Sony DCR-SR45 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom by Sony
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Digital camera reviews of Sony DCR-SR45 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom
Digital camera Review: Big bang for the buck in a tiny package!
Summary: 5 Stars
We have an aging Sony Hi 8mm and tired of buying tapes. Two friends have the Sony DCR SR42 that this model replaces. Sony improved on a great product!
It is easy to operate, has great sound and quality video recording, light weight, and priced right. Not great for taking still photos, but then it is sold as a camcorder not a still picture camera.
If you are looking for a good camera for vacations and catching family moments then this is a perfect camera. If you are looking for a professional quality camera, then drop $2000 and buy one.
Digital camera Review: Blurry video, no image stabilization, no focus.
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this camera in a hurry without doing much research. What lured me into the purchase is that one can transfer mpeg video files straight from camera to PC via USB and not mess with firewire and minidv tapes. Also I was trusting "Sony" brand and thought that if it is Sony then the camera would perform reasonably well. Boy, was I disappointed!
After shooting few videos it became apparent that camera has no image stabilization and therefore has trouble focusing. Lack of image stabilization makes 40x zoom useless. All my indoor videos appeared blurry, washed-out and with dull greyish colors. I thought that may be I have low light problems, but when I took the camera outdoors the image did not improve, still blurry and out of focus. The only time I managed to get the image into focus is when I placed the camera on a steady surface and filmed the movie this way. I tried to turn off autofocus in the settings and play with manual focus, but you cannot set easily the distance - it starts from 0.1m goes to 1.2m ant then quickly jumps to infinity. I was not able to set 3-4m distance.
To be on the fair side, copying the files from camera to PC was very easy - I just plugged the camcorder into my PC via USB and copied the files. I did not need to install any supplied camera software to do that (which is a big plus since supplied camera software is usually not the best one). I gave this product two stars instead one star because of that.
Based on my experience I would not recommend this product since you can get many minidv camcorders much cheaper with much better video quality. Despite the loss of restocking fee I returned mine back to the store.
Digital camera Review: Camera doesn't look new
Summary: 1 Stars
I received my camera today but looking at the packaging it seems it is not brand new. It seems that a re-conditioned camera has been sent instead of a brand new one.Digital camera Review: Compact, But Not Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this camera as a replacement for a VHS-C camera that I never did manage to use because it was just too cumbersome. The HandyCam SR45 is certainly small -- it fits in my purse! But it does have a few flaws I wish I had realized before purchasing.
First of all, it doesn't have a wide-angle lens. That is an optional accessory. This limits my filmmaking abilities more than I realized it would. Secondly, it dosn't have a viewfinder. You are forced to use the viewscreen at all times. In bright sun you can't see the image on the viewscreen at all, so without the option of switching to the viewfinder it's hit and miss if you are filming what you think you are filming.
And the last major challenge I have is that it records in MPEG2 format. This is the format (I guess) that you need to output directly to DVD. But for editing, this is not the best format. To edit in Windows Movie Maker you have to convert the file types and the quality tanks. I am looking at some MPEG2 editors right now, but I hear that editing right in MPEG2 format you lose some ability to make fine-tune edits.
On the plus side, I never have to buy tapes for this thing, and with something like 6 hours of recording built in at the highest quality I doubt I'll even need to buy memory cards for it. (Even on a great vacation, over 6 hours of footage is too much! Edit yourself!!) No running out of room in the middle of something exciting happening.
The lens cap is built in, which is also great, but I'm forgetting to close it all the time. And the 40x Optical Zoom is fantastic! It takes some great up-close shots without having to get up-close. And transferring to JPEG for still shots is easy with the new software I'm trying, and the stills look great.
And the nightshooting is really cool, too. I just don't know if I'll ever use it other than to torment my cat.
Overall it's a nice little camera, but there is room for improvement.
Digital camera Review: Cool camcorder!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Its worth your money..i'm satisfied with the product though the picture is little grainy but its easy to handle...but if you watch the movie on the t.v. screan, its good!the sound quality is perfect! what else can you get in such a low price?....its cool!!