Great Camera! Is it worth it?
Written: Aug 22 '05
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Pros: Lightweight, connectivity, video clarity, menu access, touch screen, Carl Zeiss lens.
Cons: Still camera is only 640x480 and Memory Stick Duo Pro compatibility.
The Bottom Line: For family vacations, ebay postings, and MPEG movie sharing, the camera can't be beat. If you are looking for some higher res photo quality, buy a dedicated camera.
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| kaprod's Full Review: Sony Handycam® DCR-HC30 Mini DV Camcorder |
I got this camera for Father's Day and have been using it for a little over a year. The video quality is great for me and the family. The camera has several ports to connect the camera to a TV, Digital Video (Firewire), USB and the Sony LANC port. The drivers had no problem installing on a Windows 2000 Pro system.
The touch screen, Infrared NightShot and menu system is quite intuitive and easy. It is hard to believe all the features it has is packed into a camera the size of your hand.
One cool feature I use a lot is using the memory stick to record MPEGS. I then plug the camera into the USB port and simply e-mail the MPEGS to family and friends of our family events and get togethers.
On the down side is the resolution of the still camera portion of the camera. It only captures 640x480 but appears to have good clarity with that resolution. Not good enough as a replacement for a 2+ megapixel digital camera.
Also, there is a software incompatibility with some (most?) Memory Stick Duo Pro cards. I bought a SanDisk Memory Stick Duo Pro card and could not get it to work. I could format it in the camera but it would continually show "No Card Present". Even Sony Tech Support said there was no compatibility issues however, the knowledgeable Sears guy was able to help me discover that the "Pro" cards are geared for the Sony Digital Cameras and not the video cameras. I swapped out for a Memory Stick Duo and it works great.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400
Recommended for: Home and Families - Keep Memories of Family Vacations
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Epinions.com ID:
kaprod
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Reviews written: 2
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