Camcorder Reviews

Performance is not so good if you compare it with the original price but at the price amazon.com is giving, its worth buying. Compatable in size is the biggest advantage.

A good replacement battery for older Panasonic VHS videocameras, the CV3112 is easily subject to the "memory effect:" if one does not fully discharge the battery before recharging the usable charge becomes less over time--sometimes quite rapidly.

The battery can be left in a *conditioning* ("smart") recharger, but not in the ones that come with most of these videocameras. The best strategy is to have two batteries available; run one dry and switch to the other.

This lens has a problem, shared with the Sunpak CAL-1160 37mm 2x lens, in that when used on a Sony CCD-TR500 camcorder zoomed in, the camcorder can't focus beyond about 50 feet. The higher-grade lens, the Kenko SGT-20Hi, on the other hand, does not have this problem, and I would recommend it over the SGT-20. All the 37mm 2x lenses I've tested on this camcorder share the problem of vignetting when it is zoomed out to wide angle---something not mentioned in the Web descriptions of these lenses.

I am using this camcoder for about 5 months. The following spesifications have disappointed me:
1.the quality of the movie which is shot at low light level is bad.
2.The night shot movie is monocrom and the color of movie is very bad.
3. the color night shot movies are not smooth.
4. The quality of the movies which is transferred to the computer to make VCD or DVD is bad and to superimposing of the time or date to the movie is impossible.

I picked up this light a few months back for my Sony VX2000 (which captures both digital and still images). While the range of the light was moderate for video, it worked reasonably well for nearby photos in the dark. It seemed to drain my battery rather quickly. That was to be expected...but it was even faster than I thought before the battery light would start blinking.

So after some moderate use at one event, I brought my batteries home and realized they would charge just a little and stop. This thing seemed to KILL my InfoLithium batteries! The workaround I discovered (which I'm not sure it quite works) is to take the light off and turn the camera to VCR mode and play video until the battery REALLY died. Then I'd be able to give the battery a full charge and that seems to return them to normal...pretty much.

I'd recommend if you get this light (or any similar) that you try it out with your cheapest battery first to see if you have the same problem.

I signed on looking for this battery and noticed everyone had the same problem. I also have the Sony DSC-P1. Taking "Canada's " advice I killed the battery. You should set the flash to on. After you turn on the camera and the flash is charged take a picture right away and continue doing this as soon as the charge light is steady. I took 150 pictures this way(2 64 meg cards) on a socalled dead battery. Don't give the battery indicater a chance to come on. This battery used to charge in 4 minutes and die in 3.:). After I killed the battery to the point it didn't have the energy to pull the lens back in, it took 2 hours to charge and hasn't died yet! I don't think the battery itself has memory, I think it has a problem with the info part that tells the camera how much powers left and it fools the camera into shuting off. Hope this helps all. It helped both my batteries.

I've had exactly the same problems as everyone else... I have two InfoLithium NPFS11 batteries which have been apparently less and less able to hold a charge as time goes on. I reached the point where I wouldn't even bother to take my Sony DSC-P1 out with me anymore! The batteries would last for two or three pictures then the camera would shut itself off. Thank goodness I found these reviews! I was about to buy two new replacements, having no idea that EVERYONE has the same problem with these batteries. I followed the prevailing advice and sure enough the results are a spectacular reversal of fortunes - a saving of almost $100! I killed one battery by taking picture after picture with the flash . I eventually got to 114 pictures at 640 pixel resolution, having to switch the camera on again (probably 8 or 9 times) when the "battery life" indicator came on and powered down the camera. Ignoring what the camera's telling you will mean that you will continue taking pictures for a long time. The camera actually gets HOT it's being used so much! Eventually the camera goes REALLY dead and the lens won't retract. Now I'm recharging the battery, pretty confident that the old battery will be rejuvinated to it's formerly effective self. This is exactly the advice given in the other reviews. HOWEVER... for the second battery, rather than trying to quickly start taking photos BEFORE the battery life is calculated by the camera/battery, I let the calculation go ahead first. The camera indicated that the battery life was 80 minutes. I immediately started taking pictures and got up to 190 pictures (using the flash). Again, the camera got quite hot in the time it took to take all those pictures. And even after all that time and all those pictures the camera showed that this second battery STILL had 45 minutes left in it! Odd. What I'm thinking is that it MIGHT not be entirely necessary to "kill" your battery in order to make it work properly. Maybe what you need to do - to kick your battery in the pants - is just take picture after picture for a few minutes as soon as you turn the camera on and it'll reset the INFO part of the battery! Worth a try. Obviously, you might need to do this every 6-8 months or when you notice the performance dropping off. Already this second battery is behaving like it used to - even without killing it.

I have a hypothesis about the problem and why this "treatment" of your battery might breath new life into it. We tend to use our cameras in a very specific way that may be foiling the functionality of the InfoLithium system. We turn on the camera in preparation for taking pictures but it could be several minutes before we take a single picture. And we tend not to take pictures in rapid succession once we start. I think this cycle of switching the camera on, then doing little or nothing with it makes the battery go into some kind of "info-coma" after repeating this pattern for a long time! I wonder if the way this technology was developed failed to take this real-world factor into consideration. I speculate that the laboratory testing of this device probably involved discharging the battery immediately after the battery life indication had been calculated. Maybe that process is what the battery needs to calibrate itself. After months of never receiving that treatment it's possible that the battery no longer "knows" what the hell's going on!! I'd be curious to know if other people have the same results as I have. Email me if you like at nowis@sbcglobal.net

OK, I came to Amazon hoping to just buy a replacement battery for my DSC-P1 and found that everyone here has the same problem I had. So I took someone's advice below and set out to drain the battery before the InfoLithium computer kicked in and stopped my fun. What I found though is that resetting the battery is a lot easier.

I took about 15 pictures before the battery indicator appeared. I then realized that I was taking huge pictures and running out of memory stick space, so I paused. The battery indicator kicked in and showed 80 minutes. As I took more pictures and connected the camera to my Mac for awhile, the indicator showed nominal battery drainage and seems to be back in sync. This was a battery that seemed to be unable to hold a charge for more than three or four photos, with or without flash.

So before giving up on your battery, try a quick refresh! I gave this 3 stars because it's lame that the problem kept me from using this camera for more than a year, but it was easily fixed once I knew what to do.

Not seeing many reviews, I'm writing this as a warning. This mic is horrible. I bought it to get rid of the "motor noise" from my Canon Optura Pi, as many others have. When I listen now, the sound is much worse. You can barely hear people speak over the loud humming... THIS MIC IS HORRIBLE!

Although you can't get this item through Amazon directly, I thought I'd submit a review since I found it fustrating not finding anything on this microphone. After ordering it from BH Photo, I tried it out on my Canon Optura 20. The main reason I purchased an external microphone was to get rid of the annoying motor buzz noise. I thought the DM-50 having been made by Canon would have been very compatible with the Optura 20. I was wrong. The intelligent hot shoe worked nicely as it was convenient not to have to worry about turning the microphone on. The sound quality was horrible. It got rid of the motor noise somewhat but you can still hear it. What was bad was that the microphone produced an ambient annoying hissing, dirty noise, even with the wind sock. I thought it was perhaps picking up motor noise from nearby appliances but did not turn out to be the case. The microphone also picked up the hum from the zoom when zooming quickly, however this was the least annoying.

I ended up getting the Sony ECM-MSD1. It was cheaper, got rid of the motor noise and produced no noise artifacts. It does pick up the zooming noise though, but this might not be a problem since the zoom shouldn't be used that often anyways and usually at a slow speeds.

I can't understand how they can call this Hi-8 without a stereo output. Even if the picture is a good as Hi-8, sound is important too! The S-video connector is not compatable with the connector on my capture card. I'm sending mine back!

This unit is barely featured enough to call it a hi8 camcorder. I remember when Hitachi was considered a high end manufacturer but this tells me they want to waller with the Samsungs, Daewoo and other low-end quality companies. The best low dollar hi8 comes from Canon with many features. Hitachi needs to step up to where they were and let the others be.

I thoroughly agree with the other two reviews about how crappy this power adapter is. The first one I had for my Canon Ultura video camera just quit working one day. I had bought an extended warranty on the camera, but quickly found out the adaptor wasn't covered. I then purchased another one for $125.00 in Feb., 2002. Now this one doesn't work and I will have to replace it again. I called Canon and they said they couldn't help me out and said I would have to buy another one. This leaves you between a rock and a hard place because the camera is totally useless unless you can recharge the $50.00 batteries. I told them I'd never buy another Canon video camera, which is true. I'm going back to Sony!

This is an absolute travesty. $150.00 for a crappy ac/dc adapter? These things cost less than a buck to make. I can understand up to $30.00, but a hundred and fifty bucks is plain old taking advantage of people. I'm sure glad my other camera is a Sony. Canon is a terrible company to do this to people.

I bought this Canon Vistura DV camera 5 years ago and have gone through 3 of these units. I called canon there reply was you can buy another one for 150.00 Can dollars. Im on the look for another one( used) as this one has croaked as well I asked the service tech if it was my camera he said no Canon makes "cheap chargers". I will be selling this unit as soon as I get a charger for it . A canon will not be on the replacement list

This battery refuses to charge in my ZR85 camera. I would not recommend it.

The Sakar battery refuses to engage the charging circuit on the camera. Therefore the Sakar battery is unchargable. The factory battery charges fine. I've called their customer service. They will charge me 6.95 to exchange the battery. I figure that by the time I've paid to have the original battery shipped to me, then paid to have the defective battery shipped to the return point, and then pay them 6.95 for the privilege of getting what I should have gotten to begin with (a working battery). I haven't saved very much money at all by buying this product now have I ?

Purchased this battery for our ZR85 and the mounting slide does not fit tight enough to recharge it. Now we are having to pay shipping charges on its return. The Canon BP535 says it fits all ZR style cameras. What's up?????