Digital-Camcorder Reviews

I purchased this camcorder Oct. 1999. The picture quality is crystal clear in good lighting conditions, grainy in low light conditions. I also purchased a ... hardware/software package from Pinnacle Systems ... that allows me to edit video and audio captured on the camcorder on my PC. This is a very innexpensive way to produce high quality home movies. The best feature of the camcorder is its size-you take it everywhere.

You give up some features (o lux, infrared, memory stick) to gain the biggest benefit of all...ease of use. My biggest problem with picture/movie taking is how much of a pain it is to setup the shot and mess with the camera. With the PC1, you just whip it out of your pocket and shoot. The picture quality is actually very impressive (I'm not sure what the guy above is missing). In tandem with a Sony VAIO, the PC1 makes one heck of a home video studio.

I bought the PC1E in 2004 so it's not the newest, I have been looking for a camcorder to settle down with for a while now and have used Panasonics, Sharps and JVCs, I was put off Sony by the fact that you usually pay a premium price and I had no evidence that they were definitively better than the other brands. Obviously the size of the PC1 is noticeably small even by modern mini-DV standards it holds up well. It takes a little getting used to but unlike other upright cameras that I've used the natural holding position on the PC1 doesn't interfere with the microphone, a definite plus. Sound quality is good and the unit makes very little mech noise so you don't get that on playback. The Carl Zeiss lens is excellent as you'd expect, I particularly like the light adjustment which is very fast and very good, it means if you swing past a window whilst indoors it doesn't screw up your footage. All in all I'd recommend it as a great camera for the enthusiast, in terms of connectivity it links up to the Mac through iMovie with no trouble at all.

I had this camera for 2 years and had constant trouble with the door mechanism for the tape. It opens from the bottom and the tape pops up! Many times it got stuck and finally it would not open. $400.00 to fix it. SONY SERVICE IS TERRIBLE, we are now forced to buy another camera as it's not worth fixing for $400!

The Sony DCR-TRV11 is Sony's least expensive MiniDV camcorder. There are cheaper Digital 8 camcorders, but MiniDV allows you to hold more video and is more compact (although MiniDV tapes are somewhat more expensive).

MiniDV

MiniDV tapes can be used in the LP mode for increased capacity without compromising the picture quality - since the data is stored in the digital format. You should be careful with the tape loading mechanism though - it is quite fragile and you can accidentally bend something if you press it in the wrong place.

PICTURE

This MiniDV camcorder offers the resolution of up to 500 lines (other digital video sources like DVD players and DBS offer similar resolution), higher color bandwidth (Sony claims three times higher than VHS) and virtually no video noise.

The picture is very sharp and clear. You have 10x optical/120x digital zoom, the camera also uses Carl Zeiss lens for better picture quality, special coating reduces glare and increases contrast. Since the recording is digital, the quality will not decrease over time.

The camcorder has an ADC (analog-digital converter) that converts an analog signal you pass through the analog input, so you can either record it on the MiniDV tape in digital format (for archiving purposes) or send it through the IEEE-1394 (i.Link) initerface to your computer or another device.

SOUND

TRV11 uses the Digital Audio Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) - similar to CD recording technology, with 12-Bit or 16-Bit modes. This allows for a dynamic range of more than 96dB, since audio is stored separately you can use Audio Dubbing that allows you to add a stereo track of music or narration. The sound quality does not deteriorate over time and there is no "background" noise introduced by the medium itself, as happens in analog world.

CONTROL INTERFACES

There is an L (LANC) Editing Interface that provides standardized connection for synchronized operation of camcorder, VCR, and edit controller. TRV11 also has an I.Link® Digital Interface (FireWire, IEEE1394), which is a two-way input/output that carries digital audio, digital video and control signals to compatible digital VCRs, edit controllers and computers.

The TRV11 also has the Super Laser Link® Wireless Transmitter, which uses infrared light to make a wireless connection from the camcorder to your television up to 26 feet away. The transmitter is built-in, so you can buy a receiver and connect your camcorder wirelessly. The IFT-R20 IR receiver is optional.

Memory Stick

You can use the TRV11 as a digital still camera at 640x480 resolution (enough for emailing), the images are stored on a supplied 4Mb Memory Stick. You can use the supplied PictureGear Lite 4.1 software to transfer images to your PC (using the supplied serial cable), edit and store/catalog them.

FEATURES

The camcorder features a 680,000-pixel HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD (the high resolution increases the picture quality) with low noise design. It has 7 modes AE, manual focus and manual exposure in addition to automatic ones.

Manual focus is controlled by the ring, which also looks cool. You can switch between manual and automatic focus using a switch on the left side of the camcorder (by LCD), it also has a position for "infinity" focus.

The camcorder has a 3.5" 184,000-pixel LCD in addition to the color viewfinder. The 2x playback zoom allows you to zoom in during the playback. You can also shoot in total darkness with Sony's Super NightShot™, which enables you to shoot subjects up to 10 feet away. The system uses a built-in infrared light; the optional IR light can extend the range to up to 100 feet.

The Super SteadyShot system can be employed for image stabilization There is also a built-in speaker (you can control the volume) and camcorder comes with a remote control and an intelligent accessory shoe (which accepts accessories ranging from lights, IR lights and photo printers to microphones that "zoom" with the camcorder).

The camcorder has 8 picture effects (6 digital effects), 7 A/V fader modes, 16:9 and LP mode recording.

The digital and picture effects can be used independently (some of them can be combined). The cool A/V fader modes I like include "dot" and "bounce". You can also manually adjust (if you want, otherwise it's automatic) shutter speed and exposure.

VCR

The VCR mode allows you to see your material. When you switch to it, the VCR buttons appear on the upper black panel, backlit by the amber light (they are invisible in other modes). In "camera" mode you can use "Edit Search" to look through the material to find the insertion point, or use "End Search" button, located under the LCD to find the end of your last recording.

POWER SOURCE

The power source for the camcorder is an InfoLithium® battery, which has large capacity and no "memory effect", that "old" Ni-Cd batteries used to have. The best feature: you can always see the approximate remaining power: AccuPower™ meter shows you the remaining battery time in minutes on the camcorder's LCD or viewfinder - this estimate is very accurate.

The Stamina® Power Management that power consumption and extends battery life when camera is not in use - you can shoot for up to 11.5 hours with an optional battery.

The backlit LCD on the outer side of the 2.5" color LCD shows the remaining battery power in minutes while charging and tape counter when operating VCR.

I was looking for a camcorder that would provide me with excellent video recordings and the ability to transfer the recordings to the PC for editing and then sharing them with my friends and relatives.

The Sony TRV11 has an excellent imager and the Carl Zeiss Lens is the best available. I am completely satisfied with video recordings. The color viewfinder and a 3.5" display that can be rotated to face the subject are really worthwhile. I have found that kids are better on camera when they can see themselves. The instant replay on the LCD is also a very good feature. As a novice getting used to STBY and REC, I have used this feature a lot to record over bad shoots. Also, if you plan on shooting still images on tape or memory stick, this feature allows you to instantly determine whether you need more shoots to get the best pose. I strongly recommend a color enhancement light if you are doing indoor recordings, which is available as an accessory. I didn't want to spend on that right now so I move my halogen torch lights into the rooms that I wish to record. It is inconvenient but works great. TRV11 offers a 3 way PC link by means of an adapter for the memory stick, a serial port or a firewire port. If you have an ancient computer like I do and do not want to spend on a new computer, you will appreciate this.

I purchased this camera over a week ago and have time to thoroughly test this camera. I have tested every feature and am ready to review. I took this camcorder on a ride to Daytona Beach for Biketoberfest and didn't miss a single item that I wanted to film thanks to this camera and the accessories I purchased. If I could give this camera 4.5 stars I would.

Video Quality: 4.5 Stars
The video quality is great -- good light or bad. There is a slight delay in the auto-focus if lighting fluctuates or if there are items close and distant from the camera. This is especially noticeable immediately after you turn the camera on. Once the camera has done its initial focus it is pretty quick. Of course, you are welcome to try to use manual focusing but it too would take you that long to switch to manual focus and then adjust the display.

Night Shot: 4.0 Stars
Night shot is better than most cameras. However, it appears as if you are shining a green flashlight into the dark. The "Super Night Shot" feature is worthless to me. The sample rate is slow and the video unfocused 75% of the time. This feature could have been exchanged for something else useful. I will say that the regular night shot is crisp and clear as opposed to snowy / grainy like other digital camcorders.

Zoom: 4.0 Stars
The zoom is steady and crisp.

Sound Pickup / Microphone: 4.0 Stars
The microphone picks up the zoom button if you "flick" it on and off rather than "ease" it. Play with it for a while and practice before you start taking video that has important audio with it. The microphone is otherwise good. It picks up all the sound you want and keeps the unwanted background sound to a minimum. If you think it needs improvement you can purchase the external microphone kit or use your own mic plugged into the external mic port.

In-Camera Video Editing: 3.5 Stars
The in-camera video editing options are nice to have if you blew all your money on the camera and don't have the $$ to spend on the firewire card to do your editing on the computer.

Included Software: 3.0 Stars
The software does the work easily but lacks some features. I recommend trying a few other shareware versions of other products before you settle into the provided software.

Recommended Updates:
Sony Handycam Camcorder Value Kit ($80) -
Includes Sony Carrying Case and an Extra Battery
The case will keep your investment protected. The extra battery allows you to keep filming while your other battery charges.

Ambico Lithium-Ion Battery Charger ($49) -
This kit allows you to plug the battery in the car charger or at home in a standard outlet. If you are going to be filming for an extended period of time, consider purchasing at least one extra battery and the charger. The Sony Kit provides the extra battery.

Sony DV Editing Kit ($89) -
This kit is called EZ Editor. The kit gives you an internal PCI two-port firewire card, a firewire cable, and Pinnacle Studio 7 SE. The software is very easy to use, and very effective. You can upgrade the software to a more professional feel for about $49 online. The installation of the card is easy, the software is simple and has a multitude of features and is 100% compatible with the camera.

Summary:
This camera is great all around. It has every port for input and output that you would want (under current standards). The instructions are GREAT. Thank goodness they finally developed a manual written in English -- and English only! Now you don't have to flip around trying to find the portions that you understand.

I know I have pushed a few accessories here. I'm not a salesman or a Sony representative. My feeling, however, is that accessorizing makes the camera. This camera is nice by itself but is much more convenient once you add the things that make your life easier.

Each person may need different accessories (which is why they aren't included in the camera package) so use the information provided here to help you decide if you need these accessories or not.

I would recommend that you take the time to step through the owners manual and test each feature that they walk you through. It will prevent you from introducing yourself to the feature at a time when you'd rather be filming. If you purchase the carrying case, the manual fits snug into the front pocket. Keep it there and reference it.

Lastly, I recommend buying a warranty with your camera. Cleanings are recommended every 6 months, this is still a new technology and the warranty doesn't cost that much. I purchased my camera at Best Buy with the warranty. I can bring my camera into Best Buy for a free cleaning as often as I like. I have unlimited repair or replacement of my product should it need replaced. I don't usually buy these warranties, but when you spend this much on a camera, consider this insurance!

I bought this camcorder 10 days before.
Earlier I had Panasonic PV DV800. I returned that one because I wasn't happy about video quality.
I liked TRV 730.
Pros :
Day light video quality is superb. Except night time it is not quite good. Mega Pixel digital photo is quite satisfactory.
USB support is very useful. You can just connect to computer and your camcorder will become virtual disk. It is pretty sleek and data transfer is fast.

Cons.
Memory is just 4 MB. I could hardly take 5 photos with high resolution. Separate Battery charger could be better. At night time even there is plenty of light, picture seems little dark.

Final Word:
There are many DV camcorder cheaper than this one. I will still recommend this based on quality. I found this digital 8 better than other DV's. Overall this is best bet.

I love this camcorder! I can get the close ups skinnaMAX can't touch. The zoom is top notch and the wide angle action catches the nips. I would recommend checking the manuel as it gives the down low you can't get just by trickin the gadget. The nightvision brings the dish to light and makes the digital quiver. I would encourage those who haven't to experience the Sony DCR-TRV730 for themselves.

After comparing this digital video camera with built in digital still camera with numerous other competing cameras that were five hundered dollars higher or lower in price range, I found it to have the best features for the lowest price. It has great video, and best digital still resolution of any competing model (but it is poor compared to full time digital cameras and 35mm film). Very stylish!!!

Flash for stills, numerous low light, back light, and special video recording settings make it a great all around digital video camera for parties, weddings, etc., at a home use level.

Down side is poor digital stills in comparason to digital still cameras on market. It also uses a Multimedia card which is not supported by no computer needed, photosmart printers such as HP photosmart printers. Also, included software works but is bare boned and basic.

Side by side with sony models, the DVM75u was a far better value for me. I must admit, the overall quality of the sony video picture for discerning viewers, and I mean techno-phile junkies, is slightly superior. But I could not give up the built-in digital still camera resolution superiority with flash and an extra five hundred bucks for a difference only a professional could point out, and memory sticks are just offensively expensive. Great for video, gets by for stills. You'll need to purchase a digital still camera for photos.

I work for an ad agency in Los Angeles ...and I used to lug around too much heavy and bukly equipment until this baby came around. One day I went out with the location scouts and director to scout for possible filming locations. Here I was with a Digital8 video camera and another Nikon DX-1 digital camera to film and photograph locations, then the director and then the location scouts come strolling up with these little Palm Pilot looking things in their hands and I was like wheres everything else? All they said ws its all here. So after a day of walking around with my ... I ditched my video camera in the car. I started to use one of the scouts JVC Mini DV camcorders and was increadibaly surprised at the resolution and quality even for stills. The cameras were all stock except each of them carried 2 128 memory cards other than that everythign was great. What surprised me was theat such a little package could deliver the quality it did. Easy to heek up to a PC in our editing room too just plug it in and your ready to go. This is by far one of the best MiniDV Camcorders out there now.

Perhaps I'd give this 4.5 stars, but I'm happy enough with it to round up and not down. Vids are crisp and vivid. They transfer great with FIREWIRE/pinacle/dazzle 80 (unlike Sony w/ it's less frilly included editor). Only downside is the still pics for a camcorder are fair, it's not a mega-pixel cam like Sony's. For this reason some reviewers prefer the Sony, here's why I don't.
#1 If your desktop doesn't revolve around Sony's exclusive (& stupid) MEMORY STICK (and most of yours don't)then you have to buy one just to use all the so-called convenient features it brings.
#2 The CCD is much clearer and better.
#3 NIGHT VISION? so what! JVC's NIGHTALIVE frame rate may be slower but it actually captures color in low light! Even if you NEEDED to tape your kids sleeping in total dark, it makes them look GREEN and hollows out their eyeballs! - Yuk!
#4 Do you really care that Carl Zeiss makes the lense? Perhaps it makes a diff with film photography but not with Sony's CCD resolution.
#5 It's heavier, bulkier, clunkier (too many outside buttons) and less stylin than the JVC.

I recently had mine stolen, after tinkering around with comparible Sony's I'm going right back to buy another JVC GR-DVM75!

I have had this camcorder (my first and only) for nearly a year. It was a great entry to home video.

I was very pleased with the picture quality and it is easy to use. I have tried the EIS feature(electronic image stabilization) and it really works and the effect on picture quality is barely noticeable.

Editing on a computer with the IEEE1394 interface is fun (and IEEE1394 interface cards for desktop and laptop PCs can be had very cheaply - I bought one for each.) The camcorder can even print the finished movies back to a blank MiniDV tape for archiving and for displaying on NTSC TVs.

The built-in microphone has very poor sound quality - voices sound very tinny. I wish it had a way of connecting an external microphone. And I wish a second, larger battery wasn't so expensive - it is hard to shop around for a third-party battery as the online catalogs rarely mention this model of camcorder.

Shop around for MiniDV tapes - good brands can be found for around $5 but I see them many places over $8.

The battery charger included with mine doubles as an AC adapter and works on many electrical systems round the world (just get a travel plug from your local hardware store.)

This digital camera has everything you need. Don't waste your money on those overpriced gadgety cameras, when all you need is something to capture good quality digital video.

I've played around with quite a few DV cameras, and almost all of them were impossible to figure out. Too many buttons. This camera only has the necessities. My only complaint about the ergonomics is that the record button could be placed better. I usually take my thumb off of it after I hit record, so I have to go searching for it when I want to pause or stop recording, so a lot of my video has a visible jiggle at the end where I was fumbling for the record toggle.

The quality of the video is superb. It gets a little grainy in low light, but no worse than any DV camera I've seen below $900.

Oh, one thing to note. This camera doesn't come with a DV tape to get you started. So, you better put a 3-pack in your shpping cart before you check out. I'd recommend a second battery, too.

This camera doesn't have an analog pass-thru, so you can't use it to transfer your old 8mm videos to DV.... but that's something you'd do only once anyway, right? Why spend the extra bucks on a camera that can do it then?

This is a great deal. If you are the bare-bones type, get this. You'll be pleased.

For an entry level miniDV camcorder, this one Rocks.
Easy to use & extremely light.
Buy the Pyro firewire card, and you can get great video to your pc.
For the price you pay, it doesn't get much better.

Just passed one year warrant period, the eye piece viewfinder didn't work anymore. It seems that the sensor for the foldable screen went bad. Sent back to California Canon service center, and was charged for [money]. The customer service agent was very arrogant about Canon quality, and showed no sign of concern for my problem.

Recently half of screen became distorted during replay. Don't want to waste another [money], so tried lots of cleaning and changed the tape from TDK to Sony. The problem seems to be under control.

If it goes bad again, I will trash this junk, and buy a Sony.

My main draw to the Canon Optura Pi was the optical (rather than digital) image stabilization. Canon is the only camcorder manufacturer that offers this feature in this price range. The image quality is excellent, although the camera calibration can take some getting used to. Experiment with white balance settings, etc. until you find something that works well. The LCD screen is a little too bright, but otherwise looks good. This camera integrates flawlessly with my Macintosh G4 and iMac DV computers. My only complaint about this camera is that occasionally the picture can become blocky and behave erratically. However, I have discovered that this is a problem with ALL DV camercorders and is due to flaky DV cassettes. So, choose your tapes wisely! In every instance of picture glitches, the problem has corrected itself within a matter of minutes. As I said, this is probably the best camcorder you can get in without spending $2500 or more

I did a lot of research on digital camcorders. Unfortunately...didn't help much with my search. So I would like to help the site by telling everyone that the Canon Optura Pi is the camcorder to get. It is very difficult to find a camcorder with all the features that you need withouth spending $+ for it... It has excellent broadcast quality video. A superb progressive scan mode that allows you to snap high quality stills while filming. Awesome low light shooting without the need of nightvision. And lots more!! There are very few camcorders that can compare to the Optura Pi, but none of those camcorders can compare to the price. The Sony PC-110 and the JVC GR-DVL 9800U are similar camcorders but costs a lot more. This is one of the most overlooked camcorders in the market. But if you don't want to spend a lot and want the best possible camcorder, the Optura PI would be my #1 choice.

I was looking for something small I could carry in a pack or a pocket. This gadget fits the bill. It's so tiny and cool to use, people are always astonished when they see it. It's useful for taking quick pictures and short videos (the resolution isn't great but it's good enough for email and web pix). The MP3 player is a great bonus. I use it to listen to audiobooks. I would highly reccommend it for anyone looking for a small multi-use gadget. It will never replace my Canon digital camera but it's a nice extra.

This has been a perfect buy for my wife and I. She wanted an easy-to-use, easy-to-carry digital camera. Well, I found exactly what she wanted, plus a digital camcorder (it records/plays MPEG4 clips), an audio recorder, and a MP3 player --all for the price of an entry-level digital camera!!

The video editing software that comes with this baby is not ideal, but it handles the basic tasks of viewing and deleting files. I also wish I could use the device as a webcam. But other than that, I've had so much fun with it, including recording instructions for my wife on how to use it!

this is the coolest thing you get four great things in one, although i cant print out the pictures because my mom lost the product key

a retard could figure this out it's so easy,but if you are going to buy this buy an extra card for recording because they dont hold very much. well, you should still buy this because instead of buying those expensive video camera, or mp3 players, or digital cameras it's all in one and VERY COOL

I was attracted to this camera when I was told I could insert titles with it. I was very disappointed to learn that it comes with a limited set of predefined titles (Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, etc.) and no way of creating my own as with my old S-VHS camera. I tried to contact customer service through their email address to ask about this and another problem - after a couple days I got an email back telling me to call during business hours. I find the thumb wheel that operates the menu driven options system ackward to use and frequently press the wrong button in the middle of trying to get to an option.
I am not happy with the method of putting date and time into the video - you have to use the menu system, so it is impossible to start a video with a time and date stamp imbedded, then turn the date stamp off after a few seconds of taping without stopping and running through the menus.
I understand that most digital cameras go into a mosaic mode when in fast-forward or reverse. The older analog cameras were better in this respect in that you can better see the images going by in fast-forward or rewind.
The picture quality is super; I like the color LCD screen and veiw finder. I'm happy that it has an external microphone input - that may well come in handy someday.

I purchased the Canon ZR25MC for use at work. Once you add in the extras local electronics store threw in a decent bag and tripod, and Canon rebate, it was pricewise a better deal. In terms of features: I received the PV-DV401 as a gift and have not used it as much, but the following are my observations over a few days. The Canon does not provide software as does the Panasonic (the latter is useful to a subset of pc users). The ScanDisk reader is by far the simplest way to transfer digital stills to any computer (pc or Mac), works with both cameras. So far the Canon "doubles up" more on buttons for standard and special features. Panasonic has more specific buttons, makes the Panasonic a bit easier at times (such as low light feature). I find the Panasonic zoom fits & works easier with my grip. The Panasonic has more connection options for computers- Firewire/I-link and USB. The Canon has a smaller "hand profile". The Canon digital video download into iMovie is pretty seamless; haven't gotten there with the Panasonic. Will soon find out how readily the USB & Panasonic software works with a pc; will it be as pleasurable as iMovie?

I've produced several half hour shorts in digital video with this camera and am very pleased with the long lens, image stabilization, digital video format, low light and bright light imaging, built in stereo mics and external mic input, large LCD screen, and color viewfinder!!!

Stills are ok in bright light, but less than 1 megapixel so detail is not there compared to current digital still cameras.

Minor negative - I get an editing artifact in the last frame of the last scene on tape.

A shame it doesn't do 16:9 though...

I evaluated a number of camcorders PC105, DRV38 and DRV22 when I came acroos the HC40 at the store. I fell in love with the look, the feel, and the great small size. It is not a vertical design, and it fits very nicely in your hand. I purchased it and brought it home.

The first thing my wife and I noticed when we powered it up was how washed out the screen looked. The salesperson said it would look that way on the screen but that the colors would look perfect after downloading the video to my computer. That was not the case - it was just as washed out on my computer. In fact, the video looked worse than the 30sec clips I can take with my Canon S230 digital camera. I went back to the store and returned the camcorder.

I was still intrigued and wondered if I had just gotten a lemon. So I went to a different store, where the saleperson said a number of customers had mentioned how washed out the screens look (especially reds & yellows - flesh tones look out of wack). I asked him to arrange the HC40 and the TRV33 side by side since I discovered that the TRV33 was also small, but not as small as the HC40 - we were astonished (along with other customers watching our impromptu demo) at how poor the HC40 screen looked. The TRV33 blew away the HC40 and it wasn't close by any means. It had much richer colors and captured the colors much more accurately than the HC40.

If you're seriously considering this camcorder, I highly suggest that you put it side-by-side with another Sony not in the HC series and see what you think of the image - I, along with everyone at the store who watched our demo, obviously give this camcorder very, very poor marks for the image.

I gave this camcorder 2 stars b/c the rest of the camcorder seems great - great asthetics, strong ergonomics, nice features like a built-in lens cap - but the poor image defeats to purpose of all the great features especially at this price.

I needed a cam to make some movies of my new daughter. I wanted something compact so that I would never hesitate to carry it around. I also wanted to make sure it was easy to use and took great video indoors. This narrowed my choices down to the Sony PC-105, TRV22 and the Canon Optura 300 / Elura 50. Except for the TRV22, all were the vertical style which while small, were awkward to use (the Sony being the worst with its horrible zoom control). The Canon's also do not have the IR-illuminated night shot capability. So, I was all set to buy the TRV22 especially since it has outstanding low-light capability when I tried out the HC40. The HC's form factor is just so great, I couldn't pass it up. It to me seems as small as the PC105 but is the much more hold-able horizontal style everyone prefers.

So I bought both the TRV22 and HC40 and compared them at home. Yes, the TRV22 does shoot noticably better in low light conditions, but practically speaking the HC40 is good enough for me, and the form factor more than makes up for it. I'd give it 5 stars if 1) its low light ability was as good as the TRV22 and 2) if its auto focus responded a bit quicker.

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I bought this camera my birthday and thought it was great. A couple months later, I began to notice that the sound skips, and it would constantly eat tapes. And then it goes on some sort of safety mode where it wont let you do anything on the camera because it thinks it might break itself. And whats up with all that extra space around the flip screen? I should have done more research before I bought this camera, and now im paying the price.

This is my first Camcoder, the other choice I considered was JVC-DV120, I liked JVC's 16x optical zoom, but its construction looked cheesy and it's much bulkier. The DV102 looks much better and has some nice features I like: zoom-mic and build-in light. It's a real good deal.
Camera is pretty easy to use and takes good picture, the image stablization does a good job, I took a lot of video by holding it without a tripod, sometimes I need to walk around, and the image wasn't very jerky. The sound quality is very good, no background noise at all.
In low light the image is a little bit grainy, but still very acceptable.
I'm not worried about the SD card, though I do have a spare one from my digital camera, I rarely use it, the still picture quality is too low to justify the price of a card. If Panasonic removed the SD drive and offered it with a remote, I'd have given it 5 stars. The other thing I missed is it doesn't have S-video output.
The Camcoder offers some manual feature such as iris lock, backlight and program AE, which are essential to cope with certain light conditions.
The camera's control buttons are a little hard to reach for me by just using one hand, my hand is relatively small, so make sure it's good for your hand.

Overall I feel it's perfect for begainers on a budget.
Btw, the software is virtually usesless.

The camera itself gives you crystal clear movies, they transfer perfectly to VCR with great video and sound quality. Image transfer to PC via FireWire (cable and card not included) is also outstanding. Only problem is that I had to get seperate software (Adobe Premiere which is expensive) because the included software was, without excaggeration, one of the worst applications I've ever worked with weather multimedia or otherwise. It appeared to be written by someone with very basic programming ability! I emphasize this fact for those of you looking to do PC stuff with it. The still pics from the [optional] memory card are average but OK for Ebay and emailing pics. Overall: great for price range. I'm happy with it.