pro level video as slightly less than pro costs

Author's Rating:

Pros: pro level video, solid case construction, responsive zoom

Cons: price, a little hefty in size, most shots will need a tripod.

The Bottom Line: 
those looking for something more than family videos will find this a good match. Also look at the Canon GL2.

Author's Review
This unit is a "pro-sumer" unit... not quite what the pros use, but well above the consumer level unit.

The 3ccd senor captures colors in rich vibrant definition and images are crisp and clean... none of the typical "squiggles and lines" from a lower end camera.

Low light enhancement is pretty good, and offers you the ability to control it's sensitivity.

The built in mic is fairly weak, and gives a tin can like sound...you will want to use an external mic when recording audio.

The case construction is solid, and lens housing is protective. The rear of the unit is somewhat exposed - I would like to have seen a cover that could be fitted over the rear battery area to help keep dust and elements out of it.

Battery life with the included battery is pathetic. You will need to purchase on of Sony's high capacity batteries to do any serious shooting.

With a unit of this cost and caliber, I would also have liked to see a longer warranty. I purchased a 3 year extended plan through MACK - something I suggest to everyone buying a model of this cost... too many things to break, and its expensive to fix. MACK covers it comprehensively.

There is also no case included, but Sony makes a very nice hard aluminum case for around $200 that is form fitted to this model. very nice case.

Firewire connectivity is flawless and pushed video to my PC without any issues.

Zoom is responsive and does not float - meaning it is accurate to the level of when you release it. I'd like to see a more powerful zoom however...12x is a little weak.

The threads on the lens seem very soft and could strip easily, so use a UV filter to protect it and mount your filters on the UV lens, keeping the real threads unworn.

You may want to look into the VX2000 which is much less in cost now with the 2100 out. The VX2000 is just as nice... minus some of the low light enhancements.

Due to it's size and weight, most shots will need a tripod for best results...but that is the case for all units in at this level.

1/2005 Update: My cam continues to operate properly, but I am noticing that the unit tends to need cleaning more often than normal to maintain a good recording level. Im using quality DV tapes, but it seems the heads need cleaned more often than normal.

Also, if ou are just buying, there are newer units that offer some VERY competitive features at better pricing...check out the panasonic line before deciding.