Camcorder Reviews

I spent a lot of time researching the best video camera to buy and decided on the DuoCam. At first I was thinking of getting a Sony miniDV HandiCam, but after trying it out in the store I was afraid I would break it, it felt more like a Fisher Price toy than a serious (and expensive) piece of electronic equipment. I saw a review in Wired Magazine for the DuoCam and it peaked my interest, both a miniDV camera with a 4 mega pixel video camera in one package...hmmm. Well I tried one out in the store and although it is a little bigger than a HandiCam, it is much more solid and once you learn the controls is very convenient. One of the reasons I bought this was because we have a new baby, with this camera I can video tape him and when he does something particularly cute I just switch to the digital camera and take a shot, no switching or anything, pretty convenient when you have diaper in one hand and your camera in the other. I found the video quality to be the equivlent of the the HandiCam and the photo quality and features are excellent. Considering how much you would spend for both a decent miniDV camera and a good digital camera, this is a great deal. You also get a remote, USB cable and memory card. I am very happy with my purchase, way to go Samsung!

This is the Best camcorder I have ever owned,
it has none of the problems
I had with the JVC DV camcorder I previously owned.

This has a 26X zoom lens,
a Zoom Mic, Gama brightness enhancement,
Digital Zoom and Pan in Playback,
Analog video input, Real RCA Jacks on the camcorder itself,
Digital Still camera on smartmedia cards
(it's not the best digital still camera, but it's not bad).
3" LCD Screen,

Super Cat eye for recording in the dark
(OK it's monochrome, but you can actually
record in total darkness within 10')

It's Very Easy too use once you get used
to the unusual menu system.

I've had no problems with it,
it works great!!!!!!

The only complaint I have about it,
is the size, it's a little too large,
especially compared to the Tiny JVC's,
but on the other hand I've found it much more durable!
I haven't had to clean the recording heads
all the time Like on the JVC.

As with all digital camcorders,
I suggest you buy an extended warranty,
these things have a tendency to break,
My JVC broke 3 times in 5 years,
and it cost about [$$$] to repair them,
so an extended warranty is a must!

The other thing I would suggest
is always use Panasonic LP tapes,
because a lot of people have complained
about problems with Sony tapes on the VL-WD450U.

very easy to use, the zoom is excellent and the features are easy to figure out. the picture quality when transfered to vhs is great. you cant beat the quality of this camcorer for the low price it sells for.
i love it

This is a great camcorder for beginners and professionals at a good price! I recommend this camcorder to all ages. I love making movies with my friends! And its a great gift for any occasion! So I recommend buying this camcorder!!!

I don't know how this hasn't been reviewed yet - this is simply the "prosumer" camcorder to have. After reading up on this camera, the Canons (GL2, XL1s), and the "Panny" (aka, the DVX100a), it seems this manages to, put simply:

- Beat the GL2
- Tie with the XL1s
- Beat the DVX100a

To go more in depth, let's start with the GL2. While this is one heck of an affordable, broadcast-quality machine, it mainly loses to the VX2100 in terms of low-light conditions. This is really where the Sony shines - low-light shooting. A popular breakdown of the VX2100 vs. the GL2 is that the VX2100 works better in low light, and the GL2 has a more powerful zoom. That pretty much is what it comes down to. The GL2 has a "frame mode," in which you get 30 frames/second non-interlaced video. The idea behind this is to equate to the popular, on-demand 24p, to get that "film look." Such a look is only important if you plan on doing actual movies, and unfortunately, the GL2's frame mode simply isn't that great. Aside from that, when you later edit your shots, there's tons of programs and plug-ins which will do the same thing - but better.

Now, the XL1s. I know I've used the word "simply" a lot in this review, and that's primarily because I want to make the comparisons simple. When one goes to taste a Coke and a Pepsi, it would be useless to make a pro and con list to decide which tastes better... to you. Instead, you just pick the one you like, and continue drinking - and you probably wouldn't mind the other brand next time (ok, maybe not all of you). Anyways, the point being all of these cameras will give you an excellent picture, and they'll all do a bunch of extra things. If you're a serious, professional videographer, then it is recommended you compare long specifications lists to see which better meet your needs. On the other hand, if you're like me and just want something that will shoot family and non-planned out footage, these will all do great. And when you go to shoot a movie, wedding, documentary or whatever it is you're doing professionally, these cameras will continue to impress you.

Ok, about that XL1s. This camera has been used in movies - 28 Days Later, TV shows - pretty much the entire MTV line-up, commercials - that Jerry Seinfeld American Express one, etc. Needless to say, this is a very impressive camera. Not only is it significantly larger than the others, but its most sought after feature is the fact that the lenses are interchangeable. What's not frequently mentioned is the fact that these lenses cost upwards of $600/pop. Of course, the XL1s has some more professional features to justify the price jump from the GL2 - those of which you can read about on those spec sheets I mentioned earlier.

And finally, onto the "Panny," or the Panasonic DVX100a. This camera has a whole several-thousand member online discussion forum for it. That should tell you how much people love this camcorder. I think it's nice, myself. Don't know how much I love it. I know what everyone loves about it is the fact that it does 24p perfectly - that's the aforementioned "film effect" feature. The problem is, when you compare its other features to the VX2100, the Sony is the better camcorder. And don't forget you can still get a "film effect" when you go to edit your video.

So, all in all, these are the camcorders which are all in somewhat of a similar price range. I know I've considered all four of these, which is why I wanted to share what I found for that other guy who wants to know the same thing. You probably still want to check out some other places for reviews, which is highly recommended. Like I said, I spent 4 weeks doing what you're doing now, and I ended up with the VX2100. Take that for what it's worth.

See ya in the funny pages!

Until I got this charger, I struggled with battery problems constantly in the field (I am a professional radiographer and do considerable field photography on archeology projects in the summers in Peru). This charger is perfect....lightweight, fits in my camera bag easily, and gives me a full day of work without worrying about when the battery will run out when I am hours from a recharging plug.

There is adequate charge in two regular NP batteries to allow me to run 400-500 high res still images on my Sony Mavica CD digital camera. This accessory is worth every penny!

When our 8mm stopped working that we had used for nine years, I found it overwhelming to research and find a new camera.
I knew I didn't want digital because I don't even use my digital still camera very often, other than to e-mail pictures.
I knew that I wanted another 8mm, so that we could play our tapes we have now. I didn't want to spend too much money. We received this camera a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't be happier. It even has more options than I really need. We charged the battery when we got the camera and for 2 weeks we have been filming the kids occasionally and the battery is still full. I never thought I would use the night vision, but have found it is fun to film the kids when they are asleep and I don't have to turn a light on to film. The zoom works well and the color looks good. For the price, I don't see how you could get a better camera. I don't think you could find a better analog camera even if you did spend more money. I obviously can't comment on how well it will hold up in the future, but as far as its performance now, I love it.

This is the second camcorder I've owned so I suppose I'm not a video expert but I've been very impressed with the ease of use and the quality of this video camera. It's light and compact but has great features, a good video screen, internal speakers and mic that both work well, and an interesting night-vision system that works suprisingly well (though I'm not sure what you'd want to do with it). All in all I'm very pleased with the camera.

I actually read another review long time ago on Amazon and how users where starting to utilize cameras, like this Sony, as a perfect replacement for complicated video capture cards. All you really need in addition to this is the iLink cable (the older smaller IEEE 1394) for interfacing your Media (VCR, TV etc.) to PC/MAC.

If one thinks about it, this hardware's soul purpose is to deal with Video and images at superb quality. Not to mention that they would behave as a standalone device that wont require any CPU power nor any complicated pre-configeration. All u do is connect your media via the AV Cables already supplied and buy an additional iLink cable and u r ready to rip anything or everything.

Some older models u had to record your media first to the mini DV tape and then feed it in. However i am happy to report with this cam u only need to play the source and have it directly written on your computer.

Happy capturing folks.

Read the technical specs... This camera gives all that you want. It is really the optimum camera for this price. I decided to buy a camera 2 months ago and i checked every MiniDV in every brand. Considering i am a sony fan, the latest 3 cameras in the list was TRV38, TRV39 and TRV80. This camera gives me everything that i want, except : poor battery life (you must buy at least NPQM71D) and poor still image quality (it is ok. if you don't plan to print posters. Reasonable in 10*15 cm photo prints). And for indoor use you can get an external light on top for 30-40$. You need a fireware card for your PC in order to transfer the video that you shoot. You can do it by USB, but fireware gives better results while recording on DVD or CD.