Sony Reviews

Watch out before you buy this or any of the other Handycams. At the time I am writing this, no stores have the 1.4GB dvds that they use to record. Even Sony doesn't have them. Make sure you can find a supply of thier recording media before you buy any of these products. I bought the Sony DVD-100 and I am stuck. The Handycam comes with 1 DVD-R so when that is used up your done. Think about this before you purchase a $1,000.00 camcorder that you will be only able to use for 30 mins until more disks are available. A fact I wish I was aware of while I was making my decision to purchase it.

I just received my camcorder, so my experience is brief. A more detailed review will follow later.But since there are no good reviews comparing the camcorders on the market I wanted to share my opinion.

All 3 makers have a lot in common; but I chose the Sony over the Hitachi and Panasonic for a few reasons. The Sony had better resolution available for both movie and still mode vs the Panasonic. (I doubt I'll use the still much since it is only 1 megapixel). Sony, has infrared and can do night imaging. The others don't. Panasonic and Hitachi use DVD-Ram instead of DVD-RW. My Denon DVD player will play back DVD-RW and not DVD-RAM. Check your player for compatibility. This is a big deal!! I can pop a DVD-RW directly out of my camcorder and play it in my DVD player. With DVD Ram you have to download it to your computer and then burn a copy onto DVD-R before you could play it. Finally, the Sony had a 3" display, is designed to be compatible with its other cameras in its ability to use accessories universally, felt more solid, and in my opinion has a better reputation.

The layout is similar to their digital cameras and only takes minutes to learn how to use. It has 3 recording modes DVD-R and on DVD-RW (Video and VR) mode. VR mode allows you to do basic in camera editing: (saving the still images as a movie file, erasing, rearranging,dividing) Otherwise, you edit on your computer. You can use the player to burn edited copies & dub old video cassettes. You can fade, overlap, and wipe when doing your intro and exits; quickly review images and delete the last one recorded. It has a plethora of digital effects: sepia, B&W, pastel, mosaic, luminace and old movie effects. It has auto and manual set white balance,auto and manual exposure and focus controls. The dial is a little awkward.

It has 10X optical and 120 digital zoom. Digital zoom is usually poor quality, so the fact that Hitachi and panasonic were 240x digital zoom made no difference to me.

Weak Points: Buy a larger battery. The one included doesn't have enough juice. No case included.

I paid $830 at digitalmegastore.com vs $1099 retail

OK! I read all of the reader reviews I could get my hand on, and then took the plunge. SONY has done it again (my opinion). This camcorder replaces an old VHS-C off-brand which I thought was pretty good. I love the DCRDVD300, and am glad I opted for the "300" because I love the larger screen. I find all controls handy, and the system is very user-friendly. I only regret that I will never likely use all of the great features. I really just want a camera that will be ready to grab and easy to use when the grandkids do something memorable. This is it. With less than an hour of using the "300", I was comfortably using it.

I have found the Discs VERY difficult to come by, so I am happy that I bought 2 3-packs when I picked the camcorder up. That would be my ONLY complaint - that SONY was not prepared with having more discs available. The official SONY website is also out of stock.

I very happy owner!
George

I am a point and shoot type: Kids/parties/family stuff. No pro training or desire. I just wanted a new camcorder to video the little ones as they grew up.

I haven't bought a camcorder in 10+ years and I did a lot of research. I was ready to buy a Sony DCR TRV38, but the new DVD recorders had just come out. These are 2 different categories of camcorders, but each has its appeal. I decided to give the DVD201 a try for the convenience of direct DVD recording. I have compared the two (borrowed my parents' TRV38 for comparison) side by side. Here are my impressions:
1. Size: the DVD201 is smaller and felt good in hand. Very easy controls.

2. The DVD201 didn't have a touch screen LED. That's good for me!! Its LED screen is 2.5" versus 3.5" on the TRV38. Sony has incorporated a new technology for the LED that lets you see it in bright sunlight. This feature was EXCELLENT!! It actually worked. I never had to use the viewfinder because of screen "washout." It easily beat the TRV38 in that department. The TRV38's LED was unusable in bright sunlight.

3. Image quality: Hands-down, the TRV38 wins here. I was a bit disappointed with the DVD201. Why? Read the review of the Sony DCR-HC40 at camcorderinfo.com and you'll see that they weren't impressed with the CCD (sensor) of that camcorder (it got unsatisfactory marks for low-light quality / and video quality in general). Unfortunately, that CCD is the SAME ONE USED IN THE DVD201. In order to make the camcorder smaller, Sony had to reduce the size of the CCD to 1/5". They claim that "new technology" compensates for the smaller sensor......NOT REALLY!! The larger 1/4.7" CCD of the TRV38 shows in the quality of the video. Both have the same 690K effective pixel resolution, so what gives? Does it matter? Not really!! The bottom line is that the TRV38 provides richer, fuller, and brighter video quality than the DVD201 (for $200 less). The DVD201 video looked gray and washed-out compared to the TRV38. Maybe it's the media itself; mini-DV versus mini-DVD. Maybe it's the sensor. Maybe it's the recording format. It doesn't matter why......the video quality doesn't compare to cheaper units. [side note: the TRV38 has consistently earned very high marks for video quality and low-light ability]

4. As far as low-light ability, the TRV38 "wins" here too, but not by that much. I thought the DVD201 was comparable here with the TRV38. In low light, both videos were a bit grainy. The "Super nightshot plus" gimmicks were just that; gimmicks. The DVD201 does look better due to color being incorporated into the nightshot IR scene. Not a big deal, however.

5. Here's where the new Sony shines: The convenience of the DVD201 is unmatched. Simply pop in a mini-DVD (expensive media, however) and record away. Unfortunately, you have to "finalize" the disc before playing it in a DVD player. The manual warns that this process could take 1 minute to 2 hours?!? HUH? I have burned several so far and it never took more than 3 minutes. Here's the real kicker: Pop the finalized disc into your DVD player and watch it right now!! It's that simple. You will be enjoying your videos while everyone else with a mini-dv camcorder is still trying to hook up the darn camera to the TV with cables. THIS IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST REASON TO BUY THIS CAMCORDER..........Convenience. You don't have to download anything to your computer, compile it, burn a DVD (on the computer), and then pop it into the DVD player.

6. My kids love to watch their home videos...right now!! This camera eliminates the need to hook up anything to your TV with cables (where little hands can break an expensive camera). If you loathe the thought of taking video on a mini-DV, downloading it to the computer via hotwire, compiling/editing your obviously amateur video, re-writing it to a DVD with a DVD burner, and ONLY then get to enjoy it "effortlessly" on your TV, then the DVD201 is for you.

7. Here's the downfall, however; Not much editing ability with the DVD201. Using a DVD-R disc, you burn the DVD as you are taking the video. If you use a DVD-RW, you can download the video to the computer, erase, edit, and rewrite with it. (Apparently, the supplied editing software sucks, but I can't comment because I haven't used it). I will probably never edit much, so I don't mind. If you love to edit, think twice about this camera.

PROs: Small size, good feel, excellent LED screen, ultra convenient DVD media (can eliminate computer interface if desired), perfect if you don't care about doing much editing, excellent image stabilization, "finished product" for kids' review very quick (shoot the video, finalize disk, ready for DVD player, DONE!!), good sound quality

CONs: Video quality not as good as cheaper units (looks gray/washed-out), expensive media, sound of DVD spinning captured on tape (low "whir" audible), a bit grainy low-light performance, no wind filter, not much editing ability

HERE'S THE QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF: Is the convenience of the DVD media worth an extra 200 bucks at the expense of video quality? I'm still debating. Don't get me wrong. The video quality is good, but not great. The DVD201 is a good point and shoot camcorder, but isn't video quality what it's all about? Maybe. Maybe not. Convenience is a huge factor for some of us. One thing is for sure; the DVD201 beats the heck out of the JVC VHS-C I'm replacing. Of course that camcorder is 10+ years old.

BOTTOM LINE: Who will buy this camcorder? People who place convenience at the top of their list of features and are willing to sacrifice some video quality to get it!!!

Hope this helps. By the way, I'm debating whether to return my DVD201 or not.

The DCRDVD201 camcorder is a pleasure to use because it is not difficult to operate, has many great features, and probably its best feature- it is very small and lightweight.
It does not take hours of user manual reading and fidgeting around with the camera to begin using it, and ocassionally referring to the manual to use its more complicated features is all you need to do.
The steady shot is always on and makes recording and viewing easy. The super night shot works well also, but unless your nocturnal, it doesn't get used too much.

The image mixer software that comes with the camera is not as self explanatory as the camera is, but with a little extra effort and time, the program is versatile and capable of handling all your editing needs.
The hype over the DVD camcorders is over done. Unless you buy and use the expensive little DVD-+R's to record onto, and have nothing to edit, there is little benefit to recording directly to a DVD. But if you use the DVD-RW's so you can edit, erase, and re-record, you are going through the motions of putting the video on your computer anyway; which you can do with miniDV or another recording format. In short, the DVD's that you record to is just temporary storage, if you, like most people will edit your recording before putting the video on a final DVD-+R.
I say all that to say- suprisingly, the picture quality is argueably not as good as miniDV and if you are going to have to transfer your recorded material to a computer to edit and finalize anyway- you may want to save yourself the extra $500 and buy a camcorder that doesn't record onto DVD-+R's.

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I was just commenting on the previous review, questioning why a reviewer would copy/paste info and submit it for three different cameras. What I found was that the reviewer was trying to explain the differences between the three cameras, so that the consumer can make an educated decision as to which camera suits them best comparing features and price. I found the reviews very helpful, and it actually helped me to decide which model I wanted to buy. I'm sure that is what makes this individual a reviewer in the top 100 at amazon.

While the price is higher than other camcorders on the market, I think this product is worth it. It's easy to set up and use, the editing software for the computer is decent, and I'm able to get high quality footage and share it with family and friends.

One note of caution: the software really does require a higher speed computer and/or updated platforms like Windows XP. It ended up leading to the demise of our old computer (a Windows ME), but functions much better on our new one that has XP.

This camera made it to Oprah's 2003 Favorite Things List. That prompted me to take a look at it, and I was really impressed! We ended up buying it, and we're so glad that we did. Wow, what a great video-camera! It's compact, quiet, and very easy to use. We were able to set it up & record without even opening the instruction manual. The playback quality on the LCD screen is amazing, and the sound quality is near-perfect. I'm so happy with this camera. I highly recommend it for its ease of use, light & comfortable size, and the simplicity of recording directly onto a dvd. No more copying from small tapes to larger VHS tapes for me! That was such a frustrating experience and the editing quality was horrible.

I'm really pleased that I'll be able to share video of my daughter with friends and family who have dvd players, or video viewing capability on their computers.

FOLLOW-UP: We took this camcorder to Sea World and the footage was excellent. It was nice not to have to lug around a heavy piece of equipment while trying to transport a toddler, stroller, etc. Once we got home, I put together a 5 minute edited video using the ImageMixer software from Sony (included when we purchased the camera). Wow, it was so user-friendly! I added some of my own music to it, as well as some text to some scenes. Then we burned the edited project to a simple, inexpensive CD-R instead of DVD-R, for family/friends to view on their computers. I checked, and many in-home computers have some sort of video viewing software such as Windows Media Player, or another compatible program.

We are extremely pleased with this new Sony product!! We went with the 100 series only because of price. We found the mini DVD-R and DVD-RW discs very difficult to find during the Christmas shopping season, but I did find some discs and used our camcorder for the first time at Christmas with our family. It was very simple to operate, made an exceptional quality recording which, after 1 minute of finalizing (quite simple actually), played in our DVD player perfectly! How much more convenient can it get? No a/v wires, no special connections to hook up to your tv to play your 8mm, etc., just plain simplicity -- go right from the camcorder to your DVD! I am very excited to use the movie editing software included with the camcorder to edit, print stills, etc. What more could you ask for than a movie/still digital camcorder that records on, above all, DVD discs? It can't get much simpler than that! The instruction manual that comes with the camcorder is very easy to follow -- I sat down for a little over an hour reading the entire manual and was able to operate this camcorder quite proficiently. All the necessary operations are right where they need to be on the camcorder -- in other words, it is user friendly and functionally intelligently designed. If you want an easy to use camcorder with the versatility and quality of a DVD, this series of camcorders is for you!!

My wife wanted the convenience to record video and immediately play it on the DVD player (much like the old days of VHS), but I wanted the ability to edit and make copies on the computer. This camcorder serves both purposes well. Build quality seems good, and more importantly it works as advertised- great picture quality, excellent sound recording, and our first DVD-R played fine in our 2 yr old DVD player. The unit is easy to use- much like any other camcorder other than loading the DVD discs instead of tapes. IMO all camcorders don't produce very good stills so I don't expect much in that area which is also the reason I didn't spend the extra $ on the DVD200 model (put the savings toward a digital camera instead).

Our first recording event was a Christmas program in dim lit auditorium several rows away shooting many zoom shots on a lit stage. To my surprise, the white balance was good (not yellow), exellent sound of chorus, and very little camera shake considering it was hand held during the program, and pleasing picture quality on the DVD player. It only took about 3 minutes to finalize the DVD in the camcorder once we got home, but this can vary depending on how may scenes you have on the disk.

Bottom line- we are happy so far with this camcorder. We also opted to get the Handycam DVD starter kit which includes a nice carrying case, which is just the right size for the camera, spare battery, and a few disks. The kit also includes a DVD-RW disk and an extra battery. In addition, I have ordered a 30mm UV protective filter for the lens.

Ok, Ok, I got duped into this buy due to "improving, but degrading" technology.

I have been using Digital-8, and I wanted a new mini-DV, but this year (2004) Sony decreased the chip (imaging sensor) size to 1/6" in the mini dv tape models. First reviews from camcorderinfo.com are not enthusiastic (smaller chip, higher noise in the image, degraded low light performance and some color saturation issues) this packing more pixels into a smaller die size problems are true in digital cameras (the smaller more dense sony 8mp digital camera sensor), as well as in "new, improved, more pixels" camcorders.

So after reading of this "improvement" and browsing the other reviews I discovered:
1) the sony DCRDVD100 has the largest chip (1/4") size (vice 1/4.7" for the 200 and 300, and 1/6" chip (same as the 2004 mini dv tape model) for the 2004 dcrdvd101 dvd camcorder)
2) the test reviews from last year (100 vs 200) said the 200 "drops from the abilities of the DVD100" in video performance. (you don't EVEN want to read how poorly the new even smaller 1/6" chip in the 101 does compared to those two!)
3) there were still some 100's available as of mid-may this year.
4) all professional (broadcast quality) camcorders are on the verge of going tapeless this year or next, eg the trend will only make dvd camcorders more common.

So here was the cheapest dvd camcorder sony made last year, outperforming it's more expensive brethren and even the

"degraded" model for this year! Yep, wasn't planning on it's purchase, but sure didn't want lose video performance by waiting for one!

Gripe 1, the 100 takes lousy still photos. Ok, so you can take a megapixel still pic with the 200 and 300. 1mp is still lousy in the 8mp era of digtal still cameras. And any camera phone can do a better photo easier. So I am not willing to trade the superior low light, low noise capabilities on video in the DVD100 to gain (still) mediocre still picture performance in the 200 or 300, which I will never use.

Next gripe, there are no mini-DVD's available, and the price is too high! Standard complaint with the introduction of every new technology. I paid $8ea. for the first Maxell 120 VCR tapes back in the mid-eighties, now that buys 10 of them! Froogle mini dvd-r and you may find a bundle of 25 mini dvd-r's for $1 ea. (on sale) like I did in mid-may. Next year at this time they may be 50 cents each, regular price. NOW compare that to the price of mini-dv tape!

S'hows it look? I can't see any difference on playback between the DCRDVD100 and my 3 year old TRV-730 digital eight camcorder, but the convenience is a thousand times better. The mini-dvd's play on my tv dvd, they play on my pc dvd, they play on the camcorder dvd. try that with mini-dv or 8mm dv! I can make mini-dvd duplicates using the camcorder and PC and send these mini-dv's to any relative to share our videos with. I never had the patience to transfer 8mm to VCR, not to mention the bulking up factor of VCR duplicates.

ok, so the time is down to 20 mins per disk. About the same amount of relevant footage I get off a 1 hour 8mm tape, in which I just stick the 8mm camcorder in a corner and let run at parties, too bulky to carry. savings too, since the 8mm tape is still $4ea and I've got that full coverage using 3 mini dvd-r's at $1 ea.

And bless sony for keeping the same battery, charger and flash accessories as in my 8mm dv! Now I have the same batteries to run my cd-r digital camera, the 8mm camcorder and this dvd-r video camcorder. a real dollar savings!

Sony has always won the low-light full color indoor camcorder shoot-out contests, but with the new reduced-size imaging chips for the 2004 models , they apparently have slipped a notch backwards. So if absolute all-round video performance is the most important thing for you, I encourage you to run, not walk to locate the DVD100, before they are all gone. Or wait until the model 102 for 2005 is introduced!

other pros: storage size of completed videos
instant useability/exchangeability with other machines besides the camcorder, no tape drive mechanisms to wear out and eat your prized videos years down the road. dramatic decline in cost of mini dvd-r media compared to micro-dv, mini-dv and 8mm dv tape.

cons: no firewire connection to allow direct digital duping, I'd love to use the sony mini-dvd-r's to download my digital SLR camera's images into a permanent file while I am traveling, but guess that will have to wait until 2005?

I like it, recommended.

I am using this camcoder for about 5 months. The following spesifications have disappointed me:
1.the quality of the movie which is shot at low light level is bad.
2.The night shot movie is monocrom and the color of movie is very bad.
3. the color night shot movies are not smooth.
4. The quality of the movies which is transferred to the computer to make VCD or DVD is bad and to superimposing of the time or date to the movie is impossible.