Features

• 6.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD display
• VGA movie mode (640 x 480) allows videos with sound, limited only by memory-card capacity
• High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) allows shooting in low-light conditions
• Stores images on Memory Stick cards (32 MB of internal memory included)

Reviews (41)

I returned this camera. :(
I have always been a fan of Sony Cybershot cameras and I didn't think twice about buying this camera. I thought it would be perfect! I love the look & feel of Cybershots, I've always been happy with the photo quality, and I love the Lithium Batteries.
Macro Users/Ebay Sellers Will Love This Camera
I purchased the W50 mostly to take macro photos of antique beads for listing on Ebay.This type of photography requires a camera that can capture fine detail and excellent color saturation.The W50 has met my demands and then some.As I take my photos hand held the demands were especially crucial.
Great Camera
I had a Nikon L1, but i decided to change it due to poor indoor quiality pics in low light situations and also because the long time it takes to focuse i nlow light.
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Features

• 1/3-inch CCD imager with 3-megapixel resolution
• Compatible with DVD-R/-RW/+RW formats
• 10x optical zoom with digital image stabilization
• 2.7-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD
• Dolby digital 5.1ch audio recording

Reviews (38)

not worth the money
Wish I had bought the panasonic model instead.There is nothing to write good about the picture other than it is about the same as a vhs video camera.Go with panasonic.

Amazon Rocks!!!I saved $370!!!
After an untold amount of research for my first camcorder, I visited Best Buy, Walmart, and Circuit City.The cheapest I could find this camcorder was for $799 (just the camcorder!!!).In-step Amazon...for $692 I got:
EASY TO USE
I just bough the camera, is very easy to use, friendly, and the best of all is that i have the still camera with 3 mega pixel.I did my research for several cameras, my original idea was to spend $400.00, but with all the extras i really jump for this one.Irecomend this camera. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The compact Sony DCR-SR100 30 GB Handycam Camcorder represents a breakthrough in digital home recording. With a 30 gigabyte hard disk drive that stores hours of video and hundreds of high-quality stills, a 10x optical/120x digital zoom, a built-in microphone that allows you to record in Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound, and many other features you'd only expect to find in the hands of professionals, Sony's DCR-SR100 will turn your home videos into instant classics ready for the big screen.Read more

Features

• 30-gigabyte hard drive stores over 20 hours of long-play video or over 7 hours of high-quality video
• Built-in microphone for Dolby Digital 5.1channel surround sound recording
• Features 3.3-megapixel 1/3-inch advanced HAD CCD and Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lenses with advanced optical multi-layer coating
• Several automatic exposure modes, including NightShot for video capture in total darkness
• Measures 3.16 x 2.87 x 5.86 inches (H x W x L) and weighs 22 ounces with battery

Reviews (22)

Good camcorder if you are not serious about editing your footage
This camcorder does capture good video. But the main drawback is that it records in MPEG2 format (DVD quality). Initially its nice and easy to capture video and watch it on your computer by downloading the files using the USB 2.0 connection. It gives you instant gratification. But after capturing 4 or 5 hours of video, you will notice that your videos aren't so great as you expect it to be. Its not the fault with your camcorder. Its because all of us shoot extra footage, unwanted scenes, shakes, etc which we want to edit. You may want to add a title or two, add transitions, add backgroud music, combine your photos with the video, etc. Basically you may want to edit your footage. Its here when you find the major drawback of this camcorder. The MPEG2 quality video is not good for editing. The video quality is so compressed that you won't have sufficient bandwidth to edit the video.
Great Camera But Be Careful with Non-OEM Replacement Batteries
First of all great Camcorder.Quality is great even in low light.Transfer to my PC is easy and quick.Overall the best camcorder I've used.
I LOVE IT!!!!!
I searched for the best price on the web because I couldn't locate this camera locally.I ordered it from another company first and ran into a lot of trouble.It was a questionable company.Once I got my credit card straightened out with that company I came immediately to Amazon because I have bought so many other items from them.The camera is great.I'm so glad I can tape for so long without messing with changing the little discs every 30 minutes or so.The quality is great, too.It arrived on my birthday.What a great gift to myself.I LOVE IT! ... Read more

Features

• 6.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.4-inch LCD display
• QVGA Movie Mode captures 320 x 240 AVI audio-video clips at 30 frames per second, up to the length allowed by memory-card capacity
• Burst mode shoots 3 consecutive images, one per second in VGA mode or one every two seconds in 6MP mode
• Stores images on Memory Stick media (25 MB internal memory included); powered by AA-size batteries

Reviews (3)

Perfect Camera!
I just received my Sony S500, and I love it!It's small, light, yet not so small that it's hard to manage.The LCD screen is huge!Bigger than any I've seen on a camera of this size!The pictures are crystal clear, and the camera itself is super easy to use and understand.The one, and ONLY thing, I don't like is that you cannot hear the audio on the camera when playing back videos (you have to plug it into a computer or tv to hear audio).It's not really a big deal and it makes it a fun surprise when you do plug it in:)The price is great and I am so glad I found this little steal!

Great buy!
This camera is a great little buy.I did a TON of research into digital cameras....for over a year or so and finally decided upon this one.I bought it at Best Buy when it was first released and the price could not be beat.I literally bought it the day my new nephew was born and it only took about 15 minutes learn to use.The pictures turned out great and the modes are super easy to use.Only a couple turned on blurry, but I believe that was more the photographer than the camera.There is a power saver option that comes on to reserve the battery power.I do however suggest buying rechargable batteries.This camera is super great for the price compared to Canon and Nikon.The software is super easy to use as well.I suggest this camera for first time digital camera users such as myself.Excellent camera and excellent price!

gr8 camera......buy rechargeable baterries
i got this camera 4 like graduation from elementary school its a nice all around camera the screen size is really cool(2.4 in), u can take really big pictures which is cool w/ the 6.0 megapixel CCD...its pretty easy 2 use i cud use it welll withtin the day i got it theres like lots of modes 4 different setting ive only used twilight mode and candlelight mode so far....4 some reason theses modes come out blurrry a lot of the time but the reg setting is fine...u can adjust the flash on2 4 different setting which is coool and theresa sepcial button u can presss 4 getting better detail on closer up objects hte only prob w/ it is....that it says u can run it on AA batteries but these thing really dont work the camera dies in 2 hours then, if u use rechargable batteries it last 2-5 days but the battery meter always stays full till the very end wen it just dies suddenly 4 some reason, ubut i love this camera really easy 2 use big screen verry cheap 4 wat it is not 2 fat or big easy 2 get pix on hte comp i recomend it especially 4 preteens and teenagers hu juist want 2 camera 2 take pix of themselves and there friends like me ... Read more

Features

• 7.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 3.0-inch LCD display; 12x Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization
• High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) lets you shoot without flash in low-light conditions
• Capture VGA (640 x 480) audio-video clips at up to 30 frames per second
• Stores images on Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick Duo PRO media only (includes 32 MB internal memory); powered by 2 AA-size batteries (2 NiMH batteries and charger supplied)

Reviews (29)

WOW!
This is a phenomenal camera!I fell in love with the huge 3-inch viewfinder, and the 12x zoom is just great.This camera's pictures can be be cropped and end enlarged.The pictures are incredibly clear.In addition, the camera is compact, considering its features.The price is not too high, either.I highly recommend this camera. The only downsides are the large file sizes (you need to buy large capacity media), and that it uses proprietary Sony Memory Stick memory.

PURPLE FRINGE
Nice camera but WAY too much purple fringe.Camera feels and looks kind of cheap compared to Canon or Panasonic.None of the super-zooms are perfect. The Sony, Canon and Panasonic super-zooms are all nice cameras, pick the one the feels right in your hands & you'll no doubt be happy with it.

Pleased with quality vs. price.
I've had the Sony DSC-H5 for about three months and all-in-all am very satisfied. This is my first digital camera, being an old SLR holdout. As noted in some of the other reviews, there are some minor issues - the location of the zoom button being my biggest complaint. It's too easy to hit that by mistake when composing a shot.
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Features

• 8.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; huge 3.0-inch LCD display with touch-screen functionality (stylus included)
• 26 MB of internal memory allows you to save up to 500 VGA-size images in any easy-to-access album
• Create slide shows, with pans, fades and zooms and a pre-loaded soundtrack, in the camera without a PC
• Powered by a Lithium-Ion NP-BG1 battery; stores images on Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO Duo media

Reviews (68)

EASY USE AND GREAT RESULTS
I am a technology guru and this camera is simple to use and has great results. The touch screen is awesome!!! Battery life is so much better than other cameras i have owned. I think this one will outlast and perform any of them. BUY IT NOW if you want a quality camera that will make you happy!!!

Nice camera!
I am not the most experienced photographer, but this camera takes terrific pictures, in my opinion.Nice big LCD screen and the touch screen is a great feature.

Sony Cybershot DSC N1
Quick, compact, light and brilliant pictures but lacking veiw finder and "anti-shake" system ... Read more

Features

• 6-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
• 12x image-stabilized optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display
• High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) for shooting without flash in low-light conditions
• VGA (640 x 480) audio-video clips at up to 30 frames per second, with optional Optical Zoom for Movie feature
• Powered by 2 AA-size batteries; stores images on Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO Duo media

Reviews (23)

Great Camera
I've owned this camera for just a few weeks, and still have much to learn about the many features, but so far I am very pleased with the operation and picture quality of the DSC-H2. This is only the 2nd digital camera I have used. The previous being a Finepix 3.1 MP camera. I'm still trying to get used to all the manual settings, but the automatic settings have been very impressive. I think the accessories included with the camera make it a very good buy. I purchased a Sandisk 1GB Memory Stick Duo Pro to store the photos. It has worked well in the short time I have used it. The minor criticisms I have for this camera are, as with most didital cameras, the compact size of the camera body make handling the camera difficult with my larger hands & fingers. I have hit buttons accidentally once or twice. Something added to the camera body for the left hand would be nice. The viewfinder option to compose a photo is a little dark & I find it is difficult to see peoples' facial expressions until viewing the picture. My eyesight is partly to blame for this, I suppose. The owners manual, at times, can be downright trying. I wish filters could be attached to the lens front rather than the adaptor/hood, but I can see why it isn't with this design. Still, it all comes down to the features the camera does have, the picture quality and the price, and that's why I give it 5 stars. I still have alot to learn about this camera, but so far, everything I've tried has worked well. Even when I guessed at the settings before consulting with the manual. I look forward to experimenting more. A person who just wants to point and shoot shouldn't be deterred by all the features. Just set the date/time and make sure it has fresh batteries and shoot away. Also, I purchased the 4 yr service plan with this camera. I hope I never have the occasion to offer a review on that, but with previous experience with a camcorder, I felt like it was worth the money.

Takes higher quality pictures than my DSLR.
This is my 3rd digital camera . This past May I purchased an Olympus EVOLT 500 DSLR for $799. I was not impressed with the quality of the pictures. So I bought the Sony H2 . I can't believe the image quality . Perfect outdoor pictures underany conditions . The image stablization works very well. I am able to take pictures with full zoom (which is the equivilent of 430mm on a 35 mm camera ) without using a tripod . Even in the evening the pictures do not blur .The shutter speeds are fast enough for sports photography . The 2.8 f/stop allows for fast shutter speeds . The lenses that came with my DSLR did not have that wide of a lens opening . I would have had to buy a much more expensive lens to get 2.8 f/stop.
VERY NICE ZOOM !
At 1st was very dificult, but now i love it, its fun !
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Features

• Comes with NP-BG1 Rechargeable Battery, Battery Charger, Multi-cable, Wrist Strap, CD-ROM with drivers and software, Sony USA 1-Year Warranty
• 8.1 Megapixel Effective Super HAD(TM) CCD Super HAD(TM) (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCDs allow more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise / Up to 3,264 x 2,448 resolution still pictures and up to VGA 640x480 30 fps for movie imaging
• 3x Optical Zoom - Focal Length f= (35mm conversion) - 7.9 - 23.7mm (38 - 114mm)
• Real Imaging Processor 14-bit DXP Super Resolution Converter
• AF Method - Single AF, Monitoring AF / AF Area - Multi-point (5-point), Center Weighted; Focus Mode - Auto Focus, Macro, Focus Preset

Reviews (19)

Excellent Camera.
I bought this camera several weeks ago and have test-driven it in the forest preserves of Chicago and in Upper Michigan.It does a terrific job.I am an artist who studied film in school and yet never used a digital camera.I wanted something that was kind of between a point and shoot and an SLR.I wanted some manual functions to fool around with, and yet I also wanted the easy shot for family photos and such.I didn't want to start my digital experience on an expensive SLR, so this proved to be a great buy for me.It's very small and compact and yet very powerful.

Best all around digital camera
If you are looking for a digital camera with many high level functions and features, the SonyCybershot 8.1 mp is a great buy.It is highly affordable and takes photos with excellent precision, day or night.The camera is very user friendly and the ease of use is a plus.The memory stick is sold separately and is a must purchase accessory if you plan to take many photos.I am happy with the clarity of the photos and the video functionality that you may want to have handy.The camera is an excellent buy!!!

Good Picture....but Poor stability
You got to have extremely steady hand, or camera stand to use this camaera.
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Features

• 7.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom with Super SteadyShot function; 3-inch, Clear Photo LCD Plus screen
• Selectable color modes; Real Imaging Processor for quicker start-up, faster shot-to-shot times
• Clear RAW noise reduction system reduces noise in low-light shooting
• Stores images on Memory Stick Duo media cards (includes 58 MB internal memory); powered by an InfoLithium battery (battery and charger supplied)

Reviews (13)

you pay for what you get
This camera is great!There's no question about it.It takes great pics indoors and out, has greeaat battery life, and small enough to insert into a shirt pocket. I upgraded from an olympus which is 3 years old, and did not regret one bit.There's nothing wrong with the olympus, just wanted a newer camera with better shutter lag.Also love the pics playback on its 3" lcd screen with different music moods -- at first i thought what a cheesy feature but grown to like it almost immediately. I got mine at a major retailer at premium price and it looks like the price has dropped quite a bit now... my advice to anyone who's reading this: Stop doing your research and get this camera!

RAW noise reduction
great camera, the image stablilzer isnt so much better then other models from other companies. BUT, the RAW(an algorithum applied at the code itself, as opposed to after interpolation of the image)image noise reducer really works well. I can't say enough about that feature. I mean at iso 1k, there's still a "little bit" of noise, but it's not nearly as bad(most people wont notice it, certainly not the common user) as some of the older cameras that just fully blurred out. DO get the lcd protector/cover(they sell them here at amazon, i dont know what brand), otherwise the lcd will get scratched from just being in pocket with keys.
Awesome Value, Amazing, what more to say!!
3in LCD, White Balance, 7+mp res., Zeiss lense, compact enough for any pocket or pocket book, and good battery life, you know just to name some of the high lights this little package has. A great value, a lot of bang for the bucks. ... Read more

Features

• 1/6-inch CCD imager with 290K effective pixels
• Digital8 format records digital audio and video comparable to MiniDV on affordable Hi8 tapes
• 20x optical zoom with SteadyShot picture-stabilization system
• 2.5-inch SwivelScreen LCD
• NightShot Plus Infrared System captures natural-looking video in low light

Reviews (21)

Excellent alternative to mineDV camcorder
I wanted to purchase a digital camcorder to record family events, parties, kid's performaces at school, etc. Until now, I was using 9 year old 8mm Sony TR86 camcorder that at the time of purchase was very basic...no LCD, no stabilization, etc. But at that price (it cost over [...] then) that all what I could afford. And I can tell you for 9 years, this camcorder was servicing me very well but now my son needs that camcorder to record his school's projects.
My second D8 camera
This review is really about the Sony D8 cameras. I've just ordered this camera after my original one was stolen. I bought my original D8 back in 2000 and took it all over the world. It was thrown into backpacks, taken to the beach and had the dust of three continents in the viewfinder. Throughout it all it performed flawlessly. In six years I never took it in for servicing, though I kept meaning to get it cleaned I never did. I took hundreds and hundreds of hours of video and never had a glitch. My wife is a choreographer and I've filmed many dance performances and this camera often took better quality images than the professionals hired for the job.
Can't beat it for the money
This is the second camcorder I've purchased. Learning to use it and getting decent footage was a breeze compared to my old VHS-C camcorder. The battery life is decent and the picture quality is very good.
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Features

• Records and plays back both high-definition (1080i resolution) and standard-definition video on MiniDV
• 2.1-megapixel ClearVid CMOS image sensor; 1.43K effective
• Variable-speed Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 10x optical zoom lens; digital zoom to 80x
• 2.7-inch widescreen touch-panel LCD
• Super SteadyShot image stabilization

Reviews (27)

Fantastic camcorder
I'll leave the techno-speak to those who care about how this camcorder operates. However, what I will say is that it's very easy to use, light, compact and has an amazing picture quality. Obviously it's expensive, particularly if, like me, most of the time it will be used to film the kids. However, it's a quality product and the latest model, so you have to expect to pay a premium. Only gripe - for this price they could have thrown in a firewire cable, but that's nit-picking.
How to Edit on a PC
This is a good cam for the price, great picture, OK not good or great sound.I went with the HVR-A1U for better sound control.
Superb quality at first glance...
Opened up my HDR HC3K box last night. The HC3K just means that it has a few extra goodies (extra battery, sony HDV tape, cleaning tape). Initial impression even before turning on the camcorder was it felt solid in the hand and not too big. It felt a little more compact than the DVD based DVD405. Played with the controls for a few mins and then started shooting video in reasonable indoor lighting. Below are the pros and cons:
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Features

• Record high-definition video on a HDD with AVCHD technology
• ClearVid CMOS sensor for high-quality HD or SD images
• 3.5-inch widescreen hybrid touch-panel Clear Photo LCD
• Professional 30mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens
• HDMI, USB 2.0, component, and composite connectivity

Reviews (3)

Excellent Camcorder,Can be used with a Mac
This camcorder uses a new file format (AVCHD) which is based on current popular standards. AVCHD is simply a streaming version of H.264 video with Dolby 5.1 surround sound audio. When producing an HDD camcorder, Sony had to decide between using the current standard and making a new one.Since the current standard is MPEG-2 video and stereo audio (eg: HDV) at a constant bitrate of 25mbps, the AVCHD format provides a number of features: 1) Better audio, with 5.1 channels recorded by the camcorder.2) Better video as AVC is H.264-- a modern codec that privides much higher quality data for a given bitrate than the ancient MPEG-2 video that HDV is based on. 3) Much more flexibility-- to be HDV compatible would have meant recording constantly at 25mbps, and this is too fast for the CDR version (the HDR-UX1) and is unnecessary.15Mbps H.264 should provide better quality video than MPEG-2 at 25Mbps!
Not Mac compatible, poor software, good hardware
I purchased this camcorder last week and have confirmed with Sony that it is absolutely not Mac compatible. Sony's software is Windows-only and their proprietary AVCHD format is not supported by anyone other than Sony (so far) it seems. There is not any software I could find for the Mac that works with the camcorder. Perhaps this will change with time.
A excellent little camcorder
I received the camcorder a couple of days ago to replace my older Sony miniDV camcorder that is nine years old (still works well).I bought the new one after buying a Samsung 46" LCD flat screen and seening what I have been missing in HD television and it made the my existing camcorder look mediocre.I needed an HD camcorder to go with the HD display.
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Features

• 7-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD display
• High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) allows for shooting even in low-light conditions
• User-friendly controls and simple on-screen Function Guide text
• Powered by a lithium-ion battery (battery and charger supplied); stores images on Memory Stick DUO or Pro media (includes 58 MB internal memory)

Reviews (12)

Sony Sucks - Lost the Love!
The camera takes good pictures as long as you have a steady hand. Some pictures come out dark and some shadows on pictures.Some pictures come out blurry - no stabalizer. This camera's randomly broke after about 1 year and I did not drop the camera (just like another reviewer).I bought a Sony PDA and the same thing happened to that lcd - randomly broke - has a crack across the LCD. Of course, Sony said it was my fault and that I must have done something to it and refused to honor the warranty on that PDA - after 1 month? Since the camera was out of warranty, I knew there was nothing they were going to do. So if you want a DECENT camera with lousy customer service to support it - go for it! But if you want a great camera and a great company to support their products, look elsewhere. I used to be a great financial supporter of Sony products - monitors, computers, camcorder, memory sticks, etc. I am not buying anymore Sony products - I have lost the love for Sony and their products! Beware!
Fragile screen, breaks easily and not covered by warranty
I had my Sony DSC W70 for just one month when the viewing screen suddenly cracked without being dropped or hit. The glass itself was intact, but something underneath was clearly broken. Mailed it in to the factory service company for Sony, and I was informed 3 weeks later that it is not covered by warranty and will cost $181 to repair. This is 2/3 the cost of a new camera and does not make sense financially.
Poor Customer Service and Not Worth It
Don't buy this camera really.I had it for a month and was taking good care of it.I was initially thrilled.The LCD screen got damaged -- no I didn't drop it.The treatment from customer service was so poor and disturbing that I was shocked. The customer service representative actually questioned my integrity and proceed to talk to me as if I were an idiot.A $181 repair bill for a $300 camera is not feasible.It was a great camera at first, but I demand better treatment and respect from the company.Look for a better camera, look on the web for comments on their customer service and don't buy this camera.I had read very negative things about Sony but didn't think they applied -- they really are true.I don't like being called a liar by anyone especially when I am the customer.The camera is a month old and it is now garbage.While I understand policies are policies in terms of a warranty, I will not accept such poor treatment and customer service.I teach photography and will tell my students the same thing -- if customer service and respect matter to you, then do not buy this camera. ... Read more

Features

• 1/3-inch ClearVid CMOS sensor with 4-megapixel resolution
• Compatible with DVD-R/-RW/+RW formats
• 10x optical zoom with digital image stabilization
• 3.5-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio touch-panel LCD
• Dolby digital 5.1ch audio recording

Reviews (16)

Stay Away from this if you plan to do any kind of editing
If you plan to use the camcorder to strictly make DVDs without having to use a computer for editing, this one is for you. Media costs might add up though.
Sony DCR-DVD 505 Camcorder
What a wonderful small camcorder!I love it!The price from Amazon is lower than any other place I have shopped, and believe me, I shop the internet and local stores and nobody even comes close to Amazon's pricing!The camera films the most beautiful colors and I love being able to chose full screen mode or wide screen modes.It also has a built in 4MP still camera that takes wonderful still shots.I use the Program AE when at the beach and it corrects the bright sunlight so that the film is beautiful.I highly recommend this product.

DVD Camcorder
I love my camcorder, I havenot found this model in the store. Everyone that has meet me on my vacation loves my camcorder. I is little light weight easy to travel with. It takes nice pictures. ... Read more

Features

• 1/5.5-inch CCD imager; 1-megapixel still-image resolution allows for photo-quality prints to 6 x 8 inches
• MiniDV recording format offers up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution
• 12x optical zoom with Super SteadyShot picture-stabilization system
• 2.7-inch high-resolution touch-panel SwivelScreen LCD display rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles
• Super NightShot Plus Infrared System captures natural-looking video in low light

Reviews (11)

Why Complain?
Because there is no reason to complain about this 'nearly' perfect camera.OK, so far I've had a bad experience with this camera (tried to hook it up to computer with USB... got lackluster quality. Tried Firewire... Oops! Guess what? Didn't work! Time to send it back, and I am still waiting for it to return so I can actually transfer and edit something on my computer!), but, with that aside, I am just going to focus on the core features of this camera, not how the outcome of the quality is (which I am positive is very good... with Firewire!).
Look elsewhere if you need to shoot indoor video
I bought this camera after looking through reviews on a plethora of sites; one of my primary requirements was to shoot indoor video. One good thing about this camera is that it is surprisingly small and light, which would no doubt make it easy to carry on trips. The other good thing is that it shoots fairly good outdoor video. But these are pretty much its only two strengths, and they are far outweighed by the lousy quality of the video I got when I tried the camera indoors. In the default mode, the picture is dark, extremely noisy, the colors are wildly inaccurate, and it looks as if the video is being shot through a yellow snow storm. Things improve slightly if the white balance is set to indoor mode, but the color fidelity and the graininess is still unacceptable. Another issue that I noticed was that the camera takes a noticeable amount of time to focus in on objects when you move it around, but this was a relatively minor inconvenience when compared to the abysmal low light performance.
Amazon's measurements might be a little misleading
I've just receive my camcorder and am very excited to learn about what it can do.But, just for those who may have been new to this field like me ... the real dimensions are:2-5/8"W x 3-1/8"H x 4-1/2"D weight: 0.94 lb. with battery.This isn't make or break deal information because it depends on what you are looking for, but sure would have prevented my surprise in getting such a small package deal.Still, we need to say ... it sure looks cute!Good luck with your purchase decisions.
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Features

• 1/6-inch CCD imager
• MiniDV recording format offers up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution
• 20x optical zoom with Super SteadyShot picture-stabilization system
• 2.5-inch high-resolution touch-panel SwivelScreen LCD display rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles
• Super NightShot Plus Infrared System captures natural-looking video in low light

Reviews (15)

Not too much to say
This is a great camera for the price. Sony is always a brand that you can trust. I loved the camera.

Camera
For those that experience the 10 min problem - use another software - like Pinnacle or better ULead, then you will be able to download at one piece.

Camcorder review
Great camera. Couldn't be more pleased.Simple to operate (one hand), lightweight, and great zoom quality. ... Read more

Features

• Sonys best performing consumer miniDV videocassette
• Ideal for high definition recording and playback
• 90% fewer errors and 50% fewer dropouts for improved reliability and audio/video stability
• 3dB higher carrier-to-noise ratio for greater output and less noise during recording

Features

• 1/6-inch CCD imager
• Compatible with DVD-R/-RW/+RW formats
• 20x optical zoom with digital image stabilization
• 2.5-inch high-resolution touch-panel SwivelScreen LCD display rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles
• Super NightShot Plus Infrared System captures natural-looking video in low light

Reviews (10)

DANGER! PICTURE PACKAGE!
The camera works great but ...Neither Sony nor Pixela, the makers of the Picture Package software that comes with some Sony camcorders with mini-disks tells you that the software IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS XP, SERVICE PACK 2! It will crash your computer or not work properly. DO NOT install the Picture Package software if you have run Windows XP. If you have a DVD player on your computer, you can download the photos from the mini-disk without this dangerous software. Shame on Sony and Pixela for selling the software to Windows XP users or including it with the camera without a warning.

THE BEST EVER
I don't normally write reviews, but this camcorder is exceptional.I admit to being a novice, and I don't like to read directions, and my first result (an evening football game--high school) was amazing.My old (not that old) was a Canon Elura that used the small mini dv tapes, and I paid more than twice the cost of this one, and it was poor at best.This was easy, touch screen, and you can record in WIDESCREEN!!We finalized disc and popped it into the DVD player in Toyota Sienna Van and it looked great--and even better on the big screen at home.My only complaint is battery time, but I bought an extra, and that should suffice for my use.Overall, this was a great decision, and about $50-80 bucks less than Circuit City or Best Buy.

My DVD Camera
Grate, I'm having a lot of fun with it. It works just as I spect and more. At nite it record as as day time. ... Read more

Features

• Built-in 60GB hard drive for easy file storage and one-touch DVD burning
• 1/5.5-inch, 1-megapixel CCD delivers crisp images
• 12x optical zoom; 800x digital zoom
• 2.7-inch widescreen LCD monitor
• Handycam station included

Reviews (4)

No optical viewfinder; stay away
No optical viewfinder.I had trouble using the LCD to compose in outdoor shots.Washed out so badly in bright sunlight I was guessing what I was filming.Critical oversight in a camera this expensive.Then again, none of the HD camcorders from Sony or JVC seem to have an optical viewfinder.Wonder why?

Every thing is good except low light performance
I agree with the previous reviewer. The low light performance of this camera is pretty bad. Deeps reds are more like deep pinks...but other colors are quite natural, though a bit flat.
Nice idea, Poor Low Light Performance
Despite what the other reviewer say the low light performance of this camera is very poor.All the colors are washed out, and inaccurate!Red show up as some kind of orange, when shooting indoor.
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Features

• 6.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display
• High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) allows for low-light shooting
• Capture VGA (640 x 480) audio-video clips, with length limited only by the capacity of your media
• Stores images on Media Stick memory (32 MB of internal memory included)

Reviews (8)

Second camera
I love sony cameras, compared to many others like casio, hp,lg, this has the best ease of use, and best picture quality for your dollar. Previously i have owned the sony T7, T11, and an HP something, but i'm telling you if you want the best for your budget this is the way to go.
No complaints
I had purchased the Nikon L3 becuase I loved my 2200, but I was extremely disappointed.The pictures looked like crap.The Sony Cybershot W30 is great.Sharp pictures, lots of options, easy to use, nice size.I'm actually glad that things didn't work out with the L3 and I ended up with this one.

Overall, it's an average to good camera
First of all, I have to say that I'm pretty much a novice with digital cameras, although I've owned 4 different ones. I really liked this camera at first, but then I took it on a trip with me and really put it to use, and found out it was not so great afterall.
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