Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Advantages:
1. No tapes or mini-DVD's; record straight onto hard drive
2. Many hours on the hard drive, even in HQ
3. Beautiful colors & resolution
4. Easy to delete and edit clips
5. Records standard MPEG video (easily edited/manipulated)
Disadvantages:
1. No firewire output to computer (USB only; see below.)
2. No headphone output
3. Included software easy, but not powerful
4. Comes with cheap composite video cable; premium S-video cable addn'l cost
I've sorely needed a camcorder for some time now, but I also wanted to avoid a future of buying and storing and fiddling with drawers full of tapes or mini-DVs... so I looked into hard-drive camcorders. Reviews of the exisiting hard-drive camcorders out there were quite mixed, at best - problems with image quality, compression, adaptability to video editing software, etc. So I held on, (unfortunately missing the opportunity to film my kid's first birthday and first steps, etc.) and I bought this machine as soon as it was finally released (initially only to Sony stores) in mid-April. It is surpassing my expectations thus far.
I really do like shooting video directly onto a hard drive. I don't have to worry about wasting tape/miniDVD space, running out of tape, or finding the right spot on the right tape, etc., so I find that it really frees me up to shoot video whenever I'm inspired - and just delete (immediately or later) if the clip isn't interesting. Very liberating. Deleting segments is very easy, just as easy as on a typical digital camera. The clips are organized automatically into folders based on date/time, and within each folder, clips are selected for viewing on the touch screen (or via included remote control), referenced graphically by the first frame of each clip. Simple. One can watch/listen to clips on the 2.7" screen (and speaker) integrated into the camcorder, or hook the camcorder up to TV or computer for playback/preview of unedited footage - resolution is excellent on my 40" LCD TV. I was wondering if I'd be disappointed in the resolution on my big screen, especially considering that nice compact high-def camcorders are now in the $1500 and less range (none with hard disk drives, though), but I'm not disappointed at all; video looks great and crisp straight out of the camcorder - especially since using the "premium" S-video cable I bought for about $35 (which should really be included in the package, I think.)
Creating quality DVDs was my real goal, though, ie. sharing the results with family/friends, and creating a long-lasting archive. Using the included software, I've created a first DVD of about 25 minutes of various length segments of video, mostly of my 15-month old daughter running around and being extremely cute. The DVD looks and sounds surprisingly clear and colorful and vibrant, even on my 40" LCD. The included software makes it fairly straightforward to import video from the camcorder's hard drive onto my computer's hard drive, for editing and authoring DVDs of video. It knows which clips have been imported already, and imports only those that are new. One you've decided what you want on the DVD, it comes out with menus and all, very cool. I haven't yet tried the even simpler "easy-DVD" burn feature, as I've been into editing the clips somewhat before putting them on DVD; I don't know what those results look like. Also, for Mac users, the instructions do include some comments about using the footage with Macintosh computers (I haven't tried that yet.)
Shooting with the camcorder is a breeze. Nice slow smooth zooms are possible, and become easy once you get the hang of it. I was worried that there would be a lag time to initiate recording (after pressing the "record" button) but there is none really. It feels pretty good in my hand. I haven't dropped it, and don't plan to, so I can't comment on whether the hard drive fails with trauma.
Some comments:
1. My computer doesn't have USB 2.0 input (which is the standard for the past three yrs or so), and I've had no luck with various adapters, so the lack of firewire output is rather annoying to me personally, and causes importing of clips to my computer to be rather time-consuming (though easy). It seems silly that Sony is abandoning firewire output on this machine, just like Apple has abandoned it on the newest Ipods. Sucks for me; though my computer is a great but oldish HP with fast Pentium 4 processing, it only has USB 1.1 support. For most of you, though, importing via USB 2.0, it should be quite fast.
2. Sound recording is very good, but I wish the camcorder had a headphone port. Oh, well. Perhaps it's a blessing, as now I have no reason to plug my head into headphones all the time.
3. The included software is really nice for getting the video from camcorder to computer, but editing is primitive at best. I'm waiting for my video editing software suite to arrive at my door (I chose Sony Vegas Platinum, based on reviews); I hope it works well. Compatibility should not be a problem, as the video files are saved, on my computer, as MPEG video files, which are a fairly standard platform.
4. You'll be tempted (like me) to start buying software and accessories (mic, extra battery, new computer with superfast processing speeds, etc.) so save a few hundred (or thousand) for those. Included battery lasts for almost 2 hours of use.
Overall a very nice machine, with a lot going for it. I'm very happy to own it, and I'm using it frequently with minimal problems thus far. I wish it had firewire output and a headphone jack, but it's great even without it.
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Sony DCR-SR100 3MP 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical ZoomBox Contents: DCR-SR100, AC-L200 Power Adapter/In-Camera Charger, NP-FP60 InfoLithium(R) Rechargeable Battery, RMT-835 Remote Commander, A/V Cable, ImageMixer, USB Cable The Sony DCR-SR100 30GB HandyCam Camcorder saves you time, money and space by recording stills and videos internally. Its built-in 30GB hard drive stores all your imaging - connect the camcorder to any PictBridge-enabled printer and print out your 3.0 MegaPixel stills instantly. Your home movies come to life with 5.1 channel sound recording, while the large 2.7" LCD screen lets you monitor or playback stills or video. You can even preview in 16:9 mode. The Progresive Shutter System gives you progressive-scan performance for excellent definition, while the Super SteadyShot(R) and Super NightShot(R) features help you take shake-free shots & video that look great in the lowest light. On-screen navigation makes using the DCR-SR100 a snap, and the Active Interface Shoe lets you connect optional accessories for all your video needs.Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lensSuper SteadyShot(R) picture stabilizationSuper NightShot(R) InfraredProgressive Shutter SystemShutter Speeds -Auto, 1/2-1/4000 sec. (AE Mode) Focal Distance -5.1 - 51mm Filter Diameter -30mmTouch Panel ExposureFull Range Auto and Manual Focus Multiple picture and fader effectsProgrammed Auto Exposure modes -Beach & Ski, Landscape, Portrait, Sports Lesson, Spotlight, Sunset & MoonOn-screen zoom & record buttonsBuilt-in 5.1 channel microphoneActive Interface ShoeUSB 2.0PictBridge compatibleS-Video in/out (optional)Operating Systems -Windows 2000 Pro, XP Home and ProBattery -InfoLithium(R) with AccuPower(TM) Meter SystemDimensions -3-1/6 x 2-7/8 x 5-13/15 (80.5 x 68.5 x 149 mm)Weight -1 lb, 6 oz. (615 g) with tape & battery
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