Reviews for Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Wide screen video and view screen * Dolby 5.1 surround sound with built-in mike * Fantastic quality picture on normal setting * Comes w/2 hour battery * Creates real DVD's

Weakness: It uses mini-DVD's, not full size DVD's, so you only get 30 minutes per DVD * The on-off switch is very plasticky and flimsy * No manual zoom ring * Can't use built-in video editing on normal DVD

This camcorder takes, by far, the best video and audio of any camcorder I've ever owned (this is my third). And that's really why we buy camcorders, right?

The Good:

o Wide-screen camera, takes up full screen when played on wide-screen TV
o Camcorder view screen is wide-screen also
o Dolby 5.1 surround-sound that REALLY works (when played on surround sound speakers) with BUILT-IN microphone (no external mike needed)
o When you’re filming, it picks up your voice great and since you’re behind the camera, it plays mostly out the rear speakers on the home theater – very cool
o Results (with normal resolution) look and sound as good as a DVD
o Good in low-light (even no light) – like all SONY’s
o Very few buttons, most functions available via touch screen menu (like new SONY’s)
o The zoom button is proportional – the more you press it, the faster you zoom
o Records directly to DVD’s in real DVD format (VOB is in TS_VIDEO folder), supports DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW
o The DVD+RW format can be played on some DVD players without finalizing (closing) the DVD
o It comes with a 2-hour battery
o It has a 3 mega-pixel CCD
o The still pictures are the best from a consumer video camera (almost as good as a regular 3MP digital camera)
o The stills are stored on the same DVD as the video, just in a different folder (no hated memory stick)

The Bad:

o It uses mini-DVD’s (8cm), not full-size DVD’s (12cm), so at normal resolution (which is very good), you only get 30 minutes of recording per DVD. Note that the best resolution only gets 20 minutes per DVD, and the resulting high frame rate is too high for some DVD players. Low resolution gets 60 minutes per DVD, but the video looks like a bad copy. Use normal, and buy multiple DVD+RW’s.
o The on-off switch is very plasticky and flimsy. It feels like it will break easily.
o The microphone is very sensitive. Some people complain about wind noise being picked up. I haven’t experienced this myself, but it hasn't been particularly windy when I've been fliming outside.
o Analog zoom is only 10X (almost sufficient)
o No manual zoom ring
o It’s expensive ($1,000 list), $200 more than (almost) comparable DV cameras
o Supposedly the DV videotape format has better resolution since it’s not compressed (DVD uses MPEG2 compression). This supposedly makes DV superior for editing, although I haven’t tried any editing yet.
o The camera has built-in editing capabilities, but to use these, you must use a DVD-RW and record in a non-standard mode (VR). You’re better off recording in a standard DVD mode and editing the video on your computer.

Everything on The Bad list is minor. The video results of this camcorder are absolutely amazing! The only thing I’ll truly be unhappy about is if that damn on-off switch breaks.

The camera only comes with one DVD-R (write-once). You’ll want to buy DVD+RW’s (rewritable, no finalization necessary) and after you shoot video, copy them to large DVD’s. I bought a 3-pack of mini (8cm) DVD+RW’s from sony.com ($27.55 including tax, free shipping) before I ordered the camera. This way I had the DVD’s on hand when the camera arrived. I couldn’t find mini DVD+RW’s anywhere else at the time. So I carry 90 minutes worth of video at a time. I’ll probably buy a second 3-pack, too, along with a second battery, when the price comes down. This way I'll have three hours of recording time.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Friendly user interface, excellent resolution, easy to operate

Weakness: Eye piece does not rotate up

An excellent camcorder!!! I bought this camcorder for my wife. We are expecting a baby pretty soon, and wanted to get a camcorder to capture the moments to come. This is our first camcorder, although we both have experience in digital photography.

I had no background whatsoever in camcorders, so I started searching. It had to be easy to use. It had to have good resolution. The downloading of the video had to be a breeze. This camera fit all of these criteria. I didn't want to get involved with the conventional 8mm tapes. The DVD format makes it really easy to take care of your data. And oh how easy it was to operate! My wife opened up the box and just started using it on her own, while I was trying to read through the "Getting Started" portion of the instructions.

The downloading is pretty simple. -R and -RW media needs to be "finalized" before being inserted into a DVD player (+RW media does not even have to be "finalized".). Or, you can just download via USB 2.0.
I don't have anything to compare the images to since this is our first camcorder.
But the images are really nice. Especially the "nightshot" capabilities of Sony helps in the dark.

Overall, I would really REALLY recommend this camcorder for anyone just starting out with camcorders.
It's well worth the $750 (after a $25 rebate) !!!!!!!!!!!

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Excellent Camcorder

Strengths: Ease of use; ability to watch mini DVDs on DVD player; fantastic picture; great in low light.

Weakness: On/off switch is not smooth; slots to connect battery charger and to connect cam to TV for playback are flimsy

This camcorder is excellent. I did quite a bit of research between the Panasonic GS250 and this model, Sony DVD 403. I am glad that decided on this model. First, the picture on playback is great and the sound is very clear as well. I also appreciate the ability to quickly watch a recorded DVD just by popping the mini DVD (after finalizing) into the DVD player. Second, the cam operates well in lowlight. Third, if you zoom in and out slowly, the picture stays in focus pretty well. After practicing filming my daughter, I do realize the importance of getting a tripod to keep the cam steady. (You would not realize how difficult it is to keep your hand steady for a long period of time.) I also purchased a UV filter and intend to purchase a polarizer filter as well. the UV filter is a must to protect your lens and I use a polarizing filter in my SLR camera so I can't wait to see the picture enhancements on the cam. This is a great cam for anyone looking to shoot quality videos without the hassle of taking time and energy to do major editing.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: User Friendly, ergonomics, and excellent low light capability.

Weakness: NO MEMORY STICK option which is very convenient for still photography. Price of the DVD media is still very high. I just found that the DVD is very difficult to remove from the camera.

Overall, the DCR-DVD403 is an excellent camcorder for the price. The only part of the design which I really don't like was the power switch which is very hard to operate when hodling the camera on shooting position. Furthermore, it doesnt look like it would last long. I only had the camera for a couple of days and the power switch seem to be mechanically unstable now and it might break soon. Also, very difficult to remove the disk from the camera.

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Excellent Camcorder all the way around

Strengths: Great Video look Touch Screen Easy to use Easy to hold

Weakness: Must use LCD screen as eye thing is hard to look through

I wanted to wait awhile before I commented, so that I could use all the features and see how the recorder handles. After two months, I have to say that I am completely pleased with this camcorder. This camcorder takes an absolutely excellent video and the quality is unreal. As for the photos, I think they are terrific. We continually heard how not to expect good pictures from a camcorder. Well, I have seen way too many digital cameras that just plain stink. This blows them away.

1

The price is fabulous, especially using this site to find the best deal, we paid a little over 700 with everything included.

1

The mini-dvd is easy to handle and easy to use. If you use an -RW you can edit right on the camcorder. Otherwise, just transfer to your computer and put on a large DVD for consolidation or just finalize and use the mini. Don't know where people are buying their mini, but they don't cost as much as people make out. Buy 10 for $25 and I am sure that will go down. You can record up to 60 on the least quality and I haven't found too much problem with that, except when it is not light out you will want a better quality, thus cutting your time down. If you want something else besides a mini-dvd, then buy another camera. You will be hard pressed to find too many cameras that do everything. Mini-dvds and hard drives are the camcorders of the future, so you can buy your tapes and everything, but be careful, you are out of date.

1

The battery to me seems to last a long time as we have yet to have any problem with it. We don't record entire ball games or anything, but then again, if you are and you think any camcorders basic battery is going to last, you may be in for a surprise. This battery lasts at least 2 hours as long as you arent continually using it to watch what you just did.

1

The sound is real good, but maybe too good and not directed enough at the source. You pick up everything and I mean everything. Not really a problem, just be careful of wind and not zooming fluidily, as you can pick up the sounds of both.
1

The touch screen rocks and works really good. The zoon is nice but a little too touchy. Probably my fault and I need to learn to be more gentle, I don't know. I found the software hard to load on the computer and a little confusing, but that is why I married someone smarter than me, as she figure it out right away.
1

There are a lot of features and they do take time to understand, but the touch screen helps out and it is a fun camera. All in all, I am overjoyed with this purchase, and I hate to spend money, so that says a lot.

1

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Excellent video quality, ease of use, absolutely great audio 5.1 Dolby Digital

Weakness: Flimsy on/off switch.

I got this camera after looking at the reviews and doing a lot of research to replace my lost MiniDV camera. The quality of the video and audio is outstanding. This camera by far has the best low light video that I have seen. The picture looks great on a 16:9 format TV with absolutely no pixalation. The fact that the DVD can be played in any DVD player immediately after shooting the video is a big plus. The video looked better than the video that I shoot using my JVC GR-DVM90 MiniDV camera in progressive scan mode. The zoom on this camera is pretty smooth. The still picture quality however is not that great, it does not even compare to the quality of pictures taken using my Olympus 3.2MP camera. But they look a lot better than a 1MP pictures and they are decent. I did test the video on the HQ mode (20 min. per disc) to make sure that there was no frame skipping as experienced by one user and did not find any. The software supplied with the camera is pretty basic and is pretty much worthless other than downloading the video in MPEG format to the computer for further editing. The files on the miniDVD could also be copied directly to the hard disk, but they are in the VOB format. Many freeware VOB tools can be use to extract the audio and video into MPEG format if required.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Very ergonomic and stylish design. Good low-light picture. Ease of use. Even doubles as a DVD recorder when used with a TV.

Weakness: On/Off/Mode toggle is a little flimsy. Certain controls are only available on the LCD touch-screen. 20 min recording capacity in high quality mode is a slightly limiting.

This is my first camcorder and I couldn't be more pleased. I had always been waiting for the DVD-R medium to develop and from what I've read and heard Sony has more or less perfected the technology with this 3rd gen offering. The DVD403 utilizes very well Sony's famous steadyshot and nightshot technologies. The 16:9 aspect ratio is perfect for those with widescreen TVs. The 3MP still shot feature allows the DVD403 to easily replace the average digital camera. My only real gripe is that I wish the DVD-Rs had a higher capacity but hopefully that will come with time (and only be a function of changing the DVD-Rs and not the whole camera).

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: 3MP camera Battery time is good

Weakness: 10x optical zoom Noise in dim light condition

So I got this camera for pretty cheap at only $800 - $25 rebate makes it a damn good deal. First day I received the camera, I put it to charge. As it charged I used it and under house light there was some noise, but not that noticeable, but to the camera enthusiasts they will notice. I brought 3 pack dvd-rw Sony brand($15) once you get the 3 pack, your ready to go. You don't need anything, at the lowest quality setting the dvd-rw can record 1hr, at highest quality 30mins. Trust me you may think 30mins is not enough, but it is enough for one dvd-rw at highest quality settings. I recently recorded something thinking it'd be few hrs worth and put it in the lowest quality setting, what a mistake, at the end the recorded time was ~30mins, wish I had recorded it at highest quality setting. Even at lowest quality setting it is pretty good. The sound quality is good because its surround sound so it picks up alot more than you want to so be careful.(Dolby Digital 5.1). I gave this 4 stars because of the 2 weaknesses I put up above. Guess I just can't have enough optical zoom. Overall I would recommend this camera sub-$800

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Excellent in low light situations, easy-to-navigate, excellent quality, still image quality superb. IT'S SONY

Weakness: media is limiting to 30 minutes / software needs improvement /optical zoom is only 10x

After an extensive research i got this camcorder, which is my first dvd camcorder and I am very impressed. The quality of the video it's fantastic. It is very easy to use. The playback is a piece of cake . You don't have to rewind and forward all the time. You just select the play mode and all the videos and pictures which you have taken are already there!! The software needs kind of improvement but that's not an issue for me.
This camera is a value for money. I 'd recommend it to everybody! You can't go wrong on this one!!!

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Easy to use, touch screen menu functions, good user manual, convenience - video is recorded directly on a DVD so it is very easy to view immediately on a DVD player.

Weakness: High price, strap gets in the way when opening and closing the DVD door, confusing needing to select between VR mode and Video mode when placing a new DVD into camcorder initially.

We've been using this miniDVD camcorder for about 6 weeks and have been very impressed with it. The color, contrast, and resolution are superior. The image stabilization was great as was demonstrated when I forgot to bring a tripod to my daughter's graduation and had to hold the camcorder while recording the 1.5 hour ceremony. The 16:9 aspect ratio is wonderful, it makes you think you're watching a movie in the theater.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: 3CCD, excellent low light videos, easy play back of recorded video, touch screen, line in recording, wide screen

Weakness: Bundled s/w Picture Package needs a lot of improvement, the View finder is not tiltable like other models

I upgraded from my Sony Hi8 to the Sony DCR-DVD403 on 01 April '05 for $750 + s&h. I have been doing a lot of research on the different DVD models available in the market. 403 is the latest of all. Here are some Pros.
1. Has 3 CCD which means true-to-life color.
2. The 3 MP picture mode also delivers good pictures. (Though I have a 5 MP digicam, its still handy to know that 403 can take good quality digi pics)
3. The best of all that I like is the way you navigate through the recorded scenes. No more REW and FF's and no more accidental over writing.
4. Each recording session is stored as individual tracks. What this means is that you have smaller files to edit and manipulate. Which means less time consuming while editing.
5. The touch screen is another feature that I like. No messy buttons on the body like other models.
6. Watching video in wide screen looks good. Its compatible with normal TVs as well.
7. The line-in recording is super. I can convert any movie to a DVD.
8. It operates good in low light.

Now lets come to some cons.
1. The view finder, is always straight. I would have appreciated if it can be tilted up and down like other Sony Camcorders.
2. Mini DVD media is expensive. I work around this by having a few DVD-RWs.
3. The provided software, Picture Package, is a YUK. I never like it. You can use PP to only burn a MiniDVD on your camcorder. It cannot burn on my external DVD burner. Why would you wan to burn a MiniDVD? But one good thing about that is that the sound can be converted from 5.1 CH dolby to the normal 2 layer stereo. If you ask me why you want to do that, the answer is, if you want to use the MPEG with 5.1 CH Dolby on your other video editing s/w's like Photo Studio etc., you will not hear the sound. You need to convert the audio before using other s/w. I currently use PIXELA Image Mixer (This is provided for other older Sony DVD models) and its able to recognize the 5.1 CH sound. DVD encoding is also excellent in that software. If you can get a copy of that, then you need not use Picture Package at all.

Overall, The best DVD camcorder in market.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Excellent Video & Audio quality, 5.1 ch dolby digital audio recording using built-in 4 ch microphone, Good lowlight performance, ease of use, DVD media ease in playback, auto focus, stabilization

Weakness: Normal mode setting of micro-phone recieves wind-noise in breezy atmosphere as mic is very sensitive and powerful. Needs setting "LOW" mic ref level as provided. No other drawbacks found.

I have got PAL version (DCR-DVD803E) of this model few weeks ago. It has got the stunningly good performance with ease and convenience.

Briefly the Pros & Cons:

PRO's:
1. Convenience in playing back the recorded miniDVD in computer or set-top DVD players immediately after finalization.
2. 3M-pixel CCD Resolution (3.05M still and 2M video effective pixels)
(1/3 inch size CCD means better video quality)
3. Very good low light performance
4. No need of rewinding, forwarding for blank space search with miniDV.
5. No possibility of accidentally video getting overwritten as with miniDV (in case of overlook)
6. 16:9 recording (Wide)
7. 5.1 Channel Dolby digital surround sound recording and in-built 5.1 ch enabled mic.
8. Excellent still quality equal to digital camera of 3M
9. Can edit MPEG2 after downloading clips from miniDVD and finally record into bigger DVD.
10. Provided software does the conversion of audio from 5.1 ch to stereo for compatilbility with many softwares. Till 5.1 ch enabled encoding softwares are available, the miniDVD could be copied directly to 12cm DVD without loosing such audio performance for home theatres.
11. Did not get wind noise when recorder with Mic ref level as LOW in breezy or auditorium atmosphere.

Cons:
1. DVD (MPEG2) format is not recommended over DV for extensive editing.
2. May need to change miniDVD's (30min SP) for recording more often than a miniDV tapes (1 Hr. SP). But, this is not an issue for most of us as we may take a logical break (Standby during unimportant scene) well with-in leass than 30 min to change the mini DVD.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Excellent low-light, video and audio. Easy to use. The 5.1 ch Dolby sounds great indoors. Wide angle, telephoto and filters are easy to use. I bought a bigger battery, but the normal one has n

Weakness: Outdoor sound has excessive wind-noise and picks up everything. On/Off switch is not easy to use but other controls are fine.

I will get a “telephoto” mic.
The “easy” button lets you get started right out of the box. I got it Thursday and used it at a dog show Saturday. (My dog became an International Champion)
I use the rewrite disk and then burn them on the cheap large disks.
I highly recommend it.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: best camcorder

Weakness: n/a

This is the best camcorder I have, it is very small and has big performance. The quality of pictures are great. The battery is longer than other batteries of other brand name.

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Sony Handycam DCR-DVD403 DVD Digital Camcorder

Strengths: Fine image quality, compact, stylish, wide-screen LCD display, built-in microphone, excellent battery life

Weakness: Finalizing the disc, high media prices

Recorded video is of excellent quality. The camcorder captures strong, bright colors, and smooth movement in both indoor and outdoor lighting. It is user-friendly and the buttons fall comfortably under the fingers of the right hand. The battery life is better than I had expected. I am very satisfied with the product. I really recommend this camcorder to everyone.

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Handycam DCR-DVD403

Strengths: Light weight,user friendly, great piture quality.

This is a GREAT Camcorder. Easy to use, light, great picture quality. I can even use it on my Big screen TV by running the movies right through the camcorder. Highly recommend.

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GREAT item when it works...but, watch out....

Strengths: Many useful features for the less sophistated or more experience user.

Weakness: Tends to have vital flaws with lousy warranty to back up expected services, especially given the high price!

I researched handycams in advance of my purchase and felt confident that "this was the one." While I felt positive about the functions it offered, I was more disappointed in the manufacturer's inability to provide a decent warranty. I purchased my handcam in advance of my first European vacation and the item mal-functioned after 20 minutes of use: the right side of the screen blacked out. The seller replaced it with a new item promptly, and the second handycam promptly mal-fuctioned again: the lens cover failed to close. Sony refused to replace. BAD NEWS for the purchaser who only used the item for 20 minutes. BE CAREFUL. The warranty only provides that Sony will repair the item at its costs, but who wants a new and expensive handycam "repaired" when it clearly was defective. I am happy with the item when it works. Just cross your fingers.

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Great Camcorder, records directly to DVD's

Strengths: This camcorder is small and lightweight. It has a great zoom and I love the fact that I can do digital videos and digital pictures (3 megapixel) with the same camera.

Weakness: DVD's for this camera aren't cheap and they only hold 30 minutes of video. Camera is pricey.

I purchased this camcorder about a month ago for my vacation. I have been very pleased with the quality of this camcorder and the features. I love the fact that I can make DVD's and play them directly in my DVD player. I also like that this camcorder takes pretty good still pictures. As I mentioned in the weakensses, the DVD's for this camera are expensive and only hold 30 minutes of video and it doesn't take a memory stick that can be inserted into your printer, but then again, you have the DVD's to use, so no big deal. I would definitely purchase this model/camcorder again.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: The design is very compact. Image is very sharp and clear.

Weakness: 30 mins recording time. A little confusing to use in the beginning.

This is my first digital camcorder and I am very happy with the product. It is light and fits in the palm of my hand. The image is very clear and does well in low light. However, the zoom button was very hard to manipulate until I found out how to control it. In addition to the existing recorded minute counter, I wish it would give a warning flash when the disk is almost full.

The hours I spent on research before purchasing was well worth it.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Ease of use and flexibility, touch screen controls, speed of start up and writing to disc, ability to review/delete unwanted material quickly, 3 Meg still photos, 10x zoom

Weakness: Would like more control in camera mode - at least shutter speed and f-stop as in digital camera-only units; only 20 minutes of video in HQ mode.

This is my third Sony camcorder in the last 12 years - first Hi8, then Digital8 and now the DVD403 - I am a pretty demaning user and I absolutely love it!!! (I'm so glad I did not by the early direct to DVD models.) High quality video and photos, instant access (no tape to rewind - yipee!), convenience of 3 Meg still photo mode, easy and fast transfer to PC for editing (I pop the DVD-VR disc directly into my PC drive). HQ mode video looks outstanding on my big screen TV! I do notice minor degradation in SQ and more in LP mode, so I have not used them as much. HQ mode video also gives great stop frame capture detail, and I have had no issues with editing quality (where some prefer Mini-DV). I use DVD-RWs and then back up to my PC and regular DVD-Rs for archiving.

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User friendly camcoder.

Strengths: Easy to use, Good sound, 3.0 Mega pixels and Compact design.

Weakness: No memory stick slot. WHY!!

BOUGHT THIS CAMERA TWO WEEKS AGO. GREAT! LOVE THE NUMEROUS FEATURES, SOFTWARE IS BASIC AND LONG BATTERY LIFE. FOR BEGINNERS, GET A SOFTWARE UPGRADE FOR IN-DEPTH EDITING. AGAIN, AWESOME CAMERA!!

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: A very simple to use camera and with 16:9 recording format and 5.1 surroundsound capabilities, this camcorder rocks. 3.2 MP dig camera too ..

Weakness: The discs for the camcorder especially the +/- RW discs r expensive compared to miniDV tapes, but its a one time investment, as u can rerecord upto 1000 times on those discs. A little expensive...

After a lot of research and reading a lot of reviews, I chose the DVD403. I always wanted a very simple to use camcorder with limited editing capabilites. camcorderinfo, circuitcity and Cnet user reviews are excellent for this camcorder, i did not think twice.

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Sony DVD 403 Camcorder

Strengths: Wide screen Ease of use of DVD media

Weakness: Expensive media (Compact DVD) A bit bulkier than Mini DV format camcorders

This is a great camcorder!! I love the screen, the portability of DVD, and not have to worry about the cassette getting jammed in the camcorder (which killed my last three camcorders). This last one in particular justified to me the purchase price of a DVD camcorder versus Mini DV.

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baby special

Strengths: ease of use, video quality, touch screen, amazing sound quality, wide screen, clear still pictures

Weakness: battery life, recording length, hefty price tag

just bought this for the baby delivery room...
very very nice camera, the sound is very clear, picture quality is excellent and i think my newborn can use it already.
what's killing me is that for all that money, the battery and the dvd only last an hour. better have spares and dont mind changing discs every hour...
i havent had a chance to read the owner's manual, so i dont know how to transfer movies to my pc yet, but i finalized the cd, put it in the dvd player and there it was, my wife cursing at me and my baby cryin in the background.
i hope it lasts till her prom night cuz with this camcorder i doubt i'll ever need another one

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Great camcorder

Strengths: Recording to various DVD formats 16:9 Aspect and surround sound options Long battery life Nighr/low light recording

Weakness: 30 minute limit of DVD's

This is the first camcorder we've purchased, and we're very happy with this unit. It's relatively easy to use, has lots of great features (some of which we haven't even used yet), and the quality is very good.

The only negative I could think of is that you're limited to about 30 minutes of recording at the standard settings on standard DVDs...

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: great 3.31mp, 2.7 LCD

Weakness: NONE

EXCELLENT PRODUCT - high-resolution imaging with a 3.3 Megapixel Advanced HAD CCD imager,superior quality images,Built-in Speaker, PC Connection, Touch Panel LCD, Viewfinder, 5.1 Surround Sound.(I NEVER SEEN THIS AS SAME KIND PRODUCT)capture digital videos directly to DVD for the ultimate in recording convenience. The DVD recording format delivers digital picture and sound quality comparable to that of MiniDV, but on DVD. Playback of the DVDs couldnt be simpler. After finalizing the disc in the camcorder, the disc can play back in most DVD Players, computers and even PlayStation2 video game consoles.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: + DVD media - easier and faster than tape, can use directly in PC drive, can carry around backup media easily (cheaper than micro-drive camcorders) + Great lense and CCD for still images too

Weakness: - Flash is not compatible with my Sony flash for my digital camera - The strap does not really work, feels more like a 3 point gun strap.

I have used 8mm digital and DV camcorders, but the media just was not easy to work with on a PC where you can do what you really want to with the videos.

The 403 handles RW discs, so it is very easy to keep a couple around and that is all you need... just copy the video clips you want to your PC or a full size DVD.

Size and weight are great, the 3MB pictures are great even compared to my 7MB Sony digital camera. All around a great camera for most of what you want to do with it.

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Sony Handycam DCR-DVD403 Review.

Strengths: Great picture quality in normal to bright conditions. Records directly into DVD format, has Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, 3.31 megapixel still images, and an analog-to-digital in port!!!

Weakness: Low light capabilities are not that good. Only has 10x optical zoom.

Overall, I find this to be a very good to excellent
camcorder.

Did a fair amount of legwork at local/national retail
chains and found this model to be lightweight, easy to
use, great features and capabilities (which are listed
above); but I do have problems in low light situations.

Perhaps I need to fool (literally) around more with the
manual focus and exposure....using the "auto" modes for
these situations hasn't worked as well as I thought they
should or would.

The camera has excellent clarity in normal to bright
conditions as well as zero to very low light situations;
but I've only achieved the zero-to-low resolution via the
infrared Nightshot capability.

Originally thought I submitted a review on this product
shortly after buying it....I gave it a 5 after only
having used it for a few days. Now, 2.5 months later, I
give it a 4.

If I were you, I'd try it at a retail level and judge for
yourself/selves. Since I'm not a videophile, someone that
knows what they're doing may have better results. I guess
that's a little wishy-washy, but I'd hate for you to buy
or not buy based on my incompetence.

I simply haven't fiddled with the thing long enough to
know if this is fixable, me, or simply a lemon when it
comes to the low-to-normal lighting recording capabilities.

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Very nice camera and does what it says it will do, the DVD format is great I had a RCA VHS camcorder and using this camera is like night and day easy to set and use much much better than tape anyday.

Weakness: power on and off button could be a better design.

This camcorder is nice and light and easy to use in low light and regular light, like that you can take still pictures so there is no reason to buy a still camera if you want to take stills now and then, like that it now uses DVD+RW disc's and was easy to set-up on my Windows PC a I am very satisfied with this camcorder and it's ease of operation

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Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Very handy. Even being so small, its very effective.

I have been using my sis's 403 camcorder and was very impressed, so I got one for myself.
I have recommended few of my other friend to buy this

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Good but not very satisfied given dvd formats...

Strengths: Video & stills combination, good mic / clear sound

Weakness: 1.No memory stick. I would have liked to insert 1 or 2 GB stick and get rid of dvd. 2. Tooooo much of complications with dvd formats. none of the dvd media type gives you complete liberty. 3.Heavy

It's my first handycam. Have been exploring it for approx last 10 days. Did quite a bit of research and settled for the best available. I wanted a mix of still and video which this handycam successfully provides. But I still miss on quite a few functions available in my Sony DSC-P72 still camera. It definitely does a good job on video. but complexities of dvd formats has really put me off. I would strongly suggest that read the manual before deciding to buy it.

I would have preferred to have a ultralight cam with only memory stick (no tape or dvd option). Had to go for it for combination of still & video.

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DVD DVR403 Great Camera

Strengths: Small, compact, easy to use, great video & stills, good battery life, stills & video on same media (DVD)

Weakness: Price - hasn't come down because this is the best out, Wind noise if recording outside in any type of wind, media only holds 20-30 min & a few stills, shutter speed on stills is very slow

This is a wonderful choice for anyone looking to combine their camcorder & digital camera. The price is formidable because this is the best camera on the market bar none. If you get one DVD-RW, you can use it over and over for as many stills as you need (delete/copy to computer) and save quite a bit of money over using the DVD-R for stills. Battery charges pretty quick, but recommend a second battery if you are going to use the video camera with LCD screen out for a long vacation. Shop around for the batteries and external chargers, some websites charge way too much, others are reasonable. I was worried about the finalizing time, but it is not too bad for a full DVD. If you are trying to take stills of children who move all the time, the shutter speed on this camera is slow and you miss the good smile because it takes too long to snap, but this is true of most digital cameras. I was disappointed that the video files are VOB instead of MPEG, but they tell me it can be used with another software tool I have yet to get.

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good camera, bad software

Strengths: DVD recording, movie quality, easy handling, battery

Weakness: still pictures are only mediocre, my 2 years old 4 Mpixel camera makes better pictures (it has nothing to do with pixels, it is the quality of the colors and the contrast), Software !!!!

It is my first camera and therefore I have no comparison. Having said that I'm fine with this camera. Some people say, that the mpeg2 format has low quality, but for my purposes (family movies) it is totally sufficient and so much easier to handle (sizewise) then DV tapes.
I bought the NT-SC model and unfortunately you can not connect the camera to a PAL TV. So you have to upload the megs files to computer and display it via the s-video out or finalize the DVD and put it in your DVD player.
The software is simply a joke. transferring the movies to your computer via usb is fine, but everythink else....
You have to consider to invest additional money into an authoring software (even more money if you like to preserve Dolby surround 5.1, since the cheaper solution only support Dolby stereo).

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