Video Reviews

I'm not a Sony fan but I'm impressed by this great camera. Before buying this camcorder it was so important for me to find reviews about it on the Internet. After I got it I was thinking several times to write my own review but as usual you always don't have time for that. Then I said that's not fair. I know how important was for me to find the reviews (thanks to everybody who wrote a review and helped me reach the final decision). And I know also that right now many guys are searching the Internet looking for new reviews. So it's my turn to pay back ...
I did my research on the Internet for about one year until I decided to buy this camcorder. Actually I wanted the TRV27 and I changed my mind in the last moment because the difference in price between these two models in too big ... I don't regret my decision. The 2.5" LCD is just enough for us.
TRV25 is not very good in low light but also it's not bad too. It's just good. After reading some reviews on the Internet I was expecting actually the camcorder to be even worst in low light. It's OK but I'm considering to buy a external light.
In good light the camcorder is amazing! Very good resolution (I have a digital HDTV which lets me know immediately if the signal is not good), very nice life-like colors, extremely clear and clean sound!
I had no problem at all to hook up TRV25 on the USB port (I have Windows 2000 professional). Then I got a Zoltrix FireWire card and I couldn't see the camcorder with it. I called Sony and Microsoft and I sent an email to Zoltrix in Hong Kong (no answer back yet). They couldn't help me too much. Sony said that you don't need any special Sony drivers for TRV25. It's true but the general DV driver I had in my Win2K was bad. If you have problems with your FireWire connection you may try the following links: http://www.reactorcritical.com/faq-dv/faq-jvc.shtml and http://www.siig.com/knowledge/10050286.HTM. Now I'm fine. The Zoltrix card is working fine and smooth and the cable (comes with the card) is long so you don't have to stay with your camera underneath you desk. Price paid (for card, cable and software): $51 CDN +Tax.
My problem now is that I couldn't find yet the best solution to store the footage. Hopefully I'll be able to find the right settings in KVCD (http://kvcd.org). To store the footage on VHS tapes is out of question! From my camcorder I'm getting a nice 520 lines and if I store this on VHS I'll have at the end just 240 horizontal lines! Where is the point of spending so much money for a digital camcorder then? So far using the KVCD the colors are good, sound is good, the resolution is good (704 x 480) - much better than VCD (352 x 240) or SVCD (480 x 480) (check http://www.vcdhelp.com ). The only problem is that the image is not smooth. It looks like I'm loosing frames. That happens only when the camera is moving fast to the left or to the right. ...
I love my camcorder and of course I recommend it to anybody. If you are shopping for a camcorder go digital first and second give a chance to Sony TRV25/27 and you'll fall in love.
Good luck!

After researching for 1 month on camcorders, I finally chose the Sony DCR-TRV25 for several reasons.
1) It records in 690,000 pixels (520 lines of horizontal resolution)
2) Megapixel on still photo shots (1152 X 864 instead of 640 x 480)
3) Its size (very small but not too small so you don't jitter the camera)
4) Its ability to record streaming video (to put on my website)
5) 7 lux rating / 0 lux with night shot
6) Color viewfinder
7) optional manual control on brightness, backlight and focus

Others that I looked at had 1 or more of the feautres missing (like still photo of 640x480 or CCD pixels of 480,000).. so in the end, I found this to be the best priced camcorder for the money ...(Only difference I see in TRV27 is that TRV27 comes with some editing tools... (which I won't use anyways). I also looked at the TRV17 which had everything I wanted expect it's photo resolution was at 640X480.

Video Editing with P-III, 450mhz, 256 mem, Windows XP with firewire port was a breeze. Just install the firewire card and load the drivers.

You transfer still shots via the usb port. Its very easy to do. Just plug in the USB cable (it comes with one) and you will see "Sony Digital Camera" on "My computer" Just drag and drop your photos into a folder.

Although the color and sharpness of this camera is amazing, my only gripe is that the video and stills gets grainy with low light. So I'd suggest you buy a light for the camera if you plan on doing a lot of indoor shots (or at least make sure you have a good light source.)

I also recommend you buy 1) UV filter lens (mostly to protect the camcorder's lens) 2) 32MB or 64MB memory stick (instead of the 8mb it comes with) 3) Wide angle lens 4) carrying case 5) Extra battery (the one it comes with lasts about an hour)

Even if you don't buy this camcorder, after all my research, I would stick with Sony or Panasonic camcorders (they seem to get the best reviews)

Great camcorder. Excelent outdoor pictures and sound! Easy to use. Still indoor pictures somewhat grainy though.

I don't know how they built this camera, it is so small! But at the same time, it is fully packed with nice features and records sharp picture and superb sound.

First Video, this camera delivers 500 lines of horizontal resolution which delivers digital quality pictures. Features many special effects and fader, titles and PIP. Magicpix doesn't really do anyting, so don't buy it for that reason. 10x optical zoom is quite sufficient, yet 700x digital zoom is useless. This camera feature AV and S-video plugs for TV connections, and i-link/firewire/IEEE1394 for easy access for computer transfering for editing.

Audio is amazing, you hear no motor noise even in the quietest places. Audio pickup is superb with zoom mic, easy to hear people talking from a distance. Also feature wind cut. Choose between 12 or 16 bit sound.

Extras are quite good. Built in still camera is a nice feature, but don't expect 4 megapixel quality pictures. the included 8mb SD card stores between 50 and 100 pictures. Choose from normal, fine or eco mode. USB and software included for viewing photos on computer. Battery has quite decent life, for its size. up to 1 hour (or more with viewfinder). The LCD screen is easy to view, but the viewfinder is hard to see in, but at least its colour unlike other models. All controls are easy to reach. Includes lens cap, charger, battery, adapter, shoulder strap, 8mb SD card, IR and wired remote, AV and USB cable and editing software. I would suggest buying a good case. The Panasonic palmcorder camcase 7 fits quite well, with loads of room for accesories.

CONCLUSION: GREAT BUY. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. BLOWS JVC, SONY and CANON AWAY.

The old programming expression is "Fast, [Inexpensive], and Good: Choose two.". That can be extended to camcorders by changing it to "Small, [inexpensive], and Good: Choose two.".

However, the PVDC252 manages lets you choose all three. It is relatively [inexpensive], quite small, and very good. You can get smaller cameras (but not much), [inexpensive]cameras, and better cameras, but this one is a nice compromise between all three.

Size: It is smaller than my digital camera. Fits perfectly in your palm (hence 'palmcorder'), which makes it very easy to hold steady, unlike many of the smaller models. Despite its small size, the controls are fairly easy to use, with the exception of the 'menu' button, which is awkward to hit one-handed. I'm not quite sure how they manage to fit the minidv tape in there!

Quality: Image quality seems fine. Perhaps a little washed out on cloudy days, but this is not a surprise using any camera. Audio quality is EXCELLENT. Using the built in microphone on a fairly windy day, a person standing several feet away from the camera talking in a soft voice is perfectly audible. There is NO tape mechanism noise, which seems to be problem with other cameras in this price range.

Cost: If you pay more for a camera, you would get either 1) smaller size (not necessarily a good thing, this guy is small enough), or 2) Better image quality. You probably wouldn't notice much difference in image quality, unless you stepped up to one of the 'prosumer' cameras that'll set you back a couple thousand or so.

My only gripes are the somewhat clunky menu system (however, it's not really necessary for day-to-day operation), the slow tape eject mechanism (not so bad considering that they probably need to rearrange space and time to fit the tape in the camera), and the somewhat awkward position of the various plugs, a common problem on all small cameras.

Bottom line: Highly recommended.

In Europe this model is called the NV-GS5, which is what I have, but it's otherwise identical.

I've had it a few months now. I bought it after lots of research, and after rejecting the "upright" style cameras because they're so hard to hold steady. This little Panasonic is still very small (and cute) but you have a chance of holding it reasonably steady. Having said that, even with the image stabiliser on, you will need a tripod to make decent use of even the 10x optical zoom.

Panasonic's main selling points for this camera seem to be its ability to record stills, MPEGs and voice clips onto SD card, but if you've already got a digital stills camera, you'll not be too excited about stills at 640 x 480, maximum.

Forget that, and notice the other advantages. As the top model in this range (the 352 is really quite different and a lot bigger) it gets a colour viewfinder, and an analogue AV input. That could be really useful. There appears to be a connector for just about everything you can think of, including the all-important external microphone. The lens has a screw mount for proprietary conversion lenses and filters too.

Performance wise, I have been very pleased indeed with the results. It focuses with alacrity (almost never caught out), produces a really crisp clean image in all but the murkiest conditions, and generally looks surprisingly close to broadcast quality. Sound is pretty good using the built-in microphone: lots of atmosphere. Unlike some mini-DV camcorders, the microphone is mounted right at the front, so you only notice camera noise when you film in a very quiet location.

It's quite easy to use, though you'll need to spend a little time with the horrible instruction book before you can use it confidently. At first I kept forgetting which menu contained which control. But some controls are easily accessible, like the manual exposure (nice to have) and focus wheel. Most things fall to hand well, though the menu button requires a double-jointed index finger...

On the whole though, I have few criticisms. It's small, looks great, is quite easy to use and most important, produces excellent pictures and sound. I'm very impressed.

I got mine last week and it has been great so far. I'm happy with the picture quality and surprised at all the features included. The price was the major selling point as was the ability for it to play my old 8mm tapes from a previous machine. So far i'm happy I didn't spend the big bucks on a digital camcorder. I did however have to go out and purchase and additional battery because the one that comes included only lasts about 50 minutes. The new battery...lasts 3+ hours.

This camcorder is wonderful! I tried one to film a small movie for my sons softball team and found myself making several movies. I love the viewfinder and the many picture effects (Mosaic, Solarization, Monotone, etc.). And you can insert custom titles in 22 different languages. The Lithium-Ion battery lasts forever and recharges. This model comes with Sony's Nightshot which makes it able to shot movies in total darkness. This really is a great camera.

THis camera is great. I have had it for over a year and it has worked perfectly. The picture is great and it is small and handy. Also it is now selling for 299.99! It is a steal. I would suggest anyone buying it who needs a ... camcorder!

I just got the CCD-TRV-308 camcorder and it is awesome!! The only thing is is that you cant edit your film on your computer you can just play it back. I give 4 - 4 1/2 stars

I've been trying to buy a video camera for the past 6 years (ever since my first monster bought in 1990 died). I finally bit the bullet since this camera seemed so reasonable and so highly-rated. I'm happy with every aspect of this camcorder. The bells and whistles are surprisingly complete, and it's so lightweight that I can (and do) spend the entire day with it in my hand.

One caveat...a wide angle lens would be a smart purchase. It's difficult to get far enough away from the action and still hear what is going on.

We purchased this camcorder for the holidays, selecting the CCDTRV308 over the CCDTRV108 due to it's added features such as image stability and auto-light. It arrived within three days - amazing! With my son's birthday coming up at the weekend, and the speedy delivery, it was a real test as to whether I could read the manual and become comfortable in the camcorder's use before the big day. The instructions are clear, concise and easily referenced.

We chose official Sony cassettes for this first run to ensure optimal picture quality and compatibility. Image quality is excellent, but we did notice that it performs better after it has 'warmed up'. This might be due to cassette stability or electronics temperature, but in no way detracts from this product's quality. Fade in/out options are excellent and with the 'cinema' setting gives your production that 'ER' feel.

I suspect that upgrading to a higher capacity battery may be a next step, but it lasted through the kid's party with ease. About 30 minutes of shooting remained, even though we used the LCD the whole time.

Title use is a little confusing, but you do get the option of creating two custom titles in addition to the standard fare.

The tripod was prepared, just in case the weight of the camcorder became tiring, but it was not needed. The lightness of these new camcorders over the ones of yesteryear makes life much easier, and is not burdening.

We researched considerably, before purchasing this product, which is no guarantee of success, but I have no hesitation in recommending it to those considering a Hi-8 camcorder.

These and all other brand cables from MC are all overpriced including these. I have a 20" JVC I'Art television and I have my DVD connected through component. I have used Monster Cable component cables and they put out pretty much the exact same picture as my newer PHILIPS brand component cables that I only had to pay about [$$$] or so for. The PHILIPS are also shielded and gold plated and all that good stuff. So buy these MC component cables if you dont care about price, but otherwise buy PHILIPS brand that are way cheaper and put out the same quality picture.

It may sound somewhat surprising, at first glance, that a short piece of cable between your TV and DVD player can make a noticeable difference in the picture quality, but once you compare a cheap cable with a good one, you'll see that there is a difference! My DVD player came with a very cheap-looking cable with three RCA connectors on each side, and I used this cable to hook up the DVD player to the component (RGB) input of my TV before doing anything else. I dismissed this cable immediately as the picture was much noisier than I expected. A $15 S-Video cable performed better. However, I had to adjust the settings in video equalizer of my DVD player to increase color saturation, and also had to decrease sharpness of the picture to make noise unnoticeable. Finally, I bought the Monster cable (don't tell my wife about it!). This cable resulted in a perfectly sharp and clean picture without any adjustments in the CD player. Due to double-shielding of this cable, there was no sign of the noise that I saw with the S-Video cable either.

I do not know if there is a noticeable difference between this cable and a less sophisticated one that may cost half of its price. I guess, everything depends on the kind of TV and DVD player you are using. But I can say for sure that my experience convinced me that there is a tremendous difference between this high-end cable and those from the very low end.

The last thing: I do not think that it makes any sense to use such an expensive cable for a connection other than component video (Y + two color difference channels), also called "color stream" by Toshiba. If you do not have a component video input, use either S-video, or composite video (Video+2 audio connector). In the latter case (or if you need a cable to connect your VCR) a cheaper cable would do. This one is worth the money only if you do not want to settle for anything less than perfect.

Recently bought a Analog Big Screen TV. Switched from S-Video to Component cables. There is a big difference. The picture looks more film like with Component cables. Do not hesitate to upgrade. Stay away from cheap Wally World brands. You get what you pay for. The S-Video cable I used was Monster Cable M1000 sv.

These and all other brand cables from MC are all overpriced including these. I have a 20" JVC I'Art television and I have my DVD connected through component. I have used Monster Cable component cables and they put out pretty much the exact same picture as my newer PHILIPS brand component cables that I only had to pay about [$$$] or so for. The PHILIPS are also shielded and gold plated and all that good stuff. So buy these MC component cables if you dont care about price, but otherwise buy PHILIPS brand that are way cheaper and put out the same quality picture.

It may sound somewhat surprising, at first glance, that a short piece of cable between your TV and DVD player can make a noticeable difference in the picture quality, but once you compare a cheap cable with a good one, you'll see that there is a difference! My DVD player came with a very cheap-looking cable with three RCA connectors on each side, and I used this cable to hook up the DVD player to the component (RGB) input of my TV before doing anything else. I dismissed this cable immediately as the picture was much noisier than I expected. A $15 S-Video cable performed better. However, I had to adjust the settings in video equalizer of my DVD player to increase color saturation, and also had to decrease sharpness of the picture to make noise unnoticeable. Finally, I bought the Monster cable (don't tell my wife about it!). This cable resulted in a perfectly sharp and clean picture without any adjustments in the CD player. Due to double-shielding of this cable, there was no sign of the noise that I saw with the S-Video cable either.

I do not know if there is a noticeable difference between this cable and a less sophisticated one that may cost half of its price. I guess, everything depends on the kind of TV and DVD player you are using. But I can say for sure that my experience convinced me that there is a tremendous difference between this high-end cable and those from the very low end.

The last thing: I do not think that it makes any sense to use such an expensive cable for a connection other than component video (Y + two color difference channels), also called "color stream" by Toshiba. If you do not have a component video input, use either S-video, or composite video (Video+2 audio connector). In the latter case (or if you need a cable to connect your VCR) a cheaper cable would do. This one is worth the money only if you do not want to settle for anything less than perfect.

Recently bought a Analog Big Screen TV. Switched from S-Video to Component cables. There is a big difference. The picture looks more film like with Component cables. Do not hesitate to upgrade. Stay away from cheap Wally World brands. You get what you pay for. The S-Video cable I used was Monster Cable M1000 sv.

These and all other brand cables from MC are all overpriced including these. I have a 20" JVC I'Art television and I have my DVD connected through component. I have used Monster Cable component cables and they put out pretty much the exact same picture as my newer PHILIPS brand component cables that I only had to pay about [$$$] or so for. The PHILIPS are also shielded and gold plated and all that good stuff. So buy these MC component cables if you dont care about price, but otherwise buy PHILIPS brand that are way cheaper and put out the same quality picture.

It may sound somewhat surprising, at first glance, that a short piece of cable between your TV and DVD player can make a noticeable difference in the picture quality, but once you compare a cheap cable with a good one, you'll see that there is a difference! My DVD player came with a very cheap-looking cable with three RCA connectors on each side, and I used this cable to hook up the DVD player to the component (RGB) input of my TV before doing anything else. I dismissed this cable immediately as the picture was much noisier than I expected. A $15 S-Video cable performed better. However, I had to adjust the settings in video equalizer of my DVD player to increase color saturation, and also had to decrease sharpness of the picture to make noise unnoticeable. Finally, I bought the Monster cable (don't tell my wife about it!). This cable resulted in a perfectly sharp and clean picture without any adjustments in the CD player. Due to double-shielding of this cable, there was no sign of the noise that I saw with the S-Video cable either.

I do not know if there is a noticeable difference between this cable and a less sophisticated one that may cost half of its price. I guess, everything depends on the kind of TV and DVD player you are using. But I can say for sure that my experience convinced me that there is a tremendous difference between this high-end cable and those from the very low end.

The last thing: I do not think that it makes any sense to use such an expensive cable for a connection other than component video (Y + two color difference channels), also called "color stream" by Toshiba. If you do not have a component video input, use either S-video, or composite video (Video+2 audio connector). In the latter case (or if you need a cable to connect your VCR) a cheaper cable would do. This one is worth the money only if you do not want to settle for anything less than perfect.

Recently bought a Analog Big Screen TV. Switched from S-Video to Component cables. There is a big difference. The picture looks more film like with Component cables. Do not hesitate to upgrade. Stay away from cheap Wally World brands. You get what you pay for. The S-Video cable I used was Monster Cable M1000 sv.

Spend a lot, get a lot more. Although it was a tough choice to spend the money when I purchased my TRV70, I have no regrets. My camera is DA BEST!. After I figured out the Still Picture recording is best taken when not recording video simultaneously, I never looked back. There are so many features to mention but I don't use. The key things to consider:
- Bigger lens, means better image
- Good size CCD is a treasure; otherwise 3 CCD is next option
- Manual focus override; in photography, this is VERY important
- Backlight control; it's a great override in low light conditions like opening up your camera aperature
- Manual disable of on-board flash; continue taking pictures when flash is not allowed
- Touch screen LCD is sweet, don't listen to button fanatics
- Steady Shot works.... when camera is light, more chances of jarring movements, so here its really important.
- Memory stick convenience ... buy larger capacity, more over time.
- Battery Status; Info-lithium means no guessing game. By several small batteries, charge them, and carry them a-l-a Rambo.
- Don't install Imagemixer software. Instead, use Sony's Screenblast Movie Studio 3.0. You'll be happier.
- Don't skimp on footage. Take lots of footage. It's easier to edit, than to say... I don't have enough!

It's unfortunate, Sony is discontinuing the product in 2004. It's a great product! I'm ready to buy a second one so I can get the same footage from another vantage point. Silly, two people using different cameras. :-)

this is a power packed camcorder!
pros:
- other than the sony trv80, this is the only sony miniDV camcorder that has a 2 megapixel still camera built in.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, bluetooth, mic input, etc.
- has a built in pop-up flash for taking stills.
- carl zeiss lens.
- steady shot and night shot.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to memory stick.
- progressive shutter system.

cons:
- this camcorder is bigger than i would like. you can get smaller camcorders like the trv33 or the pc105. granted, those have less features, mainly still camera capability (2.0 megapixel vs 1.0 megapixel).
- bright 2.5" LCD screen: but i definitely prefer the 3.5" in the trv80.
- as with most sony products, you pay a premium, pushing up the price.
- the included 8MB memory stick (for a 2 megapixel still camera!) is unacceptable. you'll need at least a 64MB memory stick with if you want to take full advantage of the higher resolution pics you'll be taking.
- although bundling the camcorder and still camera together means you only have to carry one piece of equipment, it also means that if one breaks, you have to replace both.
- as an alternate to this bundling strategy, you can get a trv33 or pc105 and get a 3 megapixel still camera for about the same price.
- no built in video light but you can get one less than a hundred bucks.

all in all, a very nice camcorder. nice work sony.

This is my fourth camcorder, and first digital camcorder. I bought it to record my child's soccer games to make a DVD to send to college coaches. It recorded steady sharp video in all lighting conditions, including heavy overcast, light fog, and night games under stadium lights. I also bought the remote controll tripod, which makes it much easier to start/stop recording and adjust the zoom (the remote control zoom buttons have the correct sensitivity, as opposed to the camera zoom control as noted in a review below). The only problem I had that caused the loss of a few minutes of video was that the camcorder started displaying "Cleaning Tape". I packed the tape (fast forward to the end and rewound) and recorded over the bad section. I now pack the tape again whenever I insert a new one in the camcorder

What D-Link does not tell you is that this device will not work if your ISP is AOL, because AOL constantly changes your IP, and the I2eye does not address this. Also, as you know if you're on AOL, when you connect, you also sign-in to AOL, and again, the I2eye does not have "sign-in" software on board. We spent three hours on the phone with D-Link, AOL and Verizon, and there is NO work-around. Also, if you call D-Link, they will claim that they support "all ISPs" but when you tell them how AOL constantly reassigns IPs, they admit that they don't address this. Bottom line: you can't use this with AOL broadband.

I bought a pair of this vidoe phone and fall in love with it.

I am relocating to another city. Really missing my sons since we could not have the whole family moved until summer. So I decided to buy a pair of i2eye.

We ended up with turn them on whenever we have a chance. My 6 year old also loves it. Most time I call, he will shut down his cartoon TV and jump up and down for a few minutes. Compare to a regular phone, he would just talk with me one sentence.

Something nice to have (not in the set yet): autofocusing or remote focusing. S-Video output to TV set (so higher resolution).

We are in the process of buying more for my parents and my wife's parents...

I have this product at my home and one at the office and it works both with my earthlink ADSL at home and the SDSL we have at work. The video quality is great, although not totally awesome, it is better than you expect. The audio is perfect with a phone plug into the back of this device. And amazon is wrong when it says; "Microphone required for sending audio." The i2eye comes with a built in mic, but it isn't the best of quality, that's why we use phones connected to them (cordless is preferred).

As far as AOL Broadband goes, yes this probably doesn't work with it. But either does XBox Live, some PS2 online games, and other devices like these. This is because AOL Broadband doesn't let you go online like everyone else. They keep you on their network so they can control advertisements, parental controls, and pop ups, etc. This is fine for regular web browsing, if being restricted on the Internet is fine with you, but for devices like that are gaining popularity, this is going to be a problem with AOL Broadband.
Technical Babble: AOL Broadband is basically software they make you use that "signs-in" to their internal network (VPN like) and you get a private IP like 10.x.x.x and everything you do goes through them and they can block any port or domain they want. Almost like they are a proxy you can't get rid of.

So the bottom line is that this product is great, but it isn't D-Link's fault AOL Broadband decided to go this route. So you can't blame this VideoPhone from D-Link for AOL's choices. If you really want to be able to do what you want on the Internet, get a real ISP, that gives you a real IP address, and doesn't make is mandatory you install their software.

I like this product and will recommend it to anyone, even if they have AOL Broadband, because this alone is a reason to switch ISPs. That's what AIM is for.

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!