I LOVED this camcorder, BUT......

Author's Rating:

Pros: Lightweight, great pics, digital image stabilizer, great quality, easy zoom, overall a great camera!

Cons: Durability! Camera stopped working properly after 1 1/2 years!!!

The Bottom Line: 
This is a great camera that was wonderful for home video and all those precious moments. It just didn't hold up for very long!!!!

Author's Review
I searched and searched in June 2003 to find the perfect camcorder to bring us up to speed in technology, in other words, to replace the old VHS camcorder that had died! We were soon leaving for our family vacation at the beach, so I didn't have much time to price compare and had to act fast. I knew I wanted digital image stabilizer, since I can't seem to keep the camera still! Other than that, I wasn't too picky, but the cool LCD screen was neat! So, off I searched.

To get a Sony, or not? I liked the reputation of the brand, and knew that the JVC I had wasn't very good, so I finally decided, with the help of Circuit City on the Sony. I brought it home and had just a short time to figure it out. No problem!! It was easy to use! I did get the extra battery pack so I could take extra long video of my adorable children!!

Off to the beach we went, along with our new camcorder! We were able to take great pictures and the audio picked up quite well!! We were impressed! Then it was time to put the video from the camera onto some other type of media than just the little miniDV tape! That was a challenge. And this is a warning, you should have some form of doing that if you want to "convert" to DVD! I knew that I wanted DVD's did didn't realize I really needed a computer capable of firewire. Importing to a computer via USB is so slow! You can put the video from the camcorder onto a VHS tape, but if you want it on DVD you will really need a computer capable of firewire and burning DVDs! The other option to consider is a camcorder that records directly on a DVD. (These are "newer").

I spent several weeks trying to figure out how to get the video from the camera through USB on a Widows computer. It was very difficult! The software that came with the camera wasn't that easy to figure out. To make a long story short, I finally got a new eMac and now can effortlessly create DVD's, music videos and whatever else with my camcorder and computer! This is something to think about when you purchase this. My sister has all these little miniDV tapes sitting around and she is waiting for me to put them onto DVD for her!

I have been very pleased with the camcorder. I have noticed that in bright daylight that camera has some trouble with lighting, but overall it does and excellent job. We have recorded many precious moments with the camcorder. It is easy to use, very lightweight and my kids love it when I swivel the LCD screen around so them can seem themselves!!!! As I said it picks up audio very well, especially during performances, etc.

There are also more features on this camera than this busy mom has time to figure out! You can edit directly on the camera, and it does include a memory stick (that holds VERY few pictures) for still photos.

Then came January 2005. I had the camera for 1 1/2 years and all of a sudden, it started making a loud noise!!! I have contacted Sony who wants $276 for me to ship it to them and they will repair it! The camera was just sitting, turned on, and then this happened. I didn't drop it, or do anything else to cause this. It just started on day! So, for durability, I am VERY disappointed!

I do love it the camcorder and had it not broke I would recommend it! Just keep in mind the reliability of this product when considering your purchase!