Sony Handycam - DVD 110E

This was my first camcorder, and I wanted something that would be easy to use. This fits the bill. Easy operating instructions. Charged the battery and it was ready to go. Good results both indoors and outdoors. The only thing I would coment on is that it does not come with any form of recording media so you will need to purchase some 8cm DVD's and a memeory stick (for the still photos).
The other slight issue is with the software supplied for managing the recordings, its very slow to run.
All in all i am pleased with the results I have got so far.

Great Little Camera

I bought this camcorder for my birthday and, for the price found it very easy to use. Downloading the images is simple using the Sony software included. The VGA camera provides basic low res pictures, but its a camcorder not a camera. Light weigh and very easy to use. Turn on, point and record.

Motor noise ruins an otherwise great camcorder

Positives
- Excellent nightvision mode
- Great colours
- One of the best optical zooms I have seen on a home camcorder
- Long battery life

Negatives
- Motor noise (a constant humming sound from the motor makes filming in quiet locations impossible. I was going to put up with it, but was just too loud which has forced me to return it).

Plug and play but average picture quality

I got sick of messing around with software and cables to convert video footage from my 10 year old Canon camcorder to DVD and started looking at the Sony HDD range. After dismissing the older SR32 and SR52, I started looking at the new SR35 and SR55. I chose the more expensive 55 because of it's larger CCD sensor.
The great thing about this camera is it records to industry standard mpeg2 format and transferring videos to my PC is now a case of plugging into a USB port and copying the files. The camera appears as a removable disk drive to Windows.
Unfortunately, I was a little dissapointed with the quality of images even when using the HQ recording mode. When recording in daylight things aren't too bad but in artificial and low light conditions, the quality of the images aren't too good. I wasn't expecting top end quality from this camera anyway, but was ultimately expecting better. I would say the quality is marginally better that that of videos from my old camcorder which have been converted through my digital TV adaptor.
Overall, I do like this camera for it's small size, low weight and plug and play capabilities. But if you are looking for high quality images, it's probably not a good choice.

So far, so good

I only received this item this week and, so far, it has been flawless!

It's a good looking unit and not too big. It turns on nice and quickly and the hard drive is ready to go immediately. The picture quality is perfect, as you would expect, and it even records all the sound in Dolby Digital 5+1 - all from the integral microphone.

In the highest True HD resolution it will record nearly 5 hours on the hard drive and the camera function is spot on with a good xenon flash. Crucially, you can watch your footage back and easily edit it or simply turn it back onto camera mode and start recording with no fear of taping over anything. Add to this the clever face recognition software, which works a treat, and you can even select bits of footage by the faces that it has spotted - very clever!

All in all, for £550, it is a steal and worth mentioning that it was only released in February so the technology will be cutting edge for a little while yet.

Great for children

I bought a load of these for use at my school. They are perfect for children to use(or teachers who are not confident with more expensive cameras); they're simple to operate and results can be shown immediately in MS Media Player via a USB connection. The only drawback is that they record in motion Jpeg which means that they need converting if you want to use the clips in MS Movie maker - however free software can be downloaded from the internet which can convert the files quickly and easily; then children's creative side can be truly explored. I would recommend rechargeable batteries because they get through a couple of AA batteries each hour of use.


The latest moviemaker now supports mjpegs so no conversion necessary

Great Camera - Doesn't Work Well With Macs

I just wanted to reiterate the other review here. The features and quality of this camera at this price-point and size are astounding with 2 minor and 1 major annoyance.

2 minor issues: No HDMI cable in the box and you have to run off the mains when using the HDMI cable (the HDMI port is behind the battery)
1 major: Does not work well with iMovie or Final Cut under OS X. Currently you have to use Voltaic to convert from the source files to ones iMovie and/or Final Cut will read. Any attempts to go direct will either crash the software or leave you with a video file that plays back the video too quickly (when in 25p mode)- looks like an old Charlie Chaplin movie!

I am still very very happy with the camera. It would have had 5 stars if I could just import the video and it has been a known issue for over a month with Apple and Panasonic and no feedback from either camp.... It's even more frustrating that the HDC-SD5 is well supported by iMovie.

Superb and easy to use product

This is amazing value and the picture equals that from cameras twice the price. The lack of a motor of any sort completely eliminates motor noise and it is small enough to fit in one hand. The picture quality for both still and HDTV is excellent and colour rendering is better than other cameras I have bought. The ability to take still photos while taking video is a bonus but isn't so good in dim light.Also, the flash is rather too bright for anything less than 2 metres away and cannot be controlled, so don't take flash photos of people just a metre away.

Two things are less than perfect for me: The joy-stick is a bit on the small size for my hands but other people find it easy to use. The need to connect the machine to the battery adaptor in order to download is baffling and makes it impossible to do where there is no mains supply. I also find the fade control awkward to set up, but this is common with other cameras I have used.

I don't know why they don't put the larger capacity battery in with this, although you get a couple of hours of general use from the one that is supplied. It is worth getting a spare battery (and a spare SD card).

I liked this camera so much I bought another 2.

Just brilliant - and well priced

Having had a Canon Camcorder for 8 years (The MV20i) I am already hooked on the brilliance of Canon. So this move to the next stage was for me merely a point in time of when to buy and what to buy. My old model had most of what I needed in the new but since I do all of my editing on my PC now via Pinnacle Studio - I wanted the option of transferring my edited movie back onto my DV tape and the Firewire in/out option within the HV20 gives me this. I have found the HV20 to be a very user friendly piece of kit that produces just awesome pictures. The ergonomics are mentioned in a few reports and yes I would agree that they dont seem to be placed around a normel persons hand - the zoom dial for example doesnt fit nicely in line with the index finger that is supposed to operate it but, I guess I will get used to it. The problem is that my previous model was so good then these small items need to be commented upon. However, no way would that stop me giving this a 5 star rating. I am also impressed by the photograhic capability at the 3mpixel camera although I would have preferred to have known that I needed to buy memory card so I could have done that at the same time. (256meg recommended)
I have now had the product for just over a week and have found it to be just perfect for what I wanted. I must also comment on the brilliant ability to control the sound"in" input via a manual control. This is really useful where you are in a quiet room and the speech you want to pick up is at the other side of the room.
Finally no matter what you do - if you have an HD television then invest in HD tapes the differance is just amazing and this is after recording in ordinary mini DV and finding that superb too. Worth every penny.

magicgate memory stck

I purchased a brilliant Sony HDR SR12 a few weeks ago ,and a Sony 4GB memory stick, which is on the adjacent site, only to find out that "MagicGate" is not compatible with the Sr12. You will only find this out on the downloaded manual ,and that is on Page 105 of the Maintenance and Precautions section...

good quality video & stills

i purchased this camera for my daughter several weeks ago, having originally purchased a JVC GZ-MG175EK hard disk camera from comet at £249, which was taken back as the video quality was very grainy with low resolution.I am quite impressed with this camera, as the quality of video footage is very good & stills seem comparable to a dedicated sony 2.3mp camera we own. The sound recording quality is also excellent. Given the asking price on amazon(includes free tripod & bag which are good quality) i would say this is a very good buy for those who want a quality camera at a budget price. this camera seems to retail at over £400(argos £439).
for more reviews i would look on amazon.com as this camera seems to have been in the US for a while. This is a dvd camera & you may have read about problems with transferring dvd files to pc for editing. This has been no problem for me with this camera. here's how: all you do is plug the camera into your usb port.The camera now appears as a seperate drive. now just open the files within this drive till you see the vro file( this contains the mpeg2 movie).Now copy & paste the vro file to a folder of your choice on your pc. Next open windows media player & open the vro file. media player will state the file type is not recognised but select to play anyway. once the box is checked you will not be asked again.once the video plays, stop it & save the video with a name of your choice and the file ext name .mpeg. This can subsequently be recognized in most video editing software inc windows movie maker. as for down sides, the camera is a little heavier & more bulky than hard disc cams, but i find the weight better to keep the camera steady. there is no dedicated night vision facility but the camera video quality is good at even low light levels.

By Chris Gilroy

This Canon camcorder really is a quality piece of kit. I have used a Panasonic SD5, but would put the HG10 well above it in terms of build quality, features, and video output. Some reviewers have criticised the ergonomics but after using the Canon over a short period of time I find my hands seem automatically find the start stop button and that lovely zoom rocker - no other camcorder in this price range seems to have such a great zoom rocker.
I was a little concerned that camcorderinfo gave the 25p mode a bad right up and was keen to do my own assessment. I videoed a fast moving train travelling at about 60-70mph and played it back on the camcorders LCD - the shot looked absolutely smooth -non of the jerkyness that camcorderinfo reviewer reported. I then loaded this onto my computer and played it with WMP, sure enough it was jerky and the sound was broken . I then loaded it into Studio 11+ and played it in the monitor window - it was as smooth as silk. What is happening is that WMP is using Pinnacles codec for MT2 files badly. WMP cannot, on its own play Mt2 files and is borrowing the codec. I think the reviewer should have realised something like this was happening - he is after all an expert?
For about 90% of the time I'm sure I will use the camcorder in Auto mode, and so far I have been really impressed with its performance. I took a video of the inside of our house just moving from room to room and the shots are extremely impressive - the Panasonic could not match the Canon for low light performance. In average daylight the shots are fantastic - very sharp and good rich colour.
One of the main features I particulary like is the ability to shoot using the LCD or the viewfinder - how many camcorders have both. I find it much easier to hold a steady shot with the viewfinder, combine this with the excellent optical image stabalizer and your on to a winner.
Concerns regarding the resolution of 1440 x 1080 are being over played. the camcorder records at 1920 x 1080 but compresses to 1440. when played it fills the TV screen to full HD - its all about what you see on screen and you won't be disappointed. Despite the fact there are new models being introduced by all major manufacturers I decided to purchase the HG10 after extensive research - somehow Canon seem to have got it right with this one.

Pretty good- get what you pay for really

Very small camcorder, would fit in near any pocket, which suits as il be taking it on holiday (it was bought due to the inexpensive nature, so il not be too annoyed if its lost/ stolen!). Quality seems decent for my needs, just waiting on delivery now of my 2GB SD cards, which i ordered off a different site, because of the extortionate delivery charges by some of the suppliers selling on amazon. All in all, a worthy buy- just don't recommend it for would-be film makers, etc.

Spend a little extra, if you can...

I almost went for this camcorder, but in the end, I opted for a Sony DCR-SR62 camcorder. It cost just under £300, has a 30Gb hard disc built in and a touch-screen display, but has a 1.3Mp resolution. It really makes a huge difference on the quality of your videos.

I've got nothing against this particular JVC model, but at the time I knew nothing about camcorders, and am glad I chose to spend a little extra and go for the Sony. Hope this helps !

Good, basic camera

This is a good, basic camera for the price. The picture quality is not superb, but it is not bad as well. The 34x zoom is powerful and does it's job well. You will have to buy a firewire cable for it. I made the mistake of buying it from Jessops for £14. I later realized that one could buy it on Amazon for somewhere around £5.

It is a basic camera. For now the Sony DCR-HC27 is on special for £124 with Amazon and friends that have bought it say that it is excellent. Sony is a leading Japanese brand while Samsung is a Korean brand and not really at the top of the electronics market. I I had to buy a camcorder again I would go for the Sony.

Superb waterproof camcorder

I had a look out for a waterproof camcorder for ages. I do a lot of river kayaking and sea kayaking and need a compact waterproof camcorder/camera for that. This one is just the deal, I can film and take photos and the quality is pretty good. I use Adobe Premium Pro to edit the movies and even when I increase the size to 720x576 it still holds up nice. Watching the clips on the telly looks fine too.

Pretty good; a little weak for interior work

The must-have feature that clinched the buying decision for me was DV-In so I could record back to tape after editing. Very few budget camcorders have that. I edit using iMovie 2 on an old Mac PowerBook and this model works just fine, both in and out of the Mac's FireWire ports.

Time lapse recording is great; leave the Camcorder on a tripod and it will take one frame every 2 to 120 seconds and produce those time-lapse sequences you see on TV. Very cool.

My gripes are:
(1) the automatic light level setting seems dark to me when filming inside. Any backlighting at all can cause the foreground image to be quite dark. There is a backlighting compensation control, but you often don't realise you needed it until you view the footage later on.
(2) Also in mediocre light, the unit seems to try to refocus occasionally, resulting in sudden moments of fuzziness in the middle of a sequence. Not quite bad enough for me to feel I can claim it is faulty, but nevertheless irritating.

If you have a chance to try before you buy, do your testing indoors under artificial light. That's the weak spot.

Overall I'm pretty happy and am learning to live with and work around the couple of limitations.

this product deserves no less then 5 stars!its amazing and so teeny!

This is perfect its soo cute and stylish! it can fit in your pocket and it can take some great videos! i seriously question the other reviewers who said it was 4 stars or less! i cant put it down! iv been recording everything since it arrived. The seller who sold this item to me got it to me soo fast i was surprised. i expected to come next week since i ordered it on monday this week. i recieved it yesterday(wednesday , today is thursday.) it came well packaged and it came with no damage to the product. Oh and yes this camcorder does have a zoom on it it has a tiny joystick that you push up to zoom and down to zoom out.

Sanyo Xacti CG65

I bought one of these on amazon pre christmas.Great little camera. It is remarkably compact and fits in a suit or jacket pocket without being noticed. That feature is good if you are carrying a phone and other gadgets. The second thing I noticed was it was lightweight and had a real quality feel about it. Flip out screen is a nice size and picture quality is good. Video quality was found to be very satisfactory as was the 6m pixel still camera. Handy zoom lens. It is intuitive to operate so users will not need to spend much time on the chunky manual. I bought a 2 gig card which gives me more or less 2 hours of video. I am not likely to need a larger card before downloading. Comes with usb and tv leads plus sep charger. Lens cap was included and a pouch. Would have liked to have seen a Sanyo leather case with the package. Camera looks very neat in black. I am very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend it to readers.