Sony Reviews

I finally bought the Sony 818 the other day after looking around for a camcorder for some time.

I decided on the 818 over the Cannon ES60 because the 818 comes with more features like night shot, steady shot, and a fantastic feature that tells you how many minutes of battery life you have left.

The camera was a piece of cake to learn to operate. It was very self explanitory and the bit of the manual I did read seemed very helpful.

The 818 does lack some features which may be important to some people. For one, it does not have a side mounted viewfinder like the next model up. It also does not have a built in light. However, the viewfinder is color (the next model up is not although it does have a side mounted viewfinder) and you can purcahse a light and mount seperately from Sony for about 100 Canadian Dollars. If you are going up to the next level specifically for the light don't bother! Buy it seperately and buy the 818.

The quality of the footage on my 26 inch TV does not seem the best. The audio is alright but does pick up "white noise" like most camcorders.

The 818 is the lowest model of Camcorder sony makes. The third lowest, which is about 300 Canadian Dollars more, is exactly the same as the 818 except for the built in light, and the side mounted colour viewfinder (which the more expensive model has If these features don't excite you go for the 818! You get the same camera the same quality, the same lense, the same everything except these features.

I suggest the 818 to most people but if you are very concerned by "white noise" and a slightly fuzzy picture then go to a digital or otherwise much higher model.

This is my first camcorder. I was intrigued by the special price run on it. I bought it online on my lunch break and stopped by Circuit City on the way home from work and picked it up.

It is a Hi8/8mm recorder and does not record in stereo, but it is very nice! The battery says it lasts for 2 hours, but I have gotten around 3 on a charge. The camera is very simple to use. I have figured out most of the options just by playing around with it. It shoots in very low light and even has a low light feature which will work in almost darkness. The picture and audio quality are outstanding! It is worth every penny in my opinion. It is a great beginner's unit, but if you want something more high-end then I would look at a digital camera.

There are a lot of options for accessories including a 20-hour battery. The unit is very lightweight and compact, which makes it easy to carry and easy to do precision filming with. I highly recommend this unit to anyone looking to venture into the camcorder market.

THis camera is great. I have had it for over a year and it has worked perfectly. The picture is great and it is small and handy. Also it is now selling for 299.99! It is a steal. I would suggest anyone buying it who needs a ... camcorder!