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

• Features true widescreen recording and powerful 20x optical zoom
• Widescreen 2.7-inch LCD
• Canon's Digic DV image processor for exceptional color and clarity
• Smooth Zoom Control function prevents jerky zooms
• SD memory card slot for capturing stills

Reviews (36)

Very good overall, but dark in indoor shots
This unit has performed well since we've gotten it in June. We love the widescreen format and the compact size. The features seem good.
PROS AND CONS... PERIOD.
PROS:
Videoblogging supreme
After using an isight for last year for my videoblog, I finally coughed up the coin to buy this little gem. It is performing to my expectations. The true widescreen picture is awesome and very "arty".
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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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 1/6-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

• Features professional-quality 3CCD imaging system
• 2.7-inch wide LCD display
• 3.1-megapixel still image capture
• 10x optical Leica lens with 700x digital zoom brings you close to the action
• Records to miniDV or directly to PC through DV (FireWire) or high-speed USB 2.0 interfaces

Reviews (11)

Quality cannot be beat!!!
Got this for $480.There is no new camcorder on this planet and at this price which can give you better quality.
Excellent quality,very easy to use.
Love being able to take picture while filming, very rich crisp video and vivid beautiful realistic color.

Perfect for Educational and How-To Videos
I purchased the PV-GS300 several months ago and have been using it to create a educational video, and it works great. Images are good and sharp, good color too. The ability to switch between 4:3 and 16:9 ratio is very handy! Still photos at 16:9 are sharp.
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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

• Features true widescreen recording and powerful 24x optical zoom
• Widescreen 2.7-inch LCD
• Canon's Digic DV image processor for exceptional color and clarity
• Smooth Zoom Control function prevents jerky zooms

Reviews (13)

Excellent Entry Level Camcorder
For the money, this camcorder is a best buy. It covers all the basics and then some. Battery life is good, plus you can snag plenty of deals on aftermarket batteries for this puppy. It uses the same battery as the Canon Rebel Digital XT (350).
Excellent digital camcorder at a great price!
I've owned my ZR 500 now for about two weeks, so I have yet to really delve deeply into all that it can do. It is my first digital camcorder I've ever owned.
Excellent and highly recommended!
This is an excellent camcorder which is not only affordable but also has so many options and extras. I wanted to give it as a gift but my wife and I liked it so much that we decided to keep it because it is very cute, light, stylish, boosts great zoom and the quality is excellent. Overall we are very pleased with it and highly recommend it. ... Read more

Features

• Built-in 30 GB hard disk drive for easy file storage and one-touch DVD burning
• 1/6-inch, 680,000-pixel CCD for crisp images
• 20x optical zoom; 800x digital zoom
• 2.5-inch LCD monitor for easy viewing
• Handycam station included

Reviews (8)

good deal
I bought this camera not expecting much because it is the lowest camera in sony's hard drive camera line. I love the zoom and the picture quality outside. Inside the quality of the picture is really grainy in low light conditions. The camera is really compact and light which makes it easy to handle and cary. I bought this camera for my wife after looking at cameras for 2 months and trying to decide weather we really needed a high end camera. She wanted the camera for taping our son who is just learning how to walk. She loves it.

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.
A Good Start
It's interesting how people will give this a really crappy review based upon one feature, or upon the fact that they didn't RTFM before making a purchase (or at least make an educated purchase).
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Features

• Features professional-quality 3CCD imaging system
• 2.7-inch wide LCD display
• 4.0-megapixel still image capture
• 12x optical Leica lens with 700x digital zoom brings you close to the action
• Records to miniDV or directly to PC through DV (FireWire) or high-speed USB 2.0 interfaces

Reviews (15)

Fantastic Camcorder- Great Value
This is a great camcorder for the price. If you are looking at the Panasonic PV-GS line of camcorders, This is the way they should rate:
Great economical 3CCD video camera. Works with OS X.
I have no complaints about this camera. Very happy with my purchase. It does the job and captures great video. And I have had no problem transferring video via Firwire running OS X on my MacBook using Apple's Final Cut Express HD software.

Worth all the time I spent researching it!
I just got my Panasonic PV-GS500 camcorder/digital camera on Friday.I have not had a lot of time to completely try out all its features (which probably has more than I will ever use for either personal or business reasons), but I already love it.One review states that it is over 3 pounds.This is only true if you include all the accessories that come with it.Normal operation (a lens cap, hand strap, tape, SD card, and battery), along with the camera/camcorder, put this unit at just under 1.4 pounds, which is certainly NOT heavy.Also, Amazon does a disservice to potential customers when it lists "What's in the box?" on this page.More than the three items mentioned comes with this camcorder.In fact, everything that the company packages with this camcorder comes with it.To see which accessories are included, you can go to Panasonic's website, click on this product, and view its product manual.The included accessories are listed near Page 12, I believe.You get things like cables, batteries, remotes, a manual, software, etc.I have never written a review before, but these two things compelled me to do so.I love this camera, and Amazon is reputable and offers a great price on it.I did a lot of research on all camcorder/camera combos, and this one won out in my opinion. ... Read more

Features

• 1/5.5-inch CCD imager with 1.0-megapixel resolution
• Compatible with DVD-R/-RW/+RW formats
• 12x optical zoom with digital image stabilization
• 2.7-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD
• Super NightShot Plus Infrared System captures natural-looking video in low light

Reviews (1)

Handycan is E-A-S-Y
My husband has been after me for quite some time to purchase the sony DVD Handycam. Neither one of us likes to fool around with transferring of tapes. We both love just finalizing the disc, then popping it into the DVD recorder. It is sooooooooo user friendly, and the touch screen is amazing. So far the greatest feature is the night lighting/ dim lighting feature. That has been great for our sons' later football games. It makes it look like you are shooting in the day light. GREAT PURCHASE. As always Sony lives up to it reputation. ... Read more

Features

• 30GB hard disc drive with 2-megapixel CCD captures video and still images
• 2.5-inch diagonal TFT LCD monitor
• 400x digital zoom; 10x optical zoom
• Built-in SD card slot
• Transfer files via USB 2.0 high-speed interface

Reviews (1)

Good first camcorder
Given that this is my first real camcorder, outside of the digital cameras I own that support 20 second video clips, I have little to compare it to.That being said, I've seen people with stacks of DV tape that they never convert to DVD, and consequently - never view again.I received my Gigashot from Amazon yesterday and was for the most part very pleased.It took very little time to understand how to use, the functions and menu items were relatively self-explanatory.I'd give Toshiba an A- for the design and ease of use; within five minutes, I was able to shoot a few clips, view on the LCD screen, hook up to my TV and computer to play back videos.
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Features

• Digital video camera that records straight to 3-inch DVD-R/RW media
• 25x optical zoom with built-in image stabilizer; 2.7-inch LCD screen
• Canon's DIGIC DV image processor for vivid video and exceptional color quality
• Widescreen Button lets you switch from standard 4:3 to 16:9 Widescreen Mode
• Level Shot Control provides horizontal gridlines in the viewfinder for more professional framing

Reviews (9)

Canon DC100
I Love this camcorder.This is the third camcorder I have had.The first being the humongus VHS.I had to rest it on my shoulder to use it.The second was a VHS-C which was about half the size of the first.This one is so small and compact, I can carry it in my pants pocket.It takes excellent video and I like the review screen where I can pick out the video I want to watch.My Daughter likes it so much, she is looking to buy one also. Canon rules.

Excelent Buy and excelent service
I am from Colombia, and consider this product whith high Quality and my requirements of client service were atended fastly and satisfactory, I recommend to buy this product by quality and service.

Great Brand!
Canon is one of the better brands out there for cameras. I bought this as a gift and have heard good things about it. I recommend Canon for all your video and still needs. ... Read more

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)

poor video, stills too small
I have promised myself to stop buying Sony.This camera has broken the camel's back so to speak.The pictures are grainy.The stills are useless. There was no reason to make and sell this product except to fool some people (me) into buying outdated technology with a good brand name. They ripped me off with their DVD player before and now with this.It is the last time I let them do this to me though. Goodbye Sony.

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.

really good
its really good.i sent india this item.them told me its working great.good capturing and good quality.really great item. ... Read more

Features

• HDV camcorder with 1/2.7-inch CMOS image sensor
• High-definition 10x optical zoom lens; super-range optical image stabilizer
• Advanced photo features: up to 3-megapixel stills, histogram display, built-in flash, and more
• 2.7-inch color widescreen LCD; color viewfinder
• Easy one-hand operation; ultra-compact and lightweight

Reviews (1)

Perfect Travel & Casual Use Video Camera
Positives:
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