that the TH1 seems to clearly record whatever sounds it is pointed toward that the camcorder's operator can pickup with her ears.

My guess is that compact camcorders such as the TH1 include still image taking capability because it is easy and inexpensive for manufacturers to include it. As other reviewers note, the still image quality is relatively poor.

The more light when recording, the better the recording quality. This is as true for my more expensive compact camcorder (which is a JVC Everio hard disk camcorder) as it is for the TH1. Thus, video taken indoors is typically inferior in image quality to video recorded outdoors on a sunny day. Turning on as many lights as possible indoors and opening curtains, shades, and blinds to let as much daylight in as possible helps.

Uploading to YouTube is simple, as other reviewers note. The TH1 would, I think, be nearly ideal as a user-friendly relatively inexpensive camcorder for someone whose primary use is making videos to upload to YouTube.

I am obviously not terribly enthused about the TH1, but at the same time I think it's not bad for the price and I am impressed with its 30X optical zoom and ease of use. I have not mentioned the software because I haven't used it. I use Adobe Premiere Elements 7 to edit video (which requires me to convert HD video to DV-AVI, mainly because my computer, a Sony Vaio laptop with the maximum 2GB RAM installed, can't handle HD video very well). ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sanyo VPC-TH1 HD Compact Flash Memory Camcorder w/ 30x Optical Zoom (Blue)

... Panasonic PV-GS90 MiniDV Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
I have purchased the Panasonic PV-GS90 from Big Value Inc. through amazon.com and the product is pretty good for the price. I have had Panasonic Camcorder (the PV type) before. If you are a MiniDV tape fan, this product is a good choice. Like other reviews, I expects this product to perform minimum picture quality when taping inside my house. I was right! The in-house picture was grainy, because there was not enough lighting inside the house. I was not upset because I expected this problem to happen. You can try to have more lighting inside your house when recording. Maybe that would fix the grainy pictures problem. For a little over $180.00, this product is supper. Out-door taping is excellent for the price, once again. I love miniDV tape because the movement of objects I am taping is recorded clearly, not jerky like other memory-card camcorder or DVD camcorder producing. I have never seen the quality of hard-drive camcorder; I imagine it would not product jerky movement of object when recording, but the price of hard-drive camcorder is too high for my checkbook. Overall, Big Value Inc. delivered what it promised and I am happy with my purchase. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Panasonic PV-GS90 MiniDV Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

... Unless you want a High Definition camcorder, I highly recommend this camcorder to anybody who wants a camcorder that is small, light, and easy to operate, has a hard disk drive, gives high quality videos, and is still reasonably priced.

I got this camcorder about a month ago, learned how to use it in a few minutes, and shot quite a few videos with it including four test videos which you can see at Shoban Sen's YouTube channel.

I especially like the cameras zooming capabilities, strong built-in microphone, and the image stabilization feature (it automatically and effectively neutralizes camera shake to a great extent though the manufacturer does not advertise this feature much). The microphone is so strong that it picks up the noise made by blowing wind during outdoor shootings - you have to turn on the "Windcut" feature from the camera's menu to stop this noise. The low-light shooting capability is also reasonably good, although the camera's built-in light is nothing but a gimmick (and the camera does not have a shoe to attach external video light). The laser touch scroll bar of the camera eliminates the need to touch the LCD monitor to select desired functions, and I love it. No more finger prints on the LCD monitor. The little remote control that comes with the camcorder is very handy - almost addictive! I have not tried the Core Filter yet. I did notice some annoying background noise (sounds like rumble of thunder) in some of the scenes that I downloaded in my computer. The manufacturer says, "The core filter reduces interference caused when connected to other devices." I think when downloading videos to my computer, if I use the provided Core Filter on the USB cable, this noise will go away or will be reduced to a great extent.

THE SOFTWARE THAT COMES WITH THE CAMCORDER WORKS FINE WITH WINDOWS XP (BOTH HOME AND PROFESSIONAL EDITION WITH SP2/SP3). BUT DO CHECK THE CPU AND RAM REQUIREMENTS. THE MANUFACTURER CLEARLY TALKS ABOUT THE OPERATING SYSTEMS ON PAGE 29 OF THE ENGLISH MANUAL THAT COMES WITH THE CAMCORDER. THE SOFTWARE WORKS WITH WINDOWS VISTA AND WINDOWS XP. Only the Direct Upload to YouTube failed when I tried it once. But I won't say, it is the fault of the software - I may have made some mistakes myself. I tried it only once. I do not use that feature anyway.

I have one negative point to talk about. The first Everio camcorder I received had a faulty rubber cap or cover on the USB port on the front side of the camcorder. It didn't close after I opened it for the first time. But thanks to Amazon.com's excellent Return Policy. They immediately shipped a replacement camcorder to me, even before they received my return!

A word of caution: do not swing or jerk the camcorder while carrying it. Its Drop Detection mechanism is very sensitive. The camcorder shuts itself off if you unknowingly swing the camera a bit while carrying it.

In conclusion, TWO THUMBS UP to this product. You cannot buy a better camcorder at this price. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on JVC Everio GZ-MG630 60GB Standard Def Camcorder (Red)

... What a great and compact camcorder this is, I highly reccomend it. The videos it takes are of high quality and the camcorder itself is s prodect of our technolgy that is available today. Cute stylish and sssssssooooo easy to use. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Smile)

... I've had this camera for a few months now and so far no problems. There have been many events captured in HD - recitals, ball games, birthdays, etc. I have been able to use cheap DVD's (available here at Amazon). It records in HD. Recorded media (8cm. DVD-R's) is encoded in AVCHD and can be played directly using a bluray player.
-ep ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon HR10 AVCHD 3.1MP High Definition DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

... What a great and compact camcorder this is, I highly reccomend it. The videos it takes are of high quality and the camcorder itself is s prodect of our technolgy that is available today. Cute stylish and sssssssooooo easy to use. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Tribal Inkblot)

... I recently had a bad experience purchasing another (quality name brand, begins with p) Mini-DV camcorder. It was around the same price as this one. I was really disappointed at the extremely poor quality, and distorted image. I didn't expect a lot, but having owned other camcorders, I expected something a little better.

This one caught my eye for several reasons: Konica lens, no viewfinder, firewire link, extended battery time (1.5 hours versus most at 1 hour) and the price was right. At this price range, I didn't expect much, but what I got was AMAZING, and exceeded my expectations. I record in mostly low light, and some times those video can come out very grainy, or the lighting is green or yellow and goes in and out of focus. The picture from this camcorder in low light was very clear, not grainy at all that I could tell on a 32" Vizio, after using the auto light feature to record. Colors were very nice, no yellow or greenish tint at all, could see details very well. The zoom was very smooth and it kept in focus very well zooming. The sound is very nice as well.

Another amazing feature was the image stabilization. I had the camcorder on a tripod, on a table. People kept bumping the table, at times for an extended time. It's virtually undetectable in the video. At the very worst bumps, you may see a very slight jump, but only if you are really looking for it.

The camcorder is very easy to use. Menu is easy to navigate, and understand. Some nice features like black and white and sepia. My only complaint is turning the camcorder on and off is a little difficult, the button seems stiff. My video uploaded seamlessly into my 06 iMac, using iMovie HD, ideal for Mac users.

I truly love this camcorder! This is the third MiniDV camcorder I've owned in the past 3 years, the most affordable, and by far the best. I highly recommend this product. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on JVC GR-D850 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

... This is the first video camera that I bought and used. I have a digital still camera that can take videos but I wanted video camera with more features. After looking over numerous reviews of different cameras I settled on the Sony DCR-SX40/L for a number of reasons. First its sizes. I went to the local electronics store to see what the camera actually looked like, and to get an idea of just how small it was. Its about the size of a soda can and fit very nicely in my hand. The second thing was price. This would be my first camera and I really didn't want, or need anything high end. It would have been nice to get an HD camera but they were just a little to pricey for my needs.

I used this camera on my vacation to Las Vegas and was very pleased with it. One thing I did buy was extra memory sticks. I found a great sale on 4GB sticks and bought 4 of them. When I bought the camera part of the package deal came with an 8GB, then I bought an extra 8GB, this gave me a total of 32GB of memory which was more than enough for my needs. With 4GB of memory I can record an hour of video at the highest quality.

Now I knew what I was getting when I bought this camera but there are a few things to take note of. 1) It does have something called STEADYSHOT but if you use the zoom you will see some shakey video, and the more zoom you use the more it will shake. 2) The camera has a touch screen which is very nice but you will see finger prints and smudges on the screen. The package deal I got came with a pack of screen protective film which you will need. 3) It would have been nice if Sony have thought of putting an adapter for headphones. Sometimes while reviewing the video it was hard to hear over the small built-in speaker.

Over all I am very happy with the camera and with the service provided by Amazon. The camera was delivered on time as promised and has work out very well for me. Again I think this is a very good camera for a beginner and although the quality of the video is good, it is not HD quality. For that you'll have to spend a little more money.

Hope this review helps someone out. I know all the reviews that I read on Amazon have helped me. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony DCR-SX40/L Palm-Sized Camcorder in Blue + 8 GB Memory Stick + Sony Camcorder Case + Additional Sony NPFH Battery + Deluxe Camcorder Accessory Kit

... great camcorder for the price. perfect for taking family videos or youtube stuff. had it for a year with no problems. stick with the mini dv, the sdram video is too slow and the HD is limited. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon DC330 1.07MP DVD Camcorder with 37x Optical Zoom

... This is not a bad VideoCam for the price I paid. Do not expect videos to be of professional quality. I can think of only one thing that would be unappealing to some users. It lacks a zooming function during a Recording session. Overall it is a nice camera. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Jazz DV151 VGA Digital Video Camera (Red)

... What a great and compact camcorder this is, I highly reccomend it. The videos it takes are of high quality and the camcorder itself is s prodect of our technolgy that is available today. Cute stylish and sssssssooooo easy to use. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Spring Garden)

... Just back from a trip to Alaska with the Zi6. Great video when used right.

This little camera loves light and loves being held still. Depart of either of these and your video will be less than stellar.

Pros: small, light, takes AA batteries (lithium batteries work great), uses SD cards. Great vids when used in the right environment.

Cons: Doesn't like to be moved (panning or just your hand shaking). Doesn't like anything less than bright light. Indoor shots will be grainy. Mic doesn't work that great.

Bottom line: nice to have

As an aside; Amazon listed as new but sent me a refurb. Refused to make it right. They've lost a customer for life, and they don't care. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Camcorder - Refurbished - (Pink)

... This camera is affordable and takes pictures that parallel that of my Cannon Powershot 8MP camera. The screen is large, and the video is great! This is an excellent product!! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Vivitar DVR-530 5MP DV Camcorder

... I took of one star off because It was very difficult to find a proper video editing software for the format this camera stores the video files in. I am still looking for one.....

Other wise i like everything about it and i got it for a great price from Amazon. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony HDR-SR11 10.2-MP 60GB High Definition Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

... I recorded 400 different videos from my daughter's first cry to her 1st birthday. I cannot get the recorded videos to play back from any software other than Sony's proprietary software.

Sony's tech support states to "I'm sorry for the difficulties, here is a link describing why Sony's videos won't play back on Windows Media Software"
[...]

I understand that Sony cannot support every 3rd party software, but why does Canon and Samsung and Apple product have videos that are supported by Windows Media Player? Sony support states that their videos require a special codec. What the heck do I care? All any user wants is to be able to record and edit on any PC or Mac. Well you can't do it unless you stick to Sony's software which is limited for video editing.
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Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony DCR-SR220 4MP 60GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 15x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

... I've had the Panasonic HDC-TM300 for a little over a month now and have had several occasions to test it out in a multitude of situations and exposure levels. Overall, I think the video quality is excellent. Indoor footage with incandescent lighting is a little noisy, but so is the same footage on every other camera in its class. I also considered the Canon HF S10 and eventually decided on the Panasonic for several reasons, which I will discuss later. The camera is very close to being perfect, but there are a few nitpicky issues that annoy me about it, which prevent me from giving it a 5. Overall, I am very happy with the purchase and don't regret buying the camera.

I paid $950.00 for it from Dell, which is a reasonable price. It retails for $1,299.00, which is a little ridiculous in my opinion, but if you can find it for under $1,000, it is reasonable.

The video might be the best overall against all competition in its price range. I did a good amount of research looking at sample videos at websites such as YouTube and Vimeo and found the video of the Panasonic to be as good, if not better than anything out there in the "Consumer" or "Prosumer" range.
[...]

Main reasons I purchased the Panasonic HDC-TM300 over the Canon HF S10:
1) Price. I was able to get the Panasonic for about $150 bucks cheaper than the Canon through Dell.
2) The Panasonic has an optical pull-out viewfinder. The Canon has none.
3) The Panasonic has a full-size manual focus ring. The Canon only has a manual settings knob and no manual focus setting.
4) I personally liked the look and design of the Panasonic a little better.

Other than that, the cameras are VERY similar in all respects. I really liked the manual controls that the Panasonic offered, along with the excellent video quality and overall design. On any other given day, I might have decided to buy the Canon HF S10, but I'm happy with the Panasonic.

Pros:
- Overall look and feel of the camera is of a very high quality instrument. It has a very solid and expensive feel to it.
- Manual focus ring is very nice and quite useful.
- Pull out viewfinder is a nice addition in this price range.
- Very good video for its class, especially outdoors with plenty of natural light.
- Touch screen works very well. I read several professional reviews online that stated the touch screen was horrible on the edge of unusable, but I have had no such issues.
- Menu system is very easy to use and get used to.
- Excellent manual feature set for a camera in its class.
- Excellent battery life with stock battery.
- Comes packaged with a nice set of accessories, including a remote control.
- Smaller and lighter than I expected and has a nice feel in my hand.

Cons:
- Operation selector knob on the side of the unit is in a very bad position. The selector knob is designed to be used with your right thumb while holding the unit, but due to its position on the device, it is impossible for me to use it with that thumb, forcing me to use it with my left hand. VERY poor design.
- Other controls not laid out in the most ergonomic of positions. Panasonic should buy a Sony camcorder and check it out for some pointers.
- Average audio quality at best. I have had some very lackluster audio quality and mixed results when using the device. The video might look nice, but the audio will always remind you that the footage was taken from a camcorder.
- USB port cover is annoying to use, but that's par for the course for such devices.
- No Firewire.
- Accessory shoe port on the side of the device is a novel design and well thought out by Panasonic, but poorly engineered. Right when I unboxed the device, I attempted to slide in the accessory shoe adapter and check it out. Bad idea. The adapter became jammed into the camera, taking me about 45 minutes and a badly cut finger to remove. I came very close to just returning the unit. Either the port was too tight or the adapter was molded too big, but it went in and didn't want to come out. The release button worked, but it was just jammed in there. Since then, I have been able to get it in and out without loss of blood, but it is still very tight. Bad design.
- I've had issues with HDMI compatibility between the camera and my Philips HDTV. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I also experience audio problems with outputting to the TV via HDMI. I attempted to contact Panasonic tech support with no reply a week later....and that leads me to my last point.
- Panasonic tech support stinks. Their website is virtually useless and their e-mail support seems to be staffed by ghosts or something, because they don't respond. Also, the camera is so new, that you really can't find any info online about issues. I haven't tried to call Panasonic yet, but I'm not holding up any hope.
...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Panasonic HDC-TM300 Twin Media HD Camcorder (Black)

... The camera works great. We had a problem in that the camera came with the wrong battery charger and getting the correct one was a bit of a challenge and took several weeks, I am hoping that I don't need any more help from their "customer service" department. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on DXG DXG-595V 5.0 Megapixel High-Definition Ultra Digital Video Camera

... Just got this, great size, lightweight. Have to figure out all the nuances etc. still learning. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony DCR-DVD610 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom

... In my opinion, this is the perfect camera. Totally worth the money, which for a video camera, isn't that much. It's great for uploading videos to youtube ([...])

Pros:
-170 minute battery life
-LED light for a flash
-2 SD card slots for as much memory as you're willing to buy
-Screen visible eve in bright sunlight
-Konica Minolta(sp?)Lens
-40x optical zoom(WOW) and 800 digital'
-Snapshot mode
-One touch export to youtube or itunes library (love that)

Con:
-I don't like the laser touch thing.
...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Blue)

... THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT EACH CLIP YOU RECORD IS A SEPERATE CLIP..IF YOU WANT TO EDIT THE VIDEO YOU HVE TO GO TO THE COMPUTER...AS A STILL CAMER AND A VIDEO CAMERS IT IS AOK... HAVEING WORKED IN TV FOR 40 YEARS I MISS A VIEW FINDER AND IT TAKE ME SOME LEARNING TO USE THE VIDEO SCREEN...THE MEMUES ARE EASY TO FOLLOW AND DO NOT PRESENT A PROBLEM...STUDY THE CONTROLS ON THE BACK OF THE CAMERS AND YOU WILL BE AN EFFECTIVE USER...THE PRICE VARIES FROM 150 TO 123.00 WELL WORTH THE MONEY.. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on POLAROID DVC-00725F 720P HD Camcorder with 2.7-inch LCD

... What a great and compact camcorder this is, I highly reccomend it. The videos it takes are of high quality and the camcorder itself is s prodect of our technolgy that is available today. Cute stylish and sssssssooooo easy to use. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Purple Flourish)

... We lost all data of baptism. camera works great, until disk is "unreadable". this camera would be much better if it were marketed as a $600 paperweight. DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sony HDR-UX10 4MP DVD High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom

... I bought this camcorder as a backup to my Panasonic Mini DV. This is my first experience with flash card memory so I was not prepared for the differences between it and mini DV tape. I think this is a great camera. The clarity of the videos I have taken so far are impressive. but I have been unable to find any software for my computer that I can use to edit my videos. Unlike DV tape, each time you stop and re-start this camera, it starts a new file whereas with tape, it merely resumes from the point where you stopped it. I recently transferred 101 files from the Sanyo to my computer and there they sit unedited. The camera does have a built in editing program but it is really limited. Besides, who wants to edit video on the 3" monitor? Other than that, it is a great camera, especially since the price was reduced last month.

If anyone knows of a program to convert MPEG4 back to AVI, please advise. Then I could use my existing software. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG9 9MP Flash Memory Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Silver)

... Bought this camera when it was freshly on the market. Took something of a punt with it, but on paper it looked to be what I needed.

My need was a device that could reliably capture the arrival of my 1st child. After having used it for over a year, I can honestly say that it hasn't let me down once.

The picture quality, the sound quality and the ease of use, have all lived up to or exceeded expectations.

I have used many features on the camera, but a couple that I've found repeated use for have been:
- Intelligent Contrast: Helps in difficult lighting conditions;
- Pre-record: Commences recording a few seconds before you press record button and fantastic to prevent you missing that special moment.
- Auto-modes: When conditions are detected which could benefit from a particular setting, the camera displays a recommendation about it and cues the command for you. All you need do is press one button to accept.

If you want solid features at a reasonable price consider this camera closely. I would be happy to consider it if I was in the market to buy again. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Panasonic HDC-HS9 AVCHD 3CCD 60GB Hard Drive High Definition Hybrid Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

... The similarities: both are small, slightly larger than pocket sized, and both have a manual lens cover.

My unit's lens cover had a hard time closing. This was at any angle and appears to be a persistent problem. I did not experience this with the MX20. This may be a new issue Samsung needs to address. Both units have good quality Schneider lenses with multiple coatings. It would be a bummer to have the lens get damaged because of a faulty cover.

Both units have swivel handles on the right side and have standard camera mounts. The difference between the 34x zoom of the SC-MX20, and the 42x of the SMX-F34 is negligible. Anti-shake helps the zoom focus better at longer ranges. The difference between the ranges just isn't that impressive.

The boost in the SMX-F34's internal memory eliminates the need for a memory card (I currently do not have one installed). A memory card makes transfers to external devices a snap, but isn't necessary. Given the battery life, 16gb is more than enough even at higher resolutions.

The SMX-F34 has a `still images' mode. Another addition is 'time lapse' which is the one I really wanted to try. This turned out to be something of a bummer.

When the camera is in use and plugged in - it does not charge. The time-lapse video I made lasted 7 minutes 39 seconds. I started it Tuesday morning and stopped it Wednesday night. When I unplugged the camera, it gave me a low battery warning and shut down. I checked the connection then tried making another time-lapse that lasted 24 hours. No, it didn't work.

The 3 hour battery charge isn't nearly enough to keep an overnight time lapse going. This was disappointing. I thought it might be possible to use the SMX-F34 as a short term surveillance camera. This is just not possible given the short battery life.

Still, given that the prices are similar, the SMX-F34 is the better buy due to the increased internal memory. Watch out for that faulty lens cover. This problem may not have been specific to my unit.

A further note:
I would encourage you to NOT skimp when choosing a tripod! At the higher magnification a tripod becomes necessary. Pick a good one. The one I used I purchased because it was light and cheap. It was supposed to be used to hold a pair of binoculars (10x), at 34x or 42x ev. It ended up slipping.
...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Samsung SMX-F34 Flash Memory Camcorder w/16GB Memory & 42x Intelli-Zoom (Silver)

... In my opinion, this is the perfect camera. Totally worth the money, which for a video camera, isn't that much. It's great for uploading videos to youtube ([...])

Pros:
-170 minute battery life
-LED light for a flash
-2 SD card slots for as much memory as you're willing to buy
-Screen visible eve in bright sunlight
-Konica Minolta(sp?)Lens
-40x optical zoom(WOW) and 800 digital'
-Snapshot mode
-One touch export to youtube or itunes library (love that)

Con:
-I don't like the laser touch thing.
...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Red)