The Nightshot mode was my only real consideration and Sony has the only camera with it built in. It’s the perfect camera for caving, camping or any low light situation. The Digital8 operates the same as the MiniDV version but is a few hundred less for the camera and four Digital8 tapes cost the same as two MiniDV tapes.

An AV input allows for direct pass through to a computer using IEEE-1394 or to save on a Digital8 tape. IEEE-1394 also has the ability to connect directly to another IEEE-1394 digital camera or VCR to transfer video back and forth an unlimited number of times with no loss in quality. The Digital8 format supposedly has more accurate color reproduction over MiniDV because it is stored differently. I can tell that colors seem slightly brighter compared to MiniDV but both still look great.

The memory stick can store still photos live or from a video in playback and can be used to mix images with live video such as a title or frame. I personally don’t like the memory stick because I have several other products that all use CF and I don’t like buying different memory types and adapters.

A 25X optical zoom is about the best available but costs in both camera size and weight. One design flaw is the viewfinder extends about one inch past the back. This isn’t normally a problem but finding a case that is a perfect fit is difficult. I see other similar cameras with a shorter viewfinder and can’t see any logical reason for it other than the extra zoom optics.

Manual override controls are severely lacking like exposure or shutter speed. The preset AE programs select the best shutter and exposure settings for different situations but manual controls would be better. I like the old standard lens ring manual focus for fine adjustments instead of a little dial that most cameras use. The digital image stabilizer works so well that you can tell when it’s on. Most DIS stabilize the image but cause panning to be jerky while the Sony DIS can be on all the time. It seems to be able to calculate exactly when you want to be stable and when you want to move.

This camera is great for general use but really shines in extreme low light or no light conditions. The only reason to get the Digital8 format is if you have to play analog Hi8 or 8mm tapes once in a while, otherwise get the MiniDV version.

Non-camera related IEEE-1394 issues:
Uploading to a computer for editing is very easy however 60min of DV requires 12Gb of disk space. That means you need 12Gb to upload plus another 12Gb to create the final edit to send back to the camera. The only real problem is that Windows 98 and ME can’t handle a file over 4Gb or 20min. Only Windows 2000 and any IEEE-1394 equipped Mac can handle any size with no problem. I was able to edit a wedding video at around 40min and upload the final back to the camera with no problem using Windows 2000.




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 800