Sony DCRDVD810 DVD Camcorder

Great little camera for what I use it for. It's easy to use and switch between the media types. The CD's make it easy to record and pop right into a DVD player. The A/V cord makes it easy to plug right into the TV and watch movies. I use it to film my grandson's basketball games and it works just fine. Great zoom featureSony DCRDVD810 DVD Camcorder

Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I am a film student who has worked with a good many MiniDV cameras, a few internal hard drive cameras, and on one occasion a DVD burning camera. I did a lot of research before purchasing a factory refurbished HDC-SD1 online.





This camera is TINY! It is so tiny that it can be difficult to hold the device still, although the digital image stabilization feature can help quite a bit. The camera is lightweight enough to sit on one of those miniature tabletop tripods with the flexible legs that are often sold for photographic use.





It has also produced some of the highest quality video I have ever seen. When I got it I had never watched a blue-ray disk in my life, so the first footage I shot was indeed the highest quality video I HAD ever seen. It records interlaced video, so there are disconcerting scan lines that appear when viewing the footage on a computer screen. These are not visible when watching on an HDTV or viewing the footage off of a blue-ray or DVD.





The color is fabulous as the device utilizes three color chips (one for each of the primary colors, instead of just one for all three). Most 3CCD cameras are far more expensive and do not perform as well in low light conditions. The HDC-SD1 is indeed very good in low light. When the low light mode is on the light from my laptop monitor allows me to capture the contents of an otherwise completely dark room quite well. You can also toggle the intensity of the LCD back light to save battery in low light situations or brighten it when shooting in sunlight or under movie lights.





There are many nifty options such as being able to turn off the rec light and a "zebra mode" which outlines areas which are currently completely washed out (warning you of over exposed back lighting situations). You can also disable digital zoom so the camera will not zoom past 12x and reduce the image quality by doing so. You can also disable the zooming microphone if you want to record someone talking in the foreground while zooming in on something over their shoulder.





The lens housing is threaded so you can attach different lenses and lens filters to the device. The battery cover has a small rubber panel which can be moved to allow a cable to pass out of the battery compartment so you can use an external battery pack.





There are some drawbacks to this device:





The manual focus is barely usable unless you are filming from a stationary tripod and don't mind focusing slowly since you have to use the thumb-joystick to (slowly) adjust the focal length. The manual focus switch is, however, set up to easily allow you to briefly engage the auto focus and then return immediately to manual setting.





You can not use USB mode without the AC adapter being plugged in. This can be frustrating in certain circumstances when you might want to attach the device to a computer while running from the battery. Also for some reason the AC power port is underneath the flip-out LCD screen, so you have to have the LCD screen out while the camera is on AC power. The HDMI out, Component out, and Microphone ports are also situated underneath the LCD.





The device can only record files up to four gigabytes in size. Once you have recorded a file that big the camera stops recording and you have to press record again. A four gigabyte file is usually around forty minutes in length, but if you are trying to record an entire play, musical performance, or sporting event you are forced to stop and restart the recording after you have reached four gigs worth of continuous recording time. Of course, the camera only comes with a four gig card so unless you are planning on buying larger ones this problem doesn't arise.





The device does not have an accessory mount so you can not attach conventional shotgun microphones or camera lights to the top. It also can not provide phantom power to condenser microphones and only has a 1/4 inch mic jack.





Compared to the video quality, the quality of the still shots it takes are not so good, although you can take stills and shoot video simultaneously.





In extremely quiet environments the top mounted zoom toggle can be heard clicking in the recording. The cooling fan (the only moving part in the camera) is sufficiently quiet as to not be captured by the microphone.





Most of these drawbacks are simply the price you pay for such a compact video camera! Only in very certain circumstances do any of these issues cause much trouble, but I wanted to go over them thoroughly so nobody is surprised by them.





All things considered this is still one of the best solutions for a super-small digital video camcorder which can record 1080i video and 5.1 surround sound. I am quite happy with this device, and am even considering purchasing another unit to be able to shoot from multiple angles at once in matching quality.Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Canon DC 410 - Camcorder - widescreen - 680 Kpix - optical zoom: 37 x - DVD-R (8cm), DVD-RW (8 cm), DVD-R DL (8 cm)

Canon DC 410 - Camcorder - widescreen - 680 Kpix - optical zoom: 37 x - DVD-R (8cm), DVD-RW (8 cm), DVD-R DL (8 cm)

Panasonic VDR-D210 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I bought this cam few years back, it works great, but I lost its wall charger there fore I can not finalize DVD's. Can any one help me to know where I can buy the AC charger that attached to the cam.Panasonic VDR-D210 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Sony HDR-UX5 4MP AVCHD DVD High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

The reviews here are well done and pretty comprehensive. Check out the CONs before you buy. The Mini-DVD's won't go in my Macbook, which I should have realized before buying. I thought for sure I could pop the dvd's in and use Handbrake to grab the clips. You can't, and only 15 minutes of HD video on a DVD is not practical at all...





AND -- I'm also VERY disappointed because my camera died 91 days after I bought it, which means it costs me $165 (plus tax and shipping) to send the camera to Texas to get it fixed. I bought it in Feb. 2009 for $359.00Sony HDR-UX5 4MP AVCHD DVD High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Sony DCR-DVD710 1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom

This is my first camcorder & I really love this product. The quality of videos taken is amazing. Battery life is also good. The best feature which I liked is support for memory stick. With DVD you cann't shoot more than 20 minutes with high quality but with memory stick there is no such limitation. I strongly recommend this product to others.Sony DCR-DVD710 1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom

Canon DC50 5MP DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I've had this camcorder for about a year now and have enjoyed it thoroughly. The camera is light enough that it doesn't weight you down and more importantly has a very quick start up if you're like me and turn the thing off to conserve battery life. As many have noted before me, the battery life is not the best (30min.) so you will definitely need a spare. Mainly used for family videos, and kids' birthdays, along with the occasional golf swing analysis. The only negative about the camera, that I can find, is the hand strap. It sits really low on the camcorder and sort of requires me to torque my hand awkwardly. Maybe someone with a bigger hand won't have this problem. Let me end by saying that I am a camcorder novice. This is the only camcorder I've ever owned so I have nothing to compare it to.Canon DC50 5MP DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom