Digital-Camcorder Reviews

I have owned this camera for over two years and have produced about 10 video productions with it, ranging from 3 minutes to 30.

Overall, the camera works great. I got it on an open-box special at Circuit City, and I think it must have been dropped or something, because there are definitely loose connections somewhere. The viewfinder flickers and the firewire port is very sensitive to how far the cable is plugged into it. I sent it away to Sony for repair and after 6 weeks it came back in the same condition. Since I can't be without the thing for long stretches like that, I've never re-sent it.

Other than this nuisance issue, it has performed flawlessly, even though it's been through some tough situations. It has happily accepted different brands of tape, which many will tell you is a no-no. The pictures are clear and crisp, and my 40+ year old eyes love the 3 1/2" viewfinder.

I would give the camera a 5 star, were it not for the sound quality. In anything other than a hand-held, home video shoot, you should always use an external microphone. I don't know what's wrong, but the audio quality from such a setup is very poor. OK, I'm being picky and comparing the unit to others costing 2 or 3 times as much. But because the video quality compares so well, it makes the lackluster audio a real disappointment. With the on-camera microphone, however, you'll never notice the difference.

For someone who wants really good looking video and doesn't want to have the camera in the repair shop every year, this is a great cam.

I bought the DCR-TRV20 in January, and I have been very pleased with it. The image quality, features, battery life, size/weight, and zoom Zeiss optics are excellent. All around, a good choice ...and I'd buy one again. The still image feature produces digital photographs (1M pixel) that are good enough that I don't carry my 2 and 3Mb digital cameras when I pack the TRV20. I do use PhotoShop to "warm" the images up a little because they have the "cool" look typical of video cameras. Colors are very good, video is impressively sharp, and autoexposure and autofocus are rapid and accurate. There is excellent sound quality from the built-in stereo microphones. The controls are all in the right place for single handed (right handed) operation.

I bought this to take on my honeymoon in Jordan. It weighs about the same as a SLR, but you can take single shots as well. The night vision feature is great. By attaching the camera to my computer via a firewire system, I can also capture still shots from the video mode and print them out. I love it. The TRV20 is small enough to slip in a coat pocket with comfort. Around the neck or over the shoulder, it doesn't cut into you because of the wide strap. I wish the lens cap had a cord attached to keep up with it. The reversable viewing screen is wonderful for showing your movies when a TV hookup is not convenient. Over all, once you learn all the buttons and features, this is a dandy little unit for amateur or semi-professional alike.

I recently decided to get this camera and sell off my TRV900 because I really found I needed something smaller to carry around. It was a tough choice, as the image quality and stills from the TRV900 were decidedly better. But I just couldn't pass up the size. This one is so small for the features you get. It has many, many well thought out features. For instance, it has a little swing-down handle to make filming easier (always an issue with these little digicams). You can hook the camera directly to your computer through USB, no need to get a card reader. Pop-up flash is nice for doing indoor shots. Easy to use menus. Fairly high resolution stills for a digital camcorder. I love the Sony batteries that tell you how much time you have left...same for the tapes and memory cards. Plenty of features that a camera at this level should have.

Now, for the negatives. No progressive scan. Let me say that again. NO PROGRESSIVE SCAN!! Heaven knows why Sony continues to leave this feature off. It was so noticeable between this camera and the TRV900 which does have progressive scan, when you capture stills off of video. The ones from this camera are nowhere near as good. Not even close. If the subject is moving at all (which is usually the whole point of trying to capture a still from video), without progressive scan it is just not as clear, sharp, colorful, etc. Why Sony does not put progressive scan on their cameras is beyond me. Most of the other gripes I have with this camera are fairly minimal. Some of the buttons are fairly hard to locate, the zoom is hard to use and rather touchy, the photo button is right next to it so I often hit the wrong one, etc. Fairly typical problems for a camera of this size. Were it not for progressive scan being missing though, this would definitely be a 5-star camcorder. Without it, sorry Sony. You blew it again.

It is definitely the most expensive "toy" that I have ever owned (not counting my car), but after finally taking possession of the camera, I immediately fell in love with it. The ease of operation, craftsmanship, and overall quality make this the best camera I have ever operated (this Sony replaced an early model Sharp camera). Do you need all of the bells and whistles on it? Probably not. As a matter of fact I?d recommend that you skip any ?special effects? until you start editing the video on your computer (for which I definitely recommend a Macintosh with its free iMovie software ? it doesn?t get any easier than this!). On a side note, don?t pay attention to any reviews that complain about the location of controls and having to use your pinkie to operate the zoom. If these reviewers had read the manual they would have found out that the handle folds down for quite a comfortable grip that doesn?t get in the way when you store the camera.

I've had since 2 years and it worked great under any situation and weather conditions.
It's a very solid product, with lots of great features. Very good image quality, both in video as in still modes.
Also used it for transfering my previous home videos to the PC for editing, using the camera as a 'gateway' with its analog-digital converter (firewall).
It's my first Sony Handycam (previously used JVC cams), but in my opinion there's no point of comparison. I think I'll be tied to Sony for a long while.
Very recommended product. If you can spend a little more, don't hesitate.

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.

This is an excellent product and works in the canon G1, G2, and the D30 - I have a G2 and D30 and exchange batteries at will - caution, do not charge these batteries (Li-ion) unless they are run down completely - not to be confused with nicad's but these will go south if you top them off i.e. they are 1/2 charged and you have a habit of fully charging them. Either run them down or get a battery cycler.

This battery lasts for a full day of shooting. This was one of the main things I liked about the Canon G1. Other cameras go through disposable batteries about every 30 shots or so.

More information visit:

http://www.powershotpro1.com

My original goal in purchasing this camcorder was to record a festival in Russia where I would need a reliable battery between charges, good low light shooting,and plenty of space on tapes so I wouldn't run out.

In my first week of shooting, I tried various scenarios. I interviewed a friend in low light conditions. I was very impressed by the quality of the sound - both hers and mine as I was interviewing. The picture quality was good - better than I had been led to believe by reading other customer reviews.

I agree with others that the digital zoom is useless. I tried to film deer in a pasture that I could clearly see, but since it was out of range of the analog zoom, all I got was jitters and smeared video. Evidently the image stabilizer does not work above 10 power or with the digital zoom. Wish I had known this before I purchased the camera.

My other complaint was that I never got accurate readings on battery life. So I could never tell when to re-charge. The battery symbol was always empty, even though the camera was clearly full and worked. I assumed that this is a defect in the camera, called Canon Tech support who confirmed this, and am now getting a replacement.Question for other users...Do you remove the battery every time you stop shooting? It does say to do this in the manual. Just asking.

My final goal is to edit digital video and make a movie, saving it on a CD. This is because, as some of you may know, our video ( NTSC) is incompatable with European video standards (PAL). By editing the video and saving it to a CD it should be playable in Russia and elsewhere.

As a novice to the camcorder world I was very concerned and confused about the wide range of features and prices available in the market so, unusually for me, I took a little time and did my research.

Boy am I glad I did, and I am especialy pleased with the result. The Canon is perfect and does everything I want. It's easy to use and the results have been extremely good, especially considering that I am really new to all this.

It seems from the reviews I have read that most camcorders with built still photography features lack the quality of purpose built digital cameras, and while this is also true of my Canon, its not really an issue as I have several still cameras in 35mm and digital formats that I like to use.

The quality of the video on the Canon is really very good. I do not have the needs of a serious hobbyist or professional but I still want something that gives good quality and I am very pleased.

I am also very happy with the overall ergonimics of the camera and its ease of use. One of my first outings was a car trip out of NY city and I shot a lot of city shots from the car. The results were very satisfying.

I have only used a few of the special features and have not done any editing yet but on first glance I found the instructions a little confusing but I put that down to my lackof experience.
I really have no negative comments, my only small niggle is the hinge on the little door that covers the DC power seems very flimsy and I sense it may snap one of these days but apart from that the camera is really sturdy

In terms of value, after much research I feel I got a very good product at a fair price. I compared it to Sony and JVC products and felt that I bought a lot of quality and flexibility and saved over 200 dollars over the Sony without losing any features that I needed.

So this has been a very gratifying experience and I look forward to using the camera for a very long time. I strongly recommend it.

I purchased a ZR-25 which is basically the same camera.
My satisfaction with the camera is overwhelming. I mainly bought it for our trip to Disney, boy did it work great! It fit in my fanny pack! Let's face camcorder facts, if it is to cumbersome to carry, ya just won't use it! This thing is tiny and the video is DVD quality! I cut 2 DVD's so far, and the video is superb! One complaint people have had with this camera is the poor indoor/low light capability. True, it is probably not as good indoors as the lower lux sony's, but I found that if you set the shutter speed to 1/60, the indoor video quality improved noticibly from poor, to acceptable. In the automatic GREEN mode, the shutter speed must be at 1/100 or 1/250 which doesn't allow in enough light in when indoors. The outdoor video is so crisp, I cannot believe it. I'm satisfied with image stabilization also. Some cameras have noticibly more, but this always ends up sacrificing total recorded screen resolution, and I think Cannon made the right choice. BUY IT, LOVE IT, USE IT!
Kev out.

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.

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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.

Unfortunatly when shopping for a prosumer camera in this price range weighing the pros and cons is definitatly tough. The canon XL1s is and Excellent camera that captures the ENG style most pro cameras at this range misses. However before getting all hot and bothered over that the camera has trouble focusing in low light and a very pixilated picture when it does. The Mic on some of the the XL1s's pick up body noise which is extremely distracting since zooming is a loud function. They sell an adaptor for about $$$ but I have no idea how good it is. To boot there are no XLR plugs on the camera. So guess what. You got it another adaptor.
Ok its not all bad In fact there is some good. The 16:9 crop bars are excellent for professional shooting. The ENG camera build is of the professional style so you look like the real deal. For the Director in us all the focus ring allows for a makeshift short depth of field... excellent for a film look. At this price you have to bite the bullet and weigh the pros and cons and hope when your return peroid ends you made the right decision.

The picture quality of the XL1s is outstanding and it is known to be the industry's leading pro-sumer camcorder. It is also an extremely versatile camera, allowing you to change lenses, vary your audio options (such as connecting to professional audio sound systems), and film in both frame and wide-screen formats. The only drawbacks are that it is quite a leap in complexity and it doesn't have a pop-out viewfinder, which means you're stuck looking throught the eye-piece or have to buy an attachable view-finder.

It isn't for your average videographer who wants to just take video of family and vacations. It is actually being used to film documentaries and for professional services such as filming events such as weddings (which is what I use it for).

Due to its size, weight, complexity, and cost (especially when you add the optional accessories such as filters, additional lenses and microphones, etc.), you had better be very serious about videography before you invest in the XL1s. If you are, you will be thrilled with this camera.

What's reviewer: "a customer" & "Tyrone Brumwell"...thinking! There is a Canon XL2 comming out next month in August. I contacted Canon USA and verified it. You can do the same at 1-800-OkCanon. SAVE your money for this new beauty ($4,000) it will be worth it! Read the specs at canon's website. The Xl1 and XL1s, don't come close!!!

I just bought the DCRTRV720 - the 320's bigger brother. It has a bigger LCD screen, a color viewfinder and a remote. The bigger LCD screen and the remote were the motivating factors over the 320.

This is definitely the most terrific camera I have ever worked with. The picture quality is outstanding, and there is absolutely no shortage of features. Combined with the my Apple PowerMac G4 Cube and it's editing software iMovie, this camera absolutely rocks.

I bought this specifically for digital work, but liked the versatility of being able to take existing standard 8 and Hi 8 tapes and play them back into my Mac so that they can be used for editing. There is no range of cameras on the market other than the Sony DCRTRV range that will allow you to do this. MiniDV is also way more expensive.

Also cool are the digital stills that you can take with this camera. I bought a digital camera just before I bought the camcorder and I am now really sorry that I did. The camcorder does a much better job of the digital stills than the digital camera does.

I would recommend this camcorder range, and especially the 720 over anything else in the market.

I found this camcorder perfect for a 12 yr old, but I do belive the memory stick and still photos are a bit much. It has some way cool picture effects (negative, mosiac) and some great features (nightshot, 450x zoom)

It has an increddibly compact size for a camera of its capabilities. I now use it to video parties, and school productions which i make alot of money out of.

However, I do think, that like the analog range, it needs a built in light, so you dont need to pay extra for it to attach to the IAS. (Intellegent Accsoeries Shoe).

Happy Buying!

For the price, this is the best buy for the money....it takes excellent video footage...the only drawback is the battery life is short..need to purchase at least the 8 hour capacity (very expensive)...

I had been "window shopping" the digital video format for about 2 years. My criteria were simple. I desired a quality picture, simple to operate (meaning I had a fighting chance), and a minimal digial still picture option. I narrowed my selections down to the Canon and a simular sony model. The fact sony uses the memory stick and my other devices use the Secure Disk helped me make my decision. The first test for the camera was a trip to Italy. I was extreemly happy with the video quality in both low light (nothing like the old church test) and bright sunlight. Too, the still pictures were very good in full sunlight, but indoor with flash (including my childrens' sporting events) I have been less happy. The truth is, I knew I needed greater still resolution, but I considered the still fuction more of a bonus. The size of the camera is also nice, given I have larger hands (the canon mc40 was just too small). Ease of use is great and there are clearly more options than I will ever desire. I am very happy with my value for money.

I have worked with professional level Beta units, and prosumer DV cameras such as the Canon XL1. Although the Optura lacks some of their useful features, like zebra striping, it has fantastic image quality that rivals 3-CCD units, in a very compact package.

Having the flash is a must to make the still mode useful, if you ever want to use it. Exposure was good and image quality fairly good, considering it is only a 1.3 Mpx image.

I have larger hands but I found the camera very comfortable to hold. I have had problems with other Canon gear because I find they design for very small hands compared to Nikon.

I have not seen any of the rewinding problems reported in the other review of this product, after about 20 hours of use.

My only complaint is that low light performance can be weak. I would be concerned about trying to shoot good video in candlelight conditions (i.e. Thanksgiving Dinner) but those would be tough conditions for any camera. Nor would I ever consider using something like Sony NightShot -- I'm not interested in family video that looks like war footage.

A great camera, at a better price point than the comparable Sony PC-110.

After 6 months of researching digital camcorders, I finally settled on the Optura 100MC. I am glad that I did. It got some heavy use over the past month and I am extreamly pleased with its performance.

Highlights:
> Great video
> Easy to use (once you read the instruction booklet)
> Fits nicely in your hand
> Numerous manual options to control lighting, etc...
> Takes real good digital stills
> Fun to use
> Have not encountered any tape eating problems

Drawbacks:
> Instruction booklet is long so allow about 3 - 4 hours to read it in order to get the most out of your camcorder
> High price but you can find it cheaper by doing a little searching on the internet
> Cover on front of camera to protect DC adapter plug and S-Video port is attached by a cheap plastic connecter
> Audio pickup is not that good

I am extreamly happy with the Optura 100MC and it took me a long time and a lot of hours of research to locate the most bang for the buck. Definetly consider the Optura 100MC if you are purchasing a digital camcorder.

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).