Uncategorized

Description

The DCR-SR68 features a built-in 80GB hard disk drive for extended recording, as well as a professional-quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens, which delivers sharp, high-resolution images, an LED video light, and a powerful 60x optical zoom that lets you capture extremely tight shots, even from far away.

Features

• 80GB Hard disk drive (up to 61hrs in LP mode)
• 60X Optical / 2000X Digital Zoom
• Professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens
• 2.7” Clear Photo™ LCD (230 K) display
• Direct Copy to external HDD w/o PC

Reviews

Great Camcorder

by edsonamr from on 2010-09-03
Great camcorder, high definition, lot of disk space, very small, and very easy to use.

Excelente Cámara!

by FJ70 from on 2010-08-24
La compré después de dar de baja mi anterior Handycam Sony, inicialmente mi decisión se basó en la grata experiencia que tengo usando productos SONY, sin embargo poco después de hacer la compra me inquietaron ciertos comentarios bastante negativos respecto a la cámara. No perdí la calma y esperé pacientemente a tenerla en mis manos y probarla y una vez que sucedió puedo dar fé de que es una excelente cámara, que podría ser mejor… seguramente pero si es lo que necesitas entonces deberías optar por una cámara semi o profesional.
Excelente imagen en condiciones optimas, la imagen va desmejorando en condiciones de poca luz pero tampoco es un facotr determinante, la imagen sigie siendo buena, lo que si me extraña es el sistema de estabilizacion de imagen que en versiones más antiguas era evidentemente superior, por otro lado no posee una interfaz para conectar con un tripode con control remoto y tampoco trae control remoto, detalles que pudo haber tomado en cuenta el fabricante, por lo demás una muy buena camara, la transferencia de imagenes y video es sencilla y rápida y el software con el que viene facilita mucho las búsquedas y archivo.

Very disappointed

by Crash 517 from Payette,ID on 2010-08-21
I have owned a few Sony Handycams in the past and was always pleased with them, but this Handycam is awful. Of course the battery that comes with the camera only lasts about an hour before it needs to be recharged if you are using the camera a lot. The picture quality is awful, my Sony CCD-TRV118 Hi8 Handycam has better picture quality and more functions than the Sony DCR-SR68. The Sony DCR-SR68 doesn’t even have a remote control, it’s 2010 how about giving us something. I noticed when you use the telephoto on the Sony DCR-SR68 you can hear the motor when you play back what you have recorded. When I installed the software for the Sony DCR-SR68 on my computer it actually caused a lot of problems, my computer is fine now that I uninstalled the software. In my opinion the Sony DCR-SR68 is only good for use as a paperweight. I definitely wasted my money on this camcorder, I can’t even get rid of it no one wants it.

Not what I expected

by Ted from on 2010-06-14
I had been looking for a second video camera, one with a sizeable internal hard drive to store a lot of footage. I was partial to Sony, having purchased many Sony products over the years that gave good service. I did my homework and checked out reviews and Tech websites. Finally I settled on this camcorder. When it arrived, I was excited to test it out. I took some footage of my garden, about one minute. Then I downloaded the clip into my computer. Gasp! It didn’t look crisp and clear. It looked hazy and fuzzy. To compare, I took a comparable video with my other camcorder and downloaded it into my computer. Much different. Better! Crisper! Clearer! What I had been used to. The second camera, let me say, is also a Sony, but one that uses mini-video-tape. I compared the size of the files downloaded on my computer, each roughly one minute long. Whereas the file from the old Sony was about 276 MB’s, the file from the new camcorder was about 75 MB’s, about one-fourth the size, more compressed. No wonder!! I called Sony, and registered my complaint. No comment or suggestion on how to improve performance. I called Vanns, the vendor, to arrange a return. The only good thing about the transaction was the great service from Vanns. A prompt refund. No questions asked. Of course, I had to pay the return postage. I saw some very glowing reviews on this product before I bought it. The only thing I can say is these people probably had nothing to compare the quality of the video to. Otherwise, I can’t imagine how anyone can think that this is a camcorder that delivers high-quality or even decent-quality videos.

A $349.00 mistake!

by Patricia A. Wolfe from on 2010-06-05
A $349.00 Mistake! Purchased the Sony DCR SR-68 Handycam new from Amazon and had the opportunity to record about one hour of video under a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions during a recent six week trip. Much of the video turned out to be of extremely poor quality due to a number of apparent engineering deficiencies including a puzzling inability to focus in other than ideal light conditions and when using the zoom feature, inadequate compensation for bright light resulting in washed out video, and the fact that the LCD display is virtually impossible to see when attempting to frame a shot in daylight conditions. The Handycam has no viewfinder so all video must be framed using the LCD display. Any type of action shot is extremely difficult if not impossible. It is simply not possible to maintain contact with the subject using the LCD display because of glare and reflection. The scene selection and delete features proved to be the most useful because of the large number of shots that were unusable. My 9 year old Sony Camcorder is a bit more cumbersome but takes better video and is much more user friendly.

Description

The DCR-SR68 features a built-in 80GB hard disk drive for extended recording, as well as a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, which delivers sharp, high-resolution images, an LED video light, and a powerful 60x optical zoom that lets you capture extremely tight shots, even from far away.

Features

• 80GB Hard disk drive (up to 61hrs in LP mode)
• 60X Optical / 2000X Digital Zoom
• Professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens
• 2.7″ Clear Photo LCD (230 K) display
• Direct Copy to external HDD w/o PC

Reviews

Great Camcorder

by edsonamr from on 2010-09-03
Great camcorder, high definition, lot of disk space, very small, and very easy to use.

Excelente Cámara!

by FJ70 from on 2010-08-24
La compré después de dar de baja mi anterior Handycam Sony, inicialmente mi decisión se basó en la grata experiencia que tengo usando productos SONY, sin embargo poco después de hacer la compra me inquietaron ciertos comentarios bastante negativos respecto a la cámara. No perdí la calma y esperé pacientemente a tenerla en mis manos y probarla y una vez que sucedió puedo dar fé de que es una excelente cámara, que podría ser mejor… seguramente pero si es lo que necesitas entonces deberías optar por una cámara semi o profesional.
Excelente imagen en condiciones optimas, la imagen va desmejorando en condiciones de poca luz pero tampoco es un facotr determinante, la imagen sigie siendo buena, lo que si me extraña es el sistema de estabilizacion de imagen que en versiones más antiguas era evidentemente superior, por otro lado no posee una interfaz para conectar con un tripode con control remoto y tampoco trae control remoto, detalles que pudo haber tomado en cuenta el fabricante, por lo demás una muy buena camara, la transferencia de imagenes y video es sencilla y rápida y el software con el que viene facilita mucho las búsquedas y archivo.

Very disappointed

by Crash 517 from Payette,ID on 2010-08-21
I have owned a few Sony Handycams in the past and was always pleased with them, but this Handycam is awful. Of course the battery that comes with the camera only lasts about an hour before it needs to be recharged if you are using the camera a lot. The picture quality is awful, my Sony CCD-TRV118 Hi8 Handycam has better picture quality and more functions than the Sony DCR-SR68. The Sony DCR-SR68 doesn’t even have a remote control, it’s 2010 how about giving us something. I noticed when you use the telephoto on the Sony DCR-SR68 you can hear the motor when you play back what you have recorded. When I installed the software for the Sony DCR-SR68 on my computer it actually caused a lot of problems, my computer is fine now that I uninstalled the software. In my opinion the Sony DCR-SR68 is only good for use as a paperweight. I definitely wasted my money on this camcorder, I can’t even get rid of it no one wants it.

Not what I expected

by Ted from on 2010-06-14
I had been looking for a second video camera, one with a sizeable internal hard drive to store a lot of footage. I was partial to Sony, having purchased many Sony products over the years that gave good service. I did my homework and checked out reviews and Tech websites. Finally I settled on this camcorder. When it arrived, I was excited to test it out. I took some footage of my garden, about one minute. Then I downloaded the clip into my computer. Gasp! It didn’t look crisp and clear. It looked hazy and fuzzy. To compare, I took a comparable video with my other camcorder and downloaded it into my computer. Much different. Better! Crisper! Clearer! What I had been used to. The second camera, let me say, is also a Sony, but one that uses mini-video-tape. I compared the size of the files downloaded on my computer, each roughly one minute long. Whereas the file from the old Sony was about 276 MB’s, the file from the new camcorder was about 75 MB’s, about one-fourth the size, more compressed. No wonder!! I called Sony, and registered my complaint. No comment or suggestion on how to improve performance. I called Vanns, the vendor, to arrange a return. The only good thing about the transaction was the great service from Vanns. A prompt refund. No questions asked. Of course, I had to pay the return postage. I saw some very glowing reviews on this product before I bought it. The only thing I can say is these people probably had nothing to compare the quality of the video to. Otherwise, I can’t imagine how anyone can think that this is a camcorder that delivers high-quality or even decent-quality videos.

A $349.00 mistake!

by Patricia A. Wolfe from on 2010-06-05
A $349.00 Mistake! Purchased the Sony DCR SR-68 Handycam new from Amazon and had the opportunity to record about one hour of video under a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions during a recent six week trip. Much of the video turned out to be of extremely poor quality due to a number of apparent engineering deficiencies including a puzzling inability to focus in other than ideal light conditions and when using the zoom feature, inadequate compensation for bright light resulting in washed out video, and the fact that the LCD display is virtually impossible to see when attempting to frame a shot in daylight conditions. The Handycam has no viewfinder so all video must be framed using the LCD display. Any type of action shot is extremely difficult if not impossible. It is simply not possible to maintain contact with the subject using the LCD display because of glare and reflection. The scene selection and delete features proved to be the most useful because of the large number of shots that were unusable. My 9 year old Sony Camcorder is a bit more cumbersome but takes better video and is much more user friendly.

Description

The DCR-SR68 features a built-in 80GB hard disk drive for extended recording, as well as a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, which delivers sharp, high-resolution images, an LED video light, and a powerful 60x optical zoom that lets you capture extremely tight shots, even from far away.

Features

• 80GB Hard disk drive (up to 61hrs in LP mode)
• 60X Optical / 2000X Digital Zoom
• Professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens
• 2.7″ Clear Photo LCD (230 K) display
• Direct Copy to external HDD w/o PC

Reviews

Great Camcorder

by edsonamr from on 2010-09-03
Great camcorder, high definition, lot of disk space, very small, and very easy to use.

Excelente Cámara!

by FJ70 from on 2010-08-24
La compré después de dar de baja mi anterior Handycam Sony, inicialmente mi decisión se basó en la grata experiencia que tengo usando productos SONY, sin embargo poco después de hacer la compra me inquietaron ciertos comentarios bastante negativos respecto a la cámara. No perdí la calma y esperé pacientemente a tenerla en mis manos y probarla y una vez que sucedió puedo dar fé de que es una excelente cámara, que podría ser mejor… seguramente pero si es lo que necesitas entonces deberías optar por una cámara semi o profesional.
Excelente imagen en condiciones optimas, la imagen va desmejorando en condiciones de poca luz pero tampoco es un facotr determinante, la imagen sigie siendo buena, lo que si me extraña es el sistema de estabilizacion de imagen que en versiones más antiguas era evidentemente superior, por otro lado no posee una interfaz para conectar con un tripode con control remoto y tampoco trae control remoto, detalles que pudo haber tomado en cuenta el fabricante, por lo demás una muy buena camara, la transferencia de imagenes y video es sencilla y rápida y el software con el que viene facilita mucho las búsquedas y archivo.

Very disappointed

by Crash 517 from Payette,ID on 2010-08-21
I have owned a few Sony Handycams in the past and was always pleased with them, but this Handycam is awful. Of course the battery that comes with the camera only lasts about an hour before it needs to be recharged if you are using the camera a lot. The picture quality is awful, my Sony CCD-TRV118 Hi8 Handycam has better picture quality and more functions than the Sony DCR-SR68. The Sony DCR-SR68 doesn’t even have a remote control, it’s 2010 how about giving us something. I noticed when you use the telephoto on the Sony DCR-SR68 you can hear the motor when you play back what you have recorded. When I installed the software for the Sony DCR-SR68 on my computer it actually caused a lot of problems, my computer is fine now that I uninstalled the software. In my opinion the Sony DCR-SR68 is only good for use as a paperweight. I definitely wasted my money on this camcorder, I can’t even get rid of it no one wants it.

Not what I expected

by Ted from on 2010-06-14
I had been looking for a second video camera, one with a sizeable internal hard drive to store a lot of footage. I was partial to Sony, having purchased many Sony products over the years that gave good service. I did my homework and checked out reviews and Tech websites. Finally I settled on this camcorder. When it arrived, I was excited to test it out. I took some footage of my garden, about one minute. Then I downloaded the clip into my computer. Gasp! It didn’t look crisp and clear. It looked hazy and fuzzy. To compare, I took a comparable video with my other camcorder and downloaded it into my computer. Much different. Better! Crisper! Clearer! What I had been used to. The second camera, let me say, is also a Sony, but one that uses mini-video-tape. I compared the size of the files downloaded on my computer, each roughly one minute long. Whereas the file from the old Sony was about 276 MB’s, the file from the new camcorder was about 75 MB’s, about one-fourth the size, more compressed. No wonder!! I called Sony, and registered my complaint. No comment or suggestion on how to improve performance. I called Vanns, the vendor, to arrange a return. The only good thing about the transaction was the great service from Vanns. A prompt refund. No questions asked. Of course, I had to pay the return postage. I saw some very glowing reviews on this product before I bought it. The only thing I can say is these people probably had nothing to compare the quality of the video to. Otherwise, I can’t imagine how anyone can think that this is a camcorder that delivers high-quality or even decent-quality videos.

A $349.00 mistake!

by Patricia A. Wolfe from on 2010-06-05
A $349.00 Mistake! Purchased the Sony DCR SR-68 Handycam new from Amazon and had the opportunity to record about one hour of video under a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions during a recent six week trip. Much of the video turned out to be of extremely poor quality due to a number of apparent engineering deficiencies including a puzzling inability to focus in other than ideal light conditions and when using the zoom feature, inadequate compensation for bright light resulting in washed out video, and the fact that the LCD display is virtually impossible to see when attempting to frame a shot in daylight conditions. The Handycam has no viewfinder so all video must be framed using the LCD display. Any type of action shot is extremely difficult if not impossible. It is simply not possible to maintain contact with the subject using the LCD display because of glare and reflection. The scene selection and delete features proved to be the most useful because of the large number of shots that were unusable. My 9 year old Sony Camcorder is a bit more cumbersome but takes better video and is much more user friendly.

Description

The DCR-SR88 features a built-in 120GB hard disk drive for extended recording, as well as a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, which delivers sharp, high-resolution images, an LED video light, and a powerful 60x optical zoom that lets you capture extremely tight shots, even from far away.

Features

• 120GB Hard disk drive (up to 91 hrs in LP mode)
• 60X Optical / 2000X Digital Zoom
• Professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens
• 2.7″ Clear Photo LCD3 (230 K) display
• Direct Copy to external HDD w/o PC

Description

Record those special occasions with the DCR-SR47/L Handycam camcorder. A built-in 60GB hard disk drive offers extended, hassle-free recording and a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens delivers sharp, high resolution images. For close-ups, you will appreciate a powerful 60x optical zoom. Hybrid technology even allows you to record video to the hard drive or optional Memory Stick Duo media. Available in silver, red, and blue. Format : SD (MPEG2) Video Signal : NTSC color, EIA standards Weight (Approx.) : w/o battery: 10oz (300g) w battery: 11oz (340g) Dimensions (Approx.) : 2 3/8 x 2 3/4 x 4 1/2 inch (60 x 68 x 112mm) Manual / Auto Lens Cover : Manual Memory Stick slot : Memory Stick PRO Duo Media1 Imaging Device : 1/8″ Advanced HAD CCD sensor Pixel Gross : 680K Video Actual : 410K pixels (16:9), 340K pixels (4:3) Video Resolution : 720 x 480 Still Actual : 250K pixels (16:9), 340K pixels (4:3) Still Picture Resolution : 640 x 480 (VGA) Recording Media : 60GB Non-Removable Hard Disk Drive Memory Stick PRO DuoMedia (Sold Separately) Recording and Playback Times : Standard Definition: HQ = up to 910 min., SP = up to 1310 min., LP = up to 2750 min. When using 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Media (sold separately): Standard Definition: HQ = up to 230 min., SP = up to 340 min., LP = up to 655 min. Battery Type : InfoLITHIUM with AccuPower Meter System (NP-FH30) Power Requirements : 7.2V (battery pack); 8.4V (AC Adaptor) Power Consumption : 2.2W Recording Format : Dolby Digital 2ch stereo Microphone : Built-in Zoom Microphone Limited Warranty Term : Limited Warranty — 1 Year Parts; 90 Days Labor Memory Stick PRO Media Compatibility : Memory Stick PRO Duo Media (Sold Separately) Still Image Mode(s) : JPEG Hybrid : Yes SteadyShot Image Stabilization : SteadyShot image stabilization Face Index : Yes Film Roll Index : Yes Fader Effect(s) : Black, White

Features

• 60GB hard disk drive: A built-in 60GB hard disk drive can record and store up to almost 45 hours of video footage in LP mode
• 60X Optical / 2000X Digital Zoom: Ideal for sporting events, wildlife, or distance shooting
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with SteadyShot image stabilization
• Hybrid Recording to HDD or Memory Stick Duo media: Hybrid recording technology delivers a new level of flexibility of capturing
• 1/8″ Advanced HAD CCD Imager: A 1/8″ Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD imager with 410K (effective) pixel resolution delivers stunning detail

Reviews

Good Deal

by Hany Gabra from CA, USA on 2010-08-21
I got this camera from amazon, with a good price & it is a good one. i love it

Not recommended

by Muhammad W. Akhtar from nj usa on 2010-07-28
I bought it 5 month ago. exactly after 5 month its zooming stuck. i call customer service they said, you have to pay approx 45 dollar for service and part are free. we are not offering warranty after 90 days. this is a sucks camcorder. not recommended.

looks good on tv but not on the computer

by S. L. Curwin from Calgary, AB on 2010-06-18
i thought this camera was fantastic when i was making a video for my brother. easy to use, small, pretty simple to figure out with a little exploring the options on the camcorder. i would take a peek at the portions i had recorded every little while on the tv, and they looked like a normal home video and sound was good. i was satisfied enough with the quality on the tv expecting it to look the same on the computer. but when i transfered videos to the computer to edit and make the movie out of them, everything looked poor quality and grainy. now, i do have a high def screen on my computer, so i tried my laptop (which is just a regular old good qulity 3 years ago), and had the same results.

so overall, i was 150% satisfied untill i saw the end computer result. and where are you going to store all your old videos but on the computer? so if anyone has a fix for this problem, i’d LOVE to know! it would save me a LOT of time and effort and it would bring my review way up again.

Worst video quality I have ever seen on a camcorder.

by Ann Hunter from Tallahassee, Florida on 2010-06-06
One of the worst camcorders Ive ever seen. This just isn’t good enough to match some of the better standard def camcorders like from Canon, and certanly is NO competition compared to the really good high def cams out today. This camera’s video quality is probably the worst i’ve ever seen on a standard def cam. The only clear and vivid thing about this camcorder are the reasons why you shouldn’t get it.
The picture is very soft and the colors are very washed-out and under saturated. It does have a 60 gig hard drive, but it’s video quality isn’t worth it. Even on HQ mode the quality still looks bad. One extremely bad down grade from Sony’s previous DCR-SR models is a smaller CCD. Instead of the usual 1/6″ CCD, Sony decides to make it smaller and change it to a 1/8″ CCD. They also claim that its an “ADVANCED HAD CCD” which supposedly gets you better video quality out of smaller CCDs, but I see no difference. In low light, this thing is useless! If you go into a dim lit room the only thing you will see is pitch black and little pixels dancing around on the screen. The menus on this camera are hard to navigate through. Just to turn on one function is really a hassel. To tell you the truth, the only reason this camera sells for $250+ is because it has the name Sony on it. I messed with the camcorder’s settings for three months trying to get the best video quality I could out of it, but nothing worked. After three months of disapointing video quality I finally returned it. Im never buying a Sony camcorder again. This is clearly not the best camera to get.

Small, Light, Crystal clear image

by SSM from USA on 2010-03-23
This is compact enough to carry around and at the same time big enough to get a good grip.
The 60 GB HDD is enough as I download the videos often.
The clarity is amazing in outdoors as well as indoors and even at night.
The only thing I do not like is, the LCD must be used all the times!
Touch screen works well….even my 4 yr old can operate this on his own

Zoom is excellent!

Sale Price: $369.95

  Eligible for free shipping!
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Average Rating:

Description

Capture and store your memories directly to the 80GB hard disk drive or optional Memory Stick PRO Duo media cards with the DCR-SR68 Handycam® camcorder. A professional-quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens delivers high-resolution images, while a 60X optical / 2000X digital zoom lets you record close-up action from a distance. Equipped with Face Detection technology, capturing faces is a cinch. In addition to built-in video light, this camcorder has a vibrant 2.7″ touch panel display (measured diagonally) which rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles.

KIT INCLUDES:

* 8GB SD MEMORY CARD.

* 3 PIECE LENS FILTER SET.

* SONY LCS-X30 CASE.

* MEMORY CARD WALLET.

* LCD SCREEN PROTECTORS.

* CLEANING KIT.

* FULL SIZE TRIPOD.

Features

• Sony DCR-SR68 80GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam® Camcorder with 60x Optical Zoom and 2.7-inch Widescreen LCD
• 8 Gigabyte SD Secure Digital Memory Card
• 3 Piece Lens Filter Set – Sony LCS-X30 Carrying Case – Memory Card Wallet
• 52-inch Full Size Tripod – Package of LCD Screen Protectors
• Deluxe Cleaning and Care Kit

Reviews

Fast, fast, fast

by R. M. Rees from Washington State on 2010-06-04
Ordered as a gift for my daughters graduation present so I can’t speak to the camera, but with all the extras it was a great deal.
The overnight shipping was about double what I expected to pay but the order arrived fast. Ordered Wednesday and received Friday all the way across the country.

Sale Price: $369.95

  Eligible for free shipping!
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Average Rating:

Description

Capture and store your memories directly to the 80GB hard disk drive or optional Memory Stick PRO Duo media cards with the DCR-SR68 Handycam® camcorder. A professional-quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens delivers high-resolution images, while a 60X optical / 2000X digital zoom lets you record close-up action from a distance. Equipped with Face Detection technology, capturing faces is a cinch. In addition to built-in video light, this camcorder has a vibrant 2.7″ touch panel display (measured diagonally) which rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles.

KIT INCLUDES:

* 8GB SD MEMORY CARD.

* 3 PIECE LENS FILTER SET.

* SONY LCS-VA30 CASE.

* MEMORY CARD WALLET.

* LCD SCREEN PROTECTORS.

* CLEANING KIT.

* FULL SIZE TRIPOD.

Features

• Sony DCR-SR68 80GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam® Camcorder with 60x Optical Zoom and 2.7-inch Widescreen LCD
• 8 Gigabyte SD Secure Digital Memory Card
• 3 Piece Lens Filter Set – Sony LCS-VA30 Carrying Case – Memory Card Wallet
• 52-inch Full Size Tripod – Package of LCD Screen Protectors
• Deluxe Cleaning and Care Kit

Reviews

Awesome complete package

by Fede from on 2010-08-27
I bought this kit a couple of months ago, being using it since then with no problems at all.
The price is unbelievable, I can’t really understand why is the camcorder so cheap, nut it’s great, I’ve been using it in low-lights conditions and the quality is really good.
it has an 80GB HD that’ve never used so far, using the SD card is so much easier. I’m really happy with my purchase.

Average Rating:

Description

CL) V4)SONY DCR-SR42 HARD DR CAMCRDR

Features

• 30 GB built-in hard drive; record up to 20 hours
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens; 40x optical/2000x digital zoom
• 2.5-inch touch-panel SwivelScreen LCD
• Super SteadyShot picture stabilization system
• Handycam Station included; one-touch disc burn

Reviews

Best handycam!

by Maynard Petras from VA, USA on 2010-02-24
I’ved used this cam for over 2 years now and the quality is phenomenal and it’s very easy to use, even a cave man can do it!

Where’s the super night plus?

by Michael G. Uelsmann from Scott City, MO on 2009-09-08
I just recieved the Sony DCR-SR42 I recently purchased. When it arrived I noticed it had NIGHTSHOT PLUS. It had a product description that stated the camcorder was equipped with SUPER NIGHTSHOT PLUS. This was one of the main reasons I purchased the video camera. The camcorder was basically perfect in every other way, although I have not had time to use it yet, but it charged quickly and looks as though it is new. I think it would be a good idea for someone to look at this add and maybe edit it. Here is the link to the product I purchasedSony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom

Making your own DVD

by HB Reviewer from Huntington Beach on 2009-03-29
I have had my camera for 18 months and I must be bored because I know most people will be moving on the latest and greatest and not bother reading this review. However!!! I have to mention something that I don’t see mentioned in any other reviews. When you make your DVD to keep you memories for a lifetime, do you know they won’t last?!?!?! Read this article before reading any further … http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=107607
So now my goal is to copy my DVD’s every year and keep the new copy and send the previous copy to a relative (off site storage in case of earthquake or fire).

It has been 18 months and I am considering another camera because we got a 42″ HD TV and it was difficult to determine if I was looking at my son on the basketball court or another kid. I am not sure if I want to drop $1500 during this economy.

Anyway, let me tell you how I use my dcr-sr42. I am not as worried as I was when I had a tape camcorder regarding scene lengths. Many times a clip is over a minute or more knowing I can just edit out the excess later. In fact I just made a 56 minute DVD from 12 hours of recording. That is the part I love the most about having a 30g hard drive. That last DVD took over 20 hours to edit but it is way better than the tape clips I used to do a few years ago. I can do nice scene transitions and add things to the sound if I want.

So I copied the 12 hours of recording to my computer and used Nero 8 to edit and burn my home movie DVD. I made two copies and sent one to my dad for backup. When he said they arrived safe, I deleted the clips from the camcorder as well as the computer to make room for my next project.

A waste of money

by T. Hutchins from Fort Wayne, Indiana on 2009-03-08
I pre-ordered this camera when it first came out and waited anxiously for it to arrive – some 60 days later. I will never, ever buy something that I have not touched and tried myself, ever again.

Before we wasted our money on this camera we used a high end Sony Hi8 camera. Now today, looking at the Hi8 video next to the image quality of this new HD camera is unbelievable. No, the digital is not the winner – the H8 is. The color is better, the lighting is better and the overall quality is superior.

The Sony dcr-sr42 can’t be used in anything but PERFECT lighting, or the image quality disappears into shadows. The SHAKING is unbelievable (I have called SOny and tried to get the ESL operator to help me but after hours and hours on the phone, my images still shake and I need dramamine just to watch the videos). The anti-shake function simply does not work. Without a tripod it’s impossible to view the fotage.

It is a GIGANTIC pain to use the mpeg2 format on Windows Movie Maker. Maybe something has advanced in the last year – I gave up with it that project long ago. WMM did not support mpeg2 last I bothered looking.

It’s a tiny camera and easy (enough) to use, but the quality is simply horrible. I would highly discourage anyone from buying this camera unless they plan on having ideal lighting conditions at all times, and a tripod.

Don’t Trust Amazon third party sales….

by kishore from USA on 2009-01-18
Hi All,

I bought this product from Amazon thirdparty by trusting Amazon.com…

They have delivered the old and used Camcorder without any accessories and even they didn’t send any Sale receipt to return the product….

Even Amazon.com didn’t gave me chance to review the product details as they added my credit card details…

I communicated Amazon customer care & third party on phone and mails…but no response till now…

I request you be careful while you do purchase….

Thanks.
Kishore

Description

Record those special occasions with the DCR-SR47/R Handycam® camcorder. A built-in 40GB hard disk drive offers extended, hassle-free recording and a professional-quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens delivers sharp, high resolution images. For close-ups, you will appreciate a powerful 60x optical zoom. Hybrid technology even allows you to record video to the hard drive or optional Memory Stick DuoTM media.

60GB hard disk drive:
A built-in 60GB1 hard disk drive can record and store up to almost 45 hours of video footage in LP mode, or up to almost 15 hours in HQ mode. In addition, “HDD Smart Protection” gives you peace of mind by preventing any recorded video and images from being lost if the camcorder is accidentally dropped.

60X Optical / 2000X Digital Zoom:
Ideal for sporting events, wildlife, or distance shooting, 60X optical zoom brings you closer to the action, so you can capture extremely tight shots, even from far away. In addition, Digital Zoom Interpolation means that extreme digital zooming (up to 2000X) is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms.

Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens with SteadyShotTM image stabilization:
The DCR-SR47 features a professional-quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens designed specifically for compact camcorders. Precision ground optics help maintain the sharpness and contrast of larger lenses, and SteadyShotTM image stabilization helps reduce blur caused by camera shake.

Hybrid Recording to HDD or Memory Stick DuoTM media:
Hybrid recording technology delivers a new level of flexibility of capturing and transferring your video footage and digital photos from the camcorder to compatible viewing devices. Record to 60GB1 hard disk drive or choose instead to record to removable Memory Stick PRO DuoTM media (sold separately). You can even select from various dubbing functions to easily copy video or still images from the HDD to the Memory Stick® media — without using a PC.

Features

• 60GB hard disk drive
• 60x optical / 2000x digital zoom
• Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens with SteadyShotTM image stabilization
• Hybrid recording
• 2.7″ touch panel display

Reviews

Good Deal

by Hany Gabra from CA, USA on 2010-08-21
I got this camera from amazon, with a good price & it is a good one. i love it

Not recommended

by Muhammad W. Akhtar from nj usa on 2010-07-28
I bought it 5 month ago. exactly after 5 month its zooming stuck. i call customer service they said, you have to pay approx 45 dollar for service and part are free. we are not offering warranty after 90 days. this is a sucks camcorder. not recommended.

looks good on tv but not on the computer

by S. L. Curwin from Calgary, AB on 2010-06-18
i thought this camera was fantastic when i was making a video for my brother. easy to use, small, pretty simple to figure out with a little exploring the options on the camcorder. i would take a peek at the portions i had recorded every little while on the tv, and they looked like a normal home video and sound was good. i was satisfied enough with the quality on the tv expecting it to look the same on the computer. but when i transfered videos to the computer to edit and make the movie out of them, everything looked poor quality and grainy. now, i do have a high def screen on my computer, so i tried my laptop (which is just a regular old good qulity 3 years ago), and had the same results.

so overall, i was 150% satisfied untill i saw the end computer result. and where are you going to store all your old videos but on the computer? so if anyone has a fix for this problem, i’d LOVE to know! it would save me a LOT of time and effort and it would bring my review way up again.

Worst video quality I have ever seen on a camcorder.

by Ann Hunter from Tallahassee, Florida on 2010-06-06
One of the worst camcorders Ive ever seen. This just isn’t good enough to match some of the better standard def camcorders like from Canon, and certanly is NO competition compared to the really good high def cams out today. This camera’s video quality is probably the worst i’ve ever seen on a standard def cam. The only clear and vivid thing about this camcorder are the reasons why you shouldn’t get it.
The picture is very soft and the colors are very washed-out and under saturated. It does have a 60 gig hard drive, but it’s video quality isn’t worth it. Even on HQ mode the quality still looks bad. One extremely bad down grade from Sony’s previous DCR-SR models is a smaller CCD. Instead of the usual 1/6″ CCD, Sony decides to make it smaller and change it to a 1/8″ CCD. They also claim that its an “ADVANCED HAD CCD” which supposedly gets you better video quality out of smaller CCDs, but I see no difference. In low light, this thing is useless! If you go into a dim lit room the only thing you will see is pitch black and little pixels dancing around on the screen. The menus on this camera are hard to navigate through. Just to turn on one function is really a hassel. To tell you the truth, the only reason this camera sells for $250+ is because it has the name Sony on it. I messed with the camcorder’s settings for three months trying to get the best video quality I could out of it, but nothing worked. After three months of disapointing video quality I finally returned it. Im never buying a Sony camcorder again. This is clearly not the best camera to get.

Small, Light, Crystal clear image

by SSM from USA on 2010-03-23
This is compact enough to carry around and at the same time big enough to get a good grip.
The 60 GB HDD is enough as I download the videos often.
The clarity is amazing in outdoors as well as indoors and even at night.
The only thing I do not like is, the LCD must be used all the times!
Touch screen works well….even my 4 yr old can operate this on his own

Zoom is excellent!

Description

Sound and vision allows you to capture the full range of life with the DCR-SR200 Handycam(R) hard disk drive camcorder. The ClearVid(TM) CMOS Sensor gives you realistic images and 5.1ch surround sound lets you record the sounds as well as the sights. You can leave the tapes at home, thanks to the internal 40GB hard disk drive that stores up to 20 hours of amazingly clear video (LP) with up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution. An industry leading Carl Zeiss(R) Vario-Tessar(R) Lens captures incomparable detail while the dual recording feature allows you to capture 2.3 megapixel still images at the same time as you`re filming video. And with the included Handycam(R) Station, you can immediately share your footage with the one touch disc burn feature

Features

• 40-gigabyte hard drive stores over 25 hours of long-play video or over 8 hours of high-quality video
• 2.1-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor for crystal-clear video and still images
• 10x optical zoom; 80x digital zoom
• 2.7-inch widescreen touch-panel Clear Photo LCD Plus display
• Handycam Station included

Reviews

Terrible wind noise, dead camera

by John Ferree from Central NC on 2009-12-15
I’ve used the Sony DCR-SR200 for two years taking travel videos all over North America, Antarctica, Cuba and Hawaii. My wife and I are birders, so most of my shots are outside. The picture quality is exceptional in sunlight but becomes grainy as the light fades. Also, typically, the camera’s auto focus functions badly in low light. It is relatively easy to carry around and uncomplicated to use.
My biggest complaint has been the sound quality. Under perfect conditions the sound is excellent for a camera of this type, with good stereo separation and clarity even at a distance. If you intend to use the camera inside, you will probably be quite pleased. If, however, the wind is blowing at all it produces a rapid, loud and extremely annoying “clatter” that drowns out everything else. The same noise often occurs when shooting out an airplane window, from busses and especially inside helicopters – perhaps produced by engine vibrations. It is really bad and no amount of bandaids, gauze or other material taped over the mike helped. There is no connection for an external mike.
Last month, I took the camera to Hawaii’s Big Island for a couple of weeks that included a visit to the top of Mauna Loa – 13,000 feet up. Shortly after that, the screen began rolling for a minute or so after I turned it on but, when the rolling stopped, it worked fine. Now, the rolling is continuous and the camera is completely non-functional. For the record, the “Operating Guide” specifically warns against using the camera above 9,000 feet – although I didn’t notice the warning until too late. Interestingly, I had used the camera several times far above 9,000 feet in the Rockies with no problem.
I have edited all my videos using Adobe Premier Elements on a Toshiba Satellite laptop running Windows Vista – a slow process involving several frustrating software glitches, having to reverse the field dominance, long rendering and encoding sessions, and just waiting for the computer to complete routine editing tasks. But, the finished videos (some more than 90 minutes with lots of titles and transitions and added music) look really good.
Sony wants $271 to fix it. If the sound quality was better under the windy conditions I usually use the camera, I would consider spending the money but, given its audio shortcomings, I’m going to look for something else.

Favorite camera

by Diane R. Silveria from on 2009-11-28
This is the best camera I have ever owned. The pics are perfect every time. I love it & highly recommend it.

Sony HDR XR-200 Hates Mac

by Joseph Watters from Killeen, TX, USA on 2009-05-22
Mac has been the preferred video platform over PC for years, yet Sony refuses to support Mac. I purchased a Sony HDR XR-200 and the software that came with it works only with Windows. Sony lets you do a work-around, but it is a total pain. I plan on returning this camcorder tomorrow.

Buena elección

by Wilson Wilches from Barranquilla, Colombia on 2009-05-04
buen producto, sólido, fácil de operar y manejar… evidentemente la calidad de la imagen es mucho mejor de día que de noche. La calidad de la imagen es muy buena pero mejor es el sonido que graba esta cámara en 5.1 canales.

Recomiendo comprar una batería de respaldo, el cargador de baterías y una lámpara para tomas en la noche u oscuridad total.

No dejen que todos los ajustes los haga la cámara como balance de blancos, enfoque, etc… lo mejor es dar el salto y ajustar uno mismo todo antes de empezar a grabar.

WWR

not reliable, good only when it works

by M. Ma from on 2009-03-06
I have had this camcorder for almost 1 year. It suddenly stopped working a few days ago without any clue. We bought it for our baby, the videos were still in it and we don’t know how to get them out of it. We called Sony and they don’t care about it at all. My baby’s birthday party is coming, and we may have to buy a new one. So when you think about buying it, please be careful with its reliability.