I love the camera, and the good reviews here are spot on, but there's a bug in it that makes me wish I didn't buy it. Many other people have reported this, including users of the HC-40. Somewhere inside there's a flaky electrical connection that will discharge the battery and then (sometimes) prevents it from charging properly, or at all. You can read all about the bug and Sony's less-than-helpful responses to it here: "http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=e5bb1f66c0e42e5e976dec17710416fe&t=107753&page=2&pp=15"

My camera began to exhibit this problem after about four months, and I am about to try to get Sony to fix it, but others have had a LOT of trouble getting them to do so without paying over $200 for "labor". Some people seem to have managed to get Sony to pay for the repair, but they seem to be the minority. I currently do NOT recommend this camera, but if Sony decides to recall and fix it, I would recommend it, albeit with less than a full set of stars. If it never had this bug, I would give it five stars.

PS, anyone considering buying any Sony camcorder should seriously consider getting the extended warranty. Their minimum repair cost is outrageous.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 400
Recommended for: Home and Families - Keep Memories of Family Vacations