Camcorder Reviews

JVC GR-AX841 VHS-C Camcorder We use this unit to supply warehouse security systems to the industrial market. No wonder it is out of stock at Amazon (May2000). The camcorder arrived and was setup in about 10 minutes. It has performed without a 'hitch' for several months. The AV output is routed to an Intel PC Camera ProPack webcam. Intel provides with this product a low cost.... time lapse and motion detection software CD utility. Both the JVC and Intel parts work well together. I suggest buyers focus on Windows98 and 64MB RAM on their PC to avoid USB lockups on their PC. We are well pleased and the systems work daily with only a regular environmmental housing we made to protect them from dust and cold. JVC makes a fine product which we will buy again due to its value and reliability. Thank-you!

When I decided to buy a camcorder I spent a good month researching and shopping around. This product caught my eye in a display window in a popular department store here in Australia, and was reasonably cheap, so I assumed that it wasn't a great product. Even so I checked it out, and discovered that it had everything that even some of the most expensive camcorders have, including digital zoom and numerous special effects. It was light weight and easy to use, and I don't regret buying it for a minute. Once out of the box, I had a quick look through the manual and had the camcorder figured out in a matter of minutes. The picture quality is brilliant, and I would have to say that this JVC product was the best investment I have made in a long time. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to buy an easy to use, no fuss camcorder, and being JVC you know it's a brand you can trust.

this is the easiest camcorder I've every used. I'm a real clutz when it comes to electronics, but even I can use this one with ease. It's great!

This very affordable camera is a quality product in every respect. It was purchased to replace a 12 year old 8mm unit that no longer operated and it is fully compatable with the standard 8mm tapes.
This compact unit has many features that are not listed in the specifications. Besides the full menu of options, two very important features are a variable speed zoom control and an s-video output connection. I highly recommend this camcorder.

This camera is very user friendly. It has a wonderful clear, crisp picture as well as sound on the video. This little camera comes with alot of little features that would please any beginner.

This is my first hi8 camcorder, though I've had a couple of the old VHS ones before. I was waiting to get one of these until the value caught up with the technology and I could get a high-quality camcorder at an affordable price. Then this little number came along.

The thing I like most about this camera is its color viewfinder. To me, that is a good tradeoff for not having a larger LCD screen, because those typically drain your battery much faster. This was a good compromise--I can see things in color without cutting my film time short.

This camcorder is loaded with special features, and has a 700 power digital zoom! With it you can get as close to something as you want. You only need to rest your filming arm on something or get a tripod--otherwise you won't be able to hold the picture steady.

A Canon is always a good bet for a camera or camcorder, and they have definitely not let me down with this one. If you're looking for a good bargain but still want a respectable brand and some special features, look no further than the Canon ES75.

The GR-DX300U is the ideal size for outdoor enthusiasts. The camera is small, light and fits perfectly in a backpack or pocket. Despite its size, the 3 inch LCD screen is beautiful, but the viewfinder is easier to use in bright, sunny conditions (unfortunately the viewfinder is B/W). Battery life is dismal and you will need to purchase a backup battery (1 hour at best). Digital still pictures are fair and still do not seem to be as clear or vibrant as those taken by an actual digital camera (I rarely use the camera for stills). However, video quality is excellent and footage is easily transferred to your computer through the fire-wire port (using Windows ME and IE-1339 card and cable). With the correct software, DVD editing and creation is a blast! I have also used the JVC GR-DVM76U and am very pleased with JVC's quality and performance.

I have 10 year old Panasonic VHS type video camera without lcd screen, it's work nice and heavy duty use, i am also happy panasonic help me to tracy back a lot of good memory in video. unlikely, technology come to new genaration for minDv. my existing panasonic become an obsolete machine, i even hard to get vhs tape.

for minDv, at first, i was consider for panasonic NV-GS5EN. in fact, i almost going to swap my credit card pay for this camera as i test infront of the video camera shop. the video quality is very clear and nice.

However, for the final minute i change my mind and switch to JVC dx300 due to sales man advice. he told me the most popular item is dx300 due to cheap price and more feature and high quality video, and he sold almost 25 units per months (would you believe what he said??).

Now, i cannot believe my eye, the 540 lina of resolution is a major strength for this machine. 3" lcd and one touch to record the video to memory card. This is the true minDV i am looking for. Another point for this product is small size, very compact, slim, easy to handle, the grid make me so comfortable.
the prices almost excellent compare to sony and canon for same feature

my husband gave a lot of credit for this video cameres. for still image, i would like to say moderate not so bad and not so good. anyway this is not a main function for me, for still image is only extra function for me.(as i have canon digital camera for 4 mega pixel).

finally, i am sure in future this video camera will help me to creature more fun for my family, perhaps later 10 years and i will looking for DVD recorder. this is totally best buy and not regret. thank you.

i do have one sony digital video camare which is only 1.5 megal pix for still camera, and the video quality very nice even sound quality also. two month later, i going to buy another video cmera for my husband due to outstation work need. intialy, i am also looking for the same brand like sony, well after i search from AMAZON web page (would like to thank for AMAZON.com for provide a treasure information for me) i decide try to shift my brand loyalty to JVC.

According to my fusband feedback, he is very happy and love this product. good quality video better than sony at least 75 percent. for still camera photo, after we develop to photo, it's very nice and clear. a lot of function to cover different situation to make the video and photo look nice.

Small and nice shape also attract me, of course the price is even more encourage us. if talking about weakness point for this product,, hmm,,,i would like to say during the darkness environment, you might hard to get a clear video, although it have a BACK ligh function, but it still cannot help much, if this product can add some light accessory to support the background it will be very very nice.

i hope those who looking for budget type video camera, i will strong suggest for pick this product, because i believe in future more and more new technoly will come out and the price will be more cheaper for better technology so wht for pay more as this product will provide all wht you want. thank you

Good things about this camcorder:
1. The 25X zoom
2. HUGE LCD screen
3. Great video and sound quality
4. Solid build
5. Easy connection to computer with iLink--especially with a Sony VAIO computer
6. Enough special effects and super nightshot.

The bad things:
1. It is very heavy and big
2. The build-in printer: I stop using this feature completely since the still image quality is quite low so the pictures came out not pretty at all and it takes more than 2 minutes to print one photo. The 830 does the right thing to have the printer externally.
3. Slow rewind speed

I have no trouble finding the Digital-8 tapes and got quite a lot of photo papers for it (even though I don't use them at all).

great overall camcorder. you have to love the 25x zoom. easy to use. i've gone through just about all the features with only two trips to the manual. the grandparents loved being able to get print out pictures of their new grandson instantly during our last visit.

Accessories for the printer are VERY hard to find. No one I have checked with carries the paper or cartridge in stock - all of them say they can order the supplies, but every store, especially specialty camera shops, wants way too much money for the order. I have found that buying supplies from Sony is less expensive, but does take some time (so if you need it NOW you better start looking...yesterday!).

As for other features, there are so many it may take me a while to figure them all out. I shopped for over a year before buying this camera - coincidentally, my previous camcorder was a Sony Hi8 - great camera until my brother went out and destroyed it! ;-)

This is a terrific camcorder if you can afford...

I knew I wanted a solid case that would hold eight sticks, but didn't realize this was so heavy. Aluminum should be lightweight, right? Well, they made it thick to make it protective, but now it weighs more than a battery.

Given the postage each way, it's not worth it to me to return this one and get the other, but I probably should have gone with the other Sony model, made of durable but lightweight plastic.

This is a great Memory Stick case, which I use to tote memory sticks around for both my digitial camera, and movie camera.

It's thin, sits well in camera bag pockets. It's also not hard to remove the sticks, as they tilt up when the "bottom" is pressed.

This case is perfect for keeping your memory sticks organized, clean, and without electric shock. It holds 8 sticks, or 4 sticks and 1 PC adapter card for notebooks. It is light weight, fits easily into a camera case or bag, and is very strong (I crushed mine in a chair lift in Innsbruck, Austria)!

The rubber coating helps keep it safe from Water (though I don't know that it is considered officially "waterproof". I don't know what else to say except that it is the perfect companion for the digital photo enthusiast!!

We were about to have a baby and my wife and I realized that having a simple camcorder would be nice thing to have. I wasn't shopping for anything fancy, and I certainly wasn't in the market to make films, however, for the price, this little Hi-8 camcorder does a great jop. In fact, its taping quality is fantistic.
The only thing that I wish that it had was image stablization. A tri-pod fixes that problem. It has many features that we would never use, but is still nice to see them there. My wife and I were impressed with the quality of the picture the very first time we watched a video.
Also, one thing to look out for, Samsung camcorder batteries are hard to find. For some reason, other than Samsung, Rayovac is the only company that makes a backup battery for this camcorder.
But enjoy, you won't be disapointed.

I was so thrilled about the quality of this camera! After reading the previous reviews I decided to buy it (Had intended on a more expensive camcorder but changed my mind after reading about this camcorder) To say it is worth the money is definitely an understatement! It is really a great camcorder. The only small complaint I would have is that the person's voice that you are recording is not as loud as I would like it to be. The one doing the recording is much louder than the one being taped. That may be with all camcorders since the microphone is right near the recorders' mouth, but I expected the subject to be louder in volume than it was. Overall, I am not at all dissapointed. Although I am not an expert with camcorders, I would definitley purchase this one before spending alot more on another one with similar features. Very well made!

For the beginner or someone needing a second, inexpensive camcorder, this one is great. Generally, easy to use but with many features. I didn't expect this much from an inexpensive unit. This Hi8 camcorder is easy to hook up to a VCR for copying to a standard VCR tape. The battery charge lasts for the full time, as advertised. My only complaint, if you can call it that, has to do with the marking of the buttons on the top of the camcorder (EDIT-, LIGHT, EDIT+, and DATE/TIME). They have dual functions depending on which mode (Camera or Player) has been selected. However, they are marked for only one option. The user has to remember which button to press. For example, to PLAY, press the LIGHT button). This can be confusing intitally. Regardless, this is a fine item for the price.

I was just commenting on the previous review, questioning why a reviewer would copy/paste info and submit it for three different cameras. What I found was that the reviewer was trying to explain the differences between the three cameras, so that the consumer can make an educated decision as to which camera suits them best comparing features and price. I found the reviews very helpful, and it actually helped me to decide which model I wanted to buy. I'm sure that is what makes this individual a reviewer in the top 100 at amazon.

While the price is higher than other camcorders on the market, I think this product is worth it. It's easy to set up and use, the editing software for the computer is decent, and I'm able to get high quality footage and share it with family and friends.

One note of caution: the software really does require a higher speed computer and/or updated platforms like Windows XP. It ended up leading to the demise of our old computer (a Windows ME), but functions much better on our new one that has XP.

This camera made it to Oprah's 2003 Favorite Things List. That prompted me to take a look at it, and I was really impressed! We ended up buying it, and we're so glad that we did. Wow, what a great video-camera! It's compact, quiet, and very easy to use. We were able to set it up & record without even opening the instruction manual. The playback quality on the LCD screen is amazing, and the sound quality is near-perfect. I'm so happy with this camera. I highly recommend it for its ease of use, light & comfortable size, and the simplicity of recording directly onto a dvd. No more copying from small tapes to larger VHS tapes for me! That was such a frustrating experience and the editing quality was horrible.

I'm really pleased that I'll be able to share video of my daughter with friends and family who have dvd players, or video viewing capability on their computers.

FOLLOW-UP: We took this camcorder to Sea World and the footage was excellent. It was nice not to have to lug around a heavy piece of equipment while trying to transport a toddler, stroller, etc. Once we got home, I put together a 5 minute edited video using the ImageMixer software from Sony (included when we purchased the camera). Wow, it was so user-friendly! I added some of my own music to it, as well as some text to some scenes. Then we burned the edited project to a simple, inexpensive CD-R instead of DVD-R, for family/friends to view on their computers. I checked, and many in-home computers have some sort of video viewing software such as Windows Media Player, or another compatible program.

I bought a TRV-525 in May '01 for a trip to Italy and I have had nothing but good success with this camera. The video output is of an excellent quality, in all sorts of light levels and situations. The built in picture stabiliazion works very well, even when taking video in a moving boat or just walking around. When coupled with a longer life battery, (I bought an 8-hour infoLithium) I was really able to burn through some tapes. Also, I have found a few uses for the 0Lux nightshot that I didn't anticipate ever using.

The still imaging function is okay, although I wish that this model had 1024x768 resolution instead of it's 680x480. The high side is the screen capture function during playback. The only really odd thing about the still picture function is that ou have to switch from video mode to still mode to save pictures to the memory stick--The photo button in video mode only freezes the frame for a few seconds.

The other thing that I found out (later) was that the 16:9 aspect ratio only works if you TV can handle it...otherwise the image gets compressed horizontally (the camera will not output letterbox).

However, all in all, this has been a great video camera.

My wife and I spent over an hour studying various digital camcorders at a local retail outlet and were very reluctant about moving into the realm of digital video, especially since neither one of us had even owned a VHS camcorder and both knew very little about modern digital technology. Needless to say that in the few days since our purchase of this model, I am utterly amazed at the wonderful capabilites this camcorder has. Most functions we may never use, but every day I seem to discover something novel with the machine. Plus, I feel it's very intuitive to use. I went from digitally ignorant to a competent video editor in a matter of days! This mid-range Sony camcorder is extremely versatile, capable also of capturing still images (1.3 megapixel). The large viewfinder is a definite plus and is worth the added cost. I highly recommend this product.

Great product all the way-I bought one of these at the same time Sony announced the new line, and I noticed that none of the new ones have a color viewfinder available. (At least at this price level!) If you want both a Sony, as well as a color viewfinder, this is the way to go. Grab it while you can-wonderful quality all the way, and quite a value as well!

It is good idea to buy used but in case of batteries one should at least know how many hours it has been used,If one can get hardly used battery used once or twice,It will be a big saving.
I have bougt a new Camcorder DCR-TRV720E with a NP-F330 battery,with 4 inches screen I need more power of battery if i use my Camcorder throgh screen It can last only one hour, With NP-F550 it will work for two and half hours, if I use with view finder it can last for five hours, but i need more than that which I think will be NP-F960 if I get one with a special price it will be big saving.
Tanks
Waseem

Absolutely worth the money - I use this battery with my Sony Mavica FD92 and I can use it for hours at full charge. It takes maybe 3-5 hours to charge an empty battery... and with my flash on, and taking continuous shots for 2 hours straight the battery never goes empty! My camera runs at optimum level and my pictures come out great! No complaints.. definitely worth the $!

It's a shame to have to buy another battery after buying the camera, but you won't regret spending the money. This battery lasts significantly longer than the F330 that typically comes with the Sony digital cameras. Buying this will also allow you to have two batteries on hand, the new one and the one packaged with the camera, and should be plenty of battery power for even above average use of the camera.

If you have a Mavica and don't have a camera bag already, I would recommend buying the ACC-MVC2 Starter Kit. It comes with the F550 battery, a carrying case, 3 floppies and a LCD cleaning cloth for around $80.

This camcorder is fantatic in all that it does. Light and surprising clarity of output. The only disadvantage is that you only get a 30 minute battery and 30 minute video cassette. Having to stop and charge your battery every thirty minutes could tend to be a bothersome bore. I have called to get another battery but RCA don't sell any batteries past 30 minutes. Other then that. The cam is easy to use and you can put video characters while you are recording.

I enter this sight just for gk (general knowledge) of a product that we recently purchased. I was very impressed with information that was available to me at a push of a button. Everything was very easy to find. My 2 years old niece could of looked it up if I had asked her to. This is what I like in a sight something that is simple and easy to get in and get out of. I must compliment everyone who is involved with making Amazon such a terrific sight with alot of on hand information at a touch of a button. I going to make this review as short as possible and again I would like to Thank You... Keep up the good work!!!!!! You guys deserve 5 stars (*****)

I feel obligated to write a review for this perfect device because everyone should be able to profit from it like I did. I was looking for a camcorder, but I did not want to spend a fortune for one. One of my best friends recently purchased a RCA CC6151 and was raving about it. He's pretty reliable, so I bought one. Why should you? In the order in which I experienced the value of the RCA CC6151, I'll begin with the price. It was definitely in the range I was looking for. The first time I used it, I was astounded by how easy it was to use. I was also delighted by how light it is. It is convenient to carry around because of its size. To be honest, when I sat down to watch the first video I recorded, I wasn't expecting too much. But as soon as I hit play, I realized that the picture was BETTER than any of my friends' higher priced camcorders. Granted, I've only seen the results of about ten other camcorders, but the sound was just as good, if not better, than all of the others as well. To recap: This camcorder is easy to use, conveniently sized, lightweight, and provides as good of a picture and sound as I've experienced. Do yourselves a favor and get the most of your money!