Camcorder Reviews

Hello..

You've heard it all from the other reviews.

The cons:
- No autofocus in 24P... and that really sucks.
- No remote control for focusing either!!!
- Microphones do not sound good.. but that was expected. So get external microphone
- Don't expect to shoot during lowlight environment in 24P... it's just not made for it.
- Expect to buy a lot more stuff after this.
- The manual is really BAD. If you don't know how to use this camera, you have hours/days before understanding it all.

The AG-DVX100 has killed 16mm motion picture camera systems and 16mm film stock except for the die-hard motion picture fans. The bottom line is - do not shoot 16mm or Super 16mm because this camera produces cine images that are better than 16mm and Super 16mm on DV, which means that it is also cheaper because you do not need to buy and process 16mm film stock. If you blow this video up to 35mm the image quality is still better than 16mm film formats.

However 35mm still rules... but the future for digital looks good.

Also the problems with this camera have been corrected in the AG-DVX100a version so you may want to hold back until you see that one on-line here. You would also do well to get the AG-LA7200G anamorphic lens so that you can shoot in scope with a squeezed digital image (Just like a real anamorphic lens!)!

Bottom line. This is a top of the range domestic camcorder with pro qualities. 16mm motion picture camera users should use this in their productions instead. It is a waaaaay cheaper and looks better. The cine-switch technology in this camera is based on the same system that Lucas used to film his New Star Wars movies with. Also the PAL version does not have 24 fps but this does not matter because PAL is 25 fps and the difference can not be noticed with the naked eye alone and transfer to film is easy with 25 fps PAL but not so easy with 30 fps NTSC so the NTSC version of this camera can also shoot 24 fps for that. Also this camera is loaded with functions. There is not a single thing you can do not with it but! and this is a big but! the NEW AG-DVX100a will address the negatives that the AG-DVX100 has (zoom problems and focus problems and other things). Keep an eye out for the AG-DVX100a although it may be $1000 more expensive than this one but should be no concern to those who had to shoot on expensive 16mm film equipment with expensive 16mm film stock and expensive 16mm processing and expensive 16mm to video transfers.

16mm is dead.

How do you say "amazing"?

Panasonic says it by producing the DVX-100

I'm a filmmaker myself, currently filming my second indie feature on this camera ------ lemme tell you what I love about it -

1. the 24 fps is for real! No gimmicks at all! Make sure to edit with Final Cut Pro 4 to get the most out of the 24 fps capabilities

2. AMAZING PICTURE --- the picture on this thing blows away all other cameras within its price range, and even a lot of those above it!

3. Great professional controls --- manuel aperture, audio, etc --- and all easy to control!

4. The simple stuff --- nice flip out LCD, big buttons, good lense, etc

However, there is no anamorphic..... so I recommend purchasing Panasonic's 16:9 convertor for full capabilities!

In conclusion though ---- you won't find a camera with better controls and better picture quality --- its easy to use, and looks AWESOME over any TV, or luck pending, movie screen!

Buy it --- you will not REGRET it at all!

This camera is a great start for any person who has never done filming before. The camcorder has many tecniques to experience with I am only 13 and I have never filmed before. This was a great choice for my first camera.

I have never owned a camcorder before and I wasn't ready for digital just yet, but I am very happy with this camcorder. It is so user friendly and the picture is extremely clear. It's very easy to hook it right up to your television so you can show family and friends the video you have taken. you can't buy a better camcorder for the money.

This is the first Camcorder that I ever had and I'm really pleased with the purchase I made. This camcorder is easy to use, understand, and handle. In few minutes I began to play with it.
The only thing I regret is not for the purchase but if I knew better, I would bought model Sony CCDTRV318 Hi8 Camcorder because it has steady shot and other features that for a difference of $30.00 its worth spending.

Another reviewer here with his facts mixed up about this cam's preformance , said the Blair Witch was shot with the VX1000(almost same ability as vx2000)and that it has edge bleeding problems. Blair Witch was shot with a Hi-8 camcorder (with some 16mm shots). Not with the Sony vx1000 or with any DV camera.

Some claim the VX2000 is dated (like sales people and others inexperienced types). While that may be partially true
for videographers, this is far from the truth for filmmakers. I own the newer Sony PDX10, the best widescreen resolution than any other cam under 10 grand. But the VX2000 is Fantastic for low-light shooting(2lux!)

while the new trv950 and pdx10 have over 1 megapixel per chip (3 times more than the VX), VX2000's color performandce is virtually the same.

The PDX10 and TRV950 are great for outdoor and well-lit shots. But neither come even close to the VX2000 for "low-light performance", which is the most important feature for moody, cinematography-style lighting. It get's down to VX's larger 1/3 chips.

For serious indoor filmmaking and if you're set on using a 3ccd cam, then only consider a Canon XL1 or a VX2000 and nothing else. And forget the dvx100 in my opinion. It doesnt shoot widescreen at all. The DVX shoots in 24p for going out to film but with 25% less resolution than xl1 or vx2k because it does not pick up any extra pixels in widescreen mode.

If you need an interchangeable lens unit, go with the XL1. But if not, you'll save $$$ with the vx2000. The VX2000 is still the best DV filmmaking prosumer machine out of the box.

If video quality is on top of your feature list and you have the money, buy this one and you won't regret. Its image quality is the best I have ever seen and its low light performance is amazing.

When I bought this expensive toy, my wife feel a $... camera is good enough and I was crazy to spend the money that could buy 10 cheapest SHARP DVs. Now when I compare DVD from my brother's $... DV and mine, she agree that it worth to invest and baby's every moment is priceless.

Yes, it is bulky, it is expensive. But if you can afford it, you (will) have a baby/kids and you will mainly shoot indoor, don't hesitate. It is not perfect. Some guys will point out that Canon GL1/2 have better ergnomics. But hey, just take a loot at pictures from VX2000 and GL2, or even XL1, you judge it. Its color is so accurate that when I play the video of my niece, everyone is surprised to see how good it is.

Finally I need to mention its low light performance. I have to use amazing to describe it. When my eyes have difficulty to look, man, I can see it on LCD, color is still good, with moderate noise. With $... range DV, what you can see is just gray and black, lots of noise, no color at all.

i am a producer/camera operater and this is one of my favern cameras in the studio i would love to have one for my home. i felm sports, in studio tack shows movies and other things for tv brodcast it has great pixlization and i love it.

My old hi 8 went caput after 10 years use that was very trouble free.The new one has way more features that the 100 and costs much less. ...
I use the viewfinder instead of the display as I am used to it and so far have recorded 3 hours on it and it tells me I have 2 hours left. I used the telephoto constantly which takes power put am very happy with the results
I recharge the battery after use with the no memory effect so no problems. I use the supplied battery for dubbing and it will run 2 hrs in the dubbing mode which is great.
I dub hi 8 super vhs output to a super vhs vcr and do not notice andy difference in the quality of the dub.
Yes there is a more blurry picture if you dub to standard vhs but that is normal.
Unless you want to do some super pro stuff this camera is the one to get. Dave PS get metal evaporated tape for top notch 400 lines picture quality.

The camera is very easy to use. It's not as bulky as other reviews make it out to be. The battery life has been great and the picture clarity has been great also. I have been using it to tape track meets and everything can be seen clearly. Remember that you will have to buy tapes for this camera, but that is no problem for the clarity you will get. I have not tried out all the other features like night vision, but from what I have seen so far, this camera is a real good bargain. I know 5 other people who have the same item and they do not have any complaints.The flip out lcd screen is clear also. It's like using a digital camera...but only with the tapes. Only downside I have seen is that it is a little hard to keep steady based on the videos watched. The camera seems to move around alot, but again, the picture clarity is great regardless of the low price. If you don't want to upgrade to ditigal, start with this camcorder. You will not be disappointed.

We use it for all our family events and are please at how easy it is to use. (never read the directions)The picture quality is good, clear and crisp pictures. We dont intend to use it on the computer so the analog camera is a better deal for us than digital.

I bought this as my first camcorder a year ago, it is fun and easy to use. With in the first hour I was filming happily with great results. Just hook it up to the TV to watch on big screen and it's easy to record onto a VCR. Although adding sound on it is a little harder. The main problem I expierenced was holding steady at 16xzoom...but it works fine if I hold it against something, a railing or table top etc...Also the LCD screen is not protected and I was worried I'd damage it at first, but a year later and its still working fine after many hours hiking in the woods and riding in the skiff, so I guess it's a pretty hardy viewing screen. Also I bought a 3 hour battery, the batteries need to be completely drained to re-charge and that is a drag but...it's still wonderful and I am very happy with it! A great camcorder for the money.

Before our vacation to Hawaii a few months ago, we were shopping around for a reasonably-priced camcorder to take with us. We decided to buy a Sharp Hi8 camcorder, as a compromise between the high price and good quality afforded by digital camcorders and the more reasonable price but poorer quality of the lower end analog camcorders.

I have to say that we have been generally satisfied with how easily the camcorder sets up and operates and with how relatively free of white lines (snow, static etc. - whatever you want to call it) the videos that we have recorded from this camera have been. Don't get me wrong - we still see static on videos made from our Hi8 camera, just not as much as from a lower-end analog camcorder.

There are some drawbacks that I have noticed in operating this camera. The LCD screen can be quite difficult to see when you are outdoors under intense sunlight conditions (such as at the beach). And of course, if you can't see the screen, you don't know what you're recording. The battery that is provided with the camcorder runs out after about 1 to 1.5 hours of continual use, which limits the camcorder's use.

Overall, we are pretty satisfied with our camcorder given the price we paid. (We got ours refurbished).

My previous camcorder broke and I waited awhile before buying a new one. I did some research and chose this camera. Its great, The best part is not having to squint into a tiny black and white hole when trying to record something. The camera offers lots of fun features that enable you to make interesting videos. A downside is it tends to be a bit bulky at times but I would rather take that over a bigger camera. And also the one touch LCD screen sometimes looks a bit dirty but only two faults after six months of great recording!

Start with the amazing 2 and 1/2 inch LCD viewfinder,Nightshot, digital image stabilization, Hi8-XR - the standard SONY fare (ALL excellent and proven). Add Super LaserLink Wireless Transmitter and you have a winner. Have you ever been frustrated by connecting proper video and audio cables from the back of your TV and VCR to your camcorder? Have you had to go back and switch cables when you connected audio to video and vice versa? No more frustrations with super laser link which provides cable free communication to your TV/VCR. You can record in widescreen, you can record in 0 lux lighting and playback in stereo. Your battery life is an amazing 16 hours!

The only reason for not buying this camera - the rate at which SONY comes up with these great products, you will be drooling at a better model next year!

I have used this camera for about 100 hours now. I have used and figured out 99% of the special features.

Pros: Many special effects such as: infrared, black and white, cartoon like effect, and a couple others. It also has 16:9 recording but distorts the picture when recording. It has an excellent playback speaker when watching videos you have already taken on the 2.5 " LCD screen. It also has about 5 digital effects such as slow shutter or flashing pictures. The photo option lets you create a slide show easily and allows you to use the fade features such as overlap really easily. The battery that came with the camera lasts me about 1.8 hours using the LCD screen and about 2 hours using the black and white viewfinder. This is a surprise, because I thought it would only last an hour with the LCD screen. This camera also lets you record TV just like a VCR which is a nice feature if you like to edit videos. I also like the feature that lets you put words on the screen as you record. The stereo sound recording on this camera is great. The LCD screen is also crystal clear and is easily big enough to see what your recording.

Cons: Grainy picture in low light condition. However, if you use the light on the camera, it drastically improves the grainy picture. The zoom gets really pixely at anything zoomed in more than about 180 times. The camera is larger and heavier than the new digital ones. The manual focus can also be tough to work but it isn't too bad.

This is an excellent camera. I would recommend it over the digital ones just because you get a lot more features for your money and the quality of the picture isn't all that different.

This camcorder was introduced in 1999, which was in essence the "high water" mark year of the Sony analog camcorder line. Digital -- which had been introduced by Sony years earlier -- took over the "top of the line" position the following year, which led Sony to simultaneously begin "cheapening" the Hi8 analog machines (in an attempt to drive the "bells and whistles crowd" to the more profitable digital camcorders). This meant stereo sound disappeared from the Hi8s in 2000, as did flying erase heads, digital special effects and photo mode.

Being the Hi8 line leader the previous year -- before that cheapening began -- the TRV87 is therefore Sony consumer analog video at its best, crammed with every feature Sony ever put into that format. It's all here -- the Hi8XR format (440 lines of vertical resolution, which in side to side comparison with DV's 500 lines is almost impossible to differentiate), LCD viewing, digital special effects, on-board lighting, Super Nightshot, photo mode, full titling, a wide range of pre-programmed exposure modes, Laserlink...it goes on and on. Yes, granted, the chassis is that classic "handful" TRV size, so this Sony isn't quite as cute and sexy as those teeny current DV palmcorders - but it provides video that is just as good, and costs a lot, lot less. This machine is destined to be a classic, in the same category as the infamous Sony TR101 (their first serious Hi8 machine from almost a decade earlier).

Sending mine back-- liked the small profile and features. Shot a few minutes of video on a new tape. Brought it home to watch it and ate the tape up when I tried to rewind it. I'm glad I was only trying it out, I'd hate to have the tape of something important get eaten by the machine.

The Canon Elura 2MC MiniDV camcorder is a marvel of technology. It packs several great features (progressive CCD for great image quality, firewire output, up to 40X zoom, digital effects, etc.) into the smallest camcorder commonly available. Rather than repeating several of the great points mentioned by other reviewers, I'd like to elaborate on two specific details:

1) Size: The incredibly small size of this camcorder will absolutely change the way you film events - rather than spending a majority of your attention on the camcorder when filming a scene, the camcorder almost disappears in your palm and allows you to concentrate on your subject - and not on the act of capturing the moment.

2) Progressive scan CCD: The design of the image capture system means that every frame is captured completely. This differs from other CCD designs that captures half of the pixels each frame and combines two sets to create a still image. The Progressive scan system makes for crisp video images and clearer stills.

A couple of Pro's:

- The manual is clear, detailed and well laid-out.

- The camcorder comes with a battery charger than can hold multiple batteries (although it only charges one at a time).

A couple of con's which should provide only minor annoyance:

- The camcorder does not dome with the 4-pin to 6-pin firewire cable that is required for computer connectivity. While I was able to purchased one for only $15.99, why isn't one included?

- The memory that holds still images (Canon's own MultiMediaCard) is proprietary, and replacement/expansions for this memory is difficult to find (and can't be ordered from Canon's website). I would have preferred either of two popular formats: SmartMedia or CompactFlash.

- Battery life is quite short (using the 2.5" display, the battery is done after only 40 mins). While this is required to reduce size, any sort of extended use will require several batteries.

------------

Overall, this camcorder sets the standard for all of Canon's competitors to meet. It's size advantage is even more impressive because this camcorder has all of the functionality of it's larger competition and more. This is a great camcorder for family/personal use - only those individuals whom need very high-end functionality (triple CCD or advanced white balancing) will need to look elsewhere.

This camcorder combines ease of use, picture quality and convenience in a very small package. It has a wide variety of features, most of which I have not even begun to play around with.

For travel purposes, I can't imagine going anywhere without this compact yet powerful camcorder -- you can throw it in a fanny pack and hardly even notice it's there (but be sure to buy the 2 hr extended battery if you plan on shooting footage for more than 1/2 an hour). It also doubles as a digital camera, but take note that the digital photos it takes on the multi-media card are not suitable for print-quality photos; rather, it's a handy way to take pics and send them over email or post them to a website with decent picture quality without having to go and buy a digital camera (or travel with both).

It's also great for capturing high-speed action with the digital scan mode. Tape a golf swing, hockey game or skiing action and replay it in slow-motion.

I have no complaints to level against this product, and I have no reservations recommending this if you're looking for a high-quality camcorder that you can take just about anywhere and not have to worry about weight and bulk.

I'll be honest and admit that if you want to spend a thousand dollars on a camcorder than you will definitely find something better. However, if you are somebody like me who had limited funds to spend but wanted all the everyday features a ... person would want, then this is the camera to buy! All the basics are included (still photo shots, fantastic zoom abilities, picture stabilization, ability to film in complete darkness and amateur picture manipulation capabilities).

It also hooks up to a PC using a fire wire cable (IEEE1394) and a video capture board, which I recommend buying the StudioDV from Pinnacle Systems that includes both for ... then getting sucked for ... by purchasing Sony's brand. Also I found the Laser Link feature to be the best features, allowing me to play back my tapes on the TV without having to hook up the camera to it every time.

Overall, the DCR-TRV130 is a great camera for what you're going to spend on it.

i dont know what the guy befor me wanted but this is a camera NOT a VCR, but if u REALLY want to put ur analog tapes on ur computer or camera, then buy a SONY VCR with an I-link or IEEE 1394 compatibitily. I am more than an ameture videographer, i do alot of DV editing, and this camera has ALL the features that i need, its I-link IN/OUT compatibility makes for an easy hook up to your PC (if u have a fire wire card), a remote controle, and several Picture effects as well as some digital effects, including oldmovie, and u can superimose a nother picture onto a live feed.

I've had this camera for almost a year now, and it's the first movie camera of any kind I've ever used. I have a digital still camera (an olympus 2100cz) so I'm not a neophyte.
I'm finding it easy to use. I use to film my wifes speaking engagements. So i've used this camera in a small room with only 5 or 6 people in it, or in very large auditorium with 200 or so people in it. It worked beautifully. The remote helps a lot when using a tripod. It does an especially nice job picking up audio even at distance.
I had to get a special cable to do transfers to my Macintosh, but once on the mac everything gets really easy.
I guess it doesnt have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive cameras, but if you look over the stats in the discription above, you should be able to figure out this one is for you.

Problems just out of the box!

1st camera we received did not charge the battery. We returned and got another one that after 5 months of storage and perhaps 2-3 hours of TOTAL use (recording time), it went back to "Not charging the battery" since it is out of warranty (30 days - Amazon will not exchange it) and under the (1 year Sony warranty), we called, they said the camera needs to be repaired and it is $166 plus shipping which is about $190, for a camera that we purchased for $260

JUNK!!

It is all I have to say about this camera, I got to use the camera for a total of 3 hours.
I paid about $90/Hour to use this junk, went for the name brand and GOT Burned.

I do not know why I was talked into buying a Sony it is overpriced and now the quality is JUNK, we have had Panasonic electronics all our lives, and they just get old and outdated, but they keep in working! Guess what my next camera will be? - Panasonic-

Buying a camcorder can be difficult. Do you want VHC? 8mm? Hi-8? Digital 8? Mini-DV? Then there's whether or not you want to be able to take stills, have firewire output to a computer, image stabilization, etc.
One can easily find themselves saying, "All I wan't is a basic camcorder to record random things." If that's you, this is your camcorder.
Though the picture is not digital, Hi-8 offers a nice clean picture that gets the job done. And since you can plug right into your TV or VCR, transfer to video is simple without having to store all your old tapes like you did in the VHC and VHS days. Being a Sony, you can expect a great zoom that let's you get nice detail from a good distance away. Add Steadyshot, probably the best image stabilizer out there, the ability to manually adjust your lighting, nightshot, and you have the ability to record in any situation.
Having sold Sony's for over a year, I can tell you the number returned due to dissatisfaction was minimal. Same for broken or damaged camcorders.
Bottom line is this. In the TRV-318, Sony makes a great camcorder that's not only easy to use, but able to take a nice clean video. And as long as you don't care about capturing the light flicker off a snowflake, you'll love it too.

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

Before you buy, think about the cost of the DV tapes. They are about $6 each, retail, and EXTREMELY fragile. One broke in my camera, and damaged something when being taken out. This was a $70 repair, while it was still under warranty. I don't know how much it would have cost after warranty period was over. If I had it to do over again, I'd buy a camera with a sturdier, cheaper media, and from a manufacturer that respects its warranty.

I had this camera for a few months already so far i have no complains about it. Is very easy to used and it has a lot of features. But there are a few problems with this camera which may affect ur decision on buying it:

Firstable Sony doesn't include the firewire card which allow u to transfer the DV video to ur computer. The good thing about it is the u can use ur USB to transfer the video but the quality is not the same since firewire the bandwidth is 400 mbps compare to 12 Mbps on USB.

Another thing u may find annoying with this camera it only includes a .67 pixel camera. This mean ur still image picture would not come out as clear and sharp as a 4.0 Mega pixel.

Also the program they include for transfering the Video isn't the great. I recommend u getting adobe premiere 6.5, Pinnacle 8, MGI 5.0. Which make ur life easier and do a better job then the one sony include. If u don't believe me check Cnet.com for ratings.

Besides those point this camera is great, records very clear, and it has a very good zoom, a 10x digital although that may sound like not that much zoom, the advantage is that is digital which allow u to capture a more clear picture when u zoom at a far object.

At 25 Mega bits per second, MiniDV is the digital video format of choice for amateurs and professionals alike. Shoot your movie, transfer it to the computer then burn it on a DVD. If you're like me and want to make lots of quality home movies and still skip the costs of burning DVDs, a good choice is to store your movies on regular CDs as SVCD... The MiniDV tapes offer top-of-the line video & audio quality yet they are very small (tape width: 6.35 mm).

The question is: which MiniDV camcorder?
Important factors in my decision:

* A quality camera lens. DCR-TRV18 is Sony's least expensive camcorder that comes with the famous Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar lens!

* CCD size: look for a camcorder with a 680K CCD or larger. That larger pixel matrix gives you steadier shots and more horizontal lines.

* Low-light operation: went out after dinner and videotaped rows of flowers in the local park - the camera compensated very well for the insufficient light, the video came out great. Sony camcorders shine when it comes to operating in low-light (compared to JVC and Canon). DCR-TRV18 also has a "Night Shot" mode for videotaping at zero Lux (darkness). I used NightShot to record people dancing at a wedding reception.

* Analog pass-through: many camcorders do not have inputs for transfering older analog tapes to MiniDV or to the computer. With DCR-TRV18 I was able to copy older S-VHS-C tapes, playing in my analog camcorder, to MiniDV tapes.

I bought my DCR-TRV18... and I love it! Like I mentioned before, I edited my movies, added scene transitions and text then burned the MPEG-2 files on regular compact discs (40 min SVCD) to view them with my DVD player.

If you need to take digital pictures, consider buying a separate digital photo camera ... rather than a camcorder/photo camera combo (these combos could only take low-resolution photos at the time of this review).