Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom




->Compare Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

This is my first camcorder and liked it verymuch. I decided to purchase it over DVD camcorder since all newer models are going in that direction.

The sony software is good but I would have prefered it if it had movie maker functionality just as that of Windows Movie Maker


->Deal Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Great camcorder we upgraded from an ancient Hi8 that was in it's time a very good camcorder. Going to the hard drive is the way to go out of the box I was up a running in a few minutes. The image quality is great, but the best is how easy it is to create a DVD that is playable. I also bought the Sony VRDMC3 DVD recorder and just plug it in press the burn DVD button and in a few minutes poof a DVD it's that easy. I'm a point and shoot kind of a person and this fits the bill.


->Buy Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Very good SONY product! Serves the beginner's purpose as well as satisfies expert's needs.
Thanks


->Compare Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

This is a great little camera. In two weeks we shot 400 short videos and over 400 stills and had 20 gig of hard drive space left over. It has excellent low light video and still capability. The still capture while taping is great, and the 4Mp still mode is great for a camcorder. Video quality is very good. Battery recharged quickly and lasted long enough for a day of shooting. Be advised the harddrive has an altitude restriction, you cannot use it over 3000 meters(around 9000ft). Another drawback is the USB cable can only be connected through the base not the camera. Otherwise a great little versatile camera.


->Lowest Price Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Bought this camera to take videos of my new baby. Figured going with a hard drive camcorder was the way to go. Unfortunatley it records in MPEG2 format which most commecially available desktop video maker programs either dont support yet or dont import easily - in other words, this is not a "plug and play" camera. You will need to buy more advanced video editing software to make it easy to download movies and edit.

Also - it doesnt work with Macs or Imovie. This was a bummer.
I tried it on my windows machine and it took several steps to move the files on to the pc then convert them for use.

If you are a video pro, this is probaby a great camera, but I'd stick with a MiniDV tape unit until the software improves. I ended up getting a Panasonic 3CCD unit. Shoots great video and is easy to use.



->Price Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I bought this camcorder recently for my wife as we are expecting our first child in a few short months. This is my first camcorder and to date I've been very happy with it. I have not done a lot of recording with it yet, but have played with it enough to get an understanding of the features - both the basic and advanced features.
For novice users there is an "easy" mode that allows you to just point and shoot without worrying about the more advanced settings. Some noted features that I really like - you can record in wide screen (16:9) or normal (4:3) with the touch of a button. The LCD screen is a touch screen and is fairly easy to navigate and I have not had any problems using it.
Overall as far as HDD Camcorders go - this one is a great buy. The HDDs run a little higher in price, but as technology changes one day from DVD to the next media, I'll be able to change as well without having to buy another camcorder.


->Sale Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

This is our first camcorder. It seemed to make more sense to have video stored on disk than to mess around with tapes, so we bought this hard-drive based device.

The video quality is really good, night shot works great, and battery life seems OK. The microphone isn't as sensitive as I'd hoped... it picks up the voice of the person filming really good, but not necessarily the person being filmed.

Getting the SR200 to talk to the computer is non-intuitive. The instructions really aren't clear. After a bit of fiddling, I got it to work. You need to use the included software to copy movies from the camcorder to the PC, and also to delete movies from the camcorder.

I'm also underwhelmed by the editing and DVD-authoring capabilities of the included software. I'm going to look for another program to actually burn DVDs.

All-in-all, it boils down to great hardware, so-so software.




->Sale Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I love this camera, but am disappointed that the MPEG files it makes are in some way incompatible with most of the software I use. Specifically: Windows Media Player and Windows Movie Maker both crash when I try to load a Sony mpeg directly.

Some programs, however, seem to be able to handle it (like Nero Showtime and Nero Vision).

I am guessing that my mpeg2 codec(s) are unhappy with the extra sound information (Dolby 5.1) the camera crams into the file (The Sony mpeg internally is more of a .vob file)

One of the primary attractions of the camera was that I could hook it up via USB2 and have it appear as just another disk drive, and drag recordings around to where I needed them, and use them just like any other mpeg, so I am pretty bummed that it appears I will need to pre-process every recording with some tool before I can use it.

ANYWAY, other than that, the camera is a dream. Microphone performance in a noisy (many fans) environment is amazing, image is so much better than my previous camera (Analog, which gives you an idea of how frequently I change cameras :-)

Menus are a teensy bit cryptic, and the user's guide doesn't seem to mention you have to actually use the touch screen to enable the USB2 interface after attaching the camera to your computer (I thought I had a defective cable).

The touch screen works well and my finger grease is not at all apparent.

The One-Button Make-a-DVD works as advertised, but feels a bit slow and doesn't try very hard to keep you in the loop as to what it is doing.

Low light recordings are grainy, as expected, but under normal lighting the image is fantastic.

The camera is a bit small for my hand, so my thumb and forefinger don't quite line up with the desired buttons and I don't feel I have a solid grip on it. But it fits my wife perfectly and is light as a feather.

If you have a solution for the mpeg incompatibility, please let everyone know what it is.







->Prices Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I have been involved with MPEG2 encoding since 1999. I know what are the qualities of a good MPEG2 encoder. I can point very minute artifacts that results from MPEG2 encoder. Being said that, here is my verdict on video quality.
* No visible quantization artifacts (Blocky video)
* No visible edge blurring or edge artifacts
* Very little video noise in low light situation (If you are picky like me!!)
* Little visible interlacing (Window blind effect) for fast moving scenes.

Overall, this MPEG2 beats all the software encoders I have tried in past: TMPEGEnc, Cinemacraft, etc.

This video is as close as you can get with commercial DVD movie for very reasonable price.

I am not going to comment on other aspects of the camcorder. You will find them in other reviews.




->Best Price Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

The Sony DCR-SR200 is an excellent camcorder. It is very convenient to use. The video quality is excellent. The hard drive storage is much better than DV tape.
I wish the included software, Picture Motion Browser had the ability to add titles, simple transitions etc.
I am very happy with this purchase.


->Deal Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Everybody else has said all the good things about this camera, I need to document what I found to be negative issues (for me anyway). My first outing with this cam was at an air show. There was 20 MPH winds and bright sunshine. I need to stress that the microphones for the 5.1 surround are very sensitive to wind noise. I have 1.5 hours of really cool video, but when I play it back through my home theater, the sub woofer rumbles from the constant wind noise, making the playback annoying to listen to . Web research has told me to use a Band aid over the holes on windy days.

Now on to the touchscreen viewfinder. Being a little OCD, I have an issue with touching the screen and wiping off the fingerprints, but that's my problem, not Sony's. In the bright sun, it was nearly impossible to see what was on the viewfinder, so trying to follow a moving target like a jet or airplane, was a real challenge. I'm also chronologically vision impaired, and must use my reading glasses to see the screen. Next camcorder will have a viewfinder for sure. I'm hoping that my next recording session (a graduation) will produce better results.




->Comparison Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I upgraded from a Canon MiniDV camera to this Sony Hard drive and will never again look anywhere but to Sony for all of my electronic needs. This camera is easy to use. My one concern was fat fingers on the touch screen but the menus have the buttons spaced enough that it has not been an issue. The video quality is fantastic except a little grainy in very low light situations. But in contrast with the Canon's low light capabilities, there IS no comparison. The video blows it out of the water. The 4 mega pixel digital stills are significantly better quality than my 8 year old 3.3 mega pixel Sony cyber-shot which still works like a gem. The ability to jump to any scene without rewinding a tape, to not worry about taping over something important, and the downloading time being a fraction of capturing a tape is all priceless. I highly recommend this camera and can only imagine what more the Higher-End cameras can offer. If you are looking to invest in a good camera, this is the one.


->Lowest Price Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Before purchasing Sony DCR-SR200 I have looked at other hard drive cameras - few JVC ones, cheaper Sony and latest Canon. Sony and JVC are very ergonomic, they fit more or less perfectly in your palm, whereas Canon was awkward and controls were inconvenient to use. From all those cameras only DCR-SR200 (and higher model DCR-SR300) has very stable zoom. For the rest of the group zoom was sluggish and shaky when you zoom at max. Camera has 4 MP resolution for still images but pictures taken with DCR-SR200, as probably any other camera from the group above excluding Canon, are okay. Comparing pictures taken with 3.2 MP Canon PowerShot S1 with pictures taken with DCR-SR200 latter have too much color artefacts which are very noticable when zoom in. But this will be most likely acceptable for making 4x6 and even 5x7 prints.


->Comparison Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

This is a good handycam. The Image stability is very good. It have enough space (memory) to capture a days events. The wide-angle is very useful for natural scenic locations. Recommend to have a spare battery. The software helps you to organise your photo and video collection.


->Deals Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I bought this item to tape my new born twins. It is a great camera, good picture, sound, and it is user friendly. I looked at a lot of cameras before the purchase, the hard drive feature is nice it makes it easy to save images and transfer them to your PC for back-up. The only feature the camera does not have the small eye view finder.


->Best Price Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

We bought this a couple of days before our first baby's birth to be able to capture and share the videos.

Excellent video quality. Sound quality is also good. Okay 4 Megapixel images. Dont think of it as a replacement of your digital camera though.

The HDD is the main benefit which allows you to easily copy the clips to the computer for editing or sharing. You will need a good video editing software to downsize the video to be able to share it.

From a cost point of view, its neither a bargain nor a rip-off. You are in a digital age so prices ARE going to go down after you buy so dont let that get to you.

Touchscreen works great. Its very easy to use. If you have handled any camcorder earlier, you shouldnt be having to read the manual to operate it.

Ofcourse there is no viewfinder, but honestly i am yet to find an average shooter using the viewfinder to capture videos.

Overall, 4 out of 5 as there are room for improvements in reducing the size, battery size and maybe digital still image quality.

Cheers !



->Deals Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I was lookin for a hard disk camcorder from more that a year. I saw the JVC one but they are not on the level of the sony camcorder. it is excellent. I will give it a five stars.


->Price Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Solid construction, good optics, nice sound. As mentioned by others, the output for the USB transfer is found in the handycam console and not the camera itself...a minor annoyance. All in all, this is a good camera that is touch pricy but you do get what you pay for...


->Deal Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Not much to add except that this is my first camcorder and it is easy to use right from the start, with great picture quality!


->Purchase Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I've only had it for a week, but I'm already up to speed on most of the features. LUV the touch screen navigation and intuitive menus. Online manual is better than print version.
Now I'm a movie director in one easy lesson and do my own editing on the PC.
Take three still photos while recording video!
By an extra battery.


->Deals Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Strengths: Excellent Video & Audio Quality. Great Still Pictures. Cool Touchscreen LCD. Night shot video is amazing. In Built Flash is very powerful.

Weaknesses: Battery protruded outside kinda gives a odd look. User Manual supplied is not very informative... u got to explore all the menus urself. u need docking stn to connect to PC.

Summary: Hey , no more additional softwares to convert all other video formats, Directly recorded as Mpeg format, connect to PC and rip your DVD.. its that easy.
Picture Motion Browser supplied with Handycam is cool and very handy, you can trim out unwanted portion of your videos.
I have been waiting for this since long. I purchased this just bcos its predecessor SR-100 was a big hit, and this one has all the features of SR-100 and some extra features.


->Best Price Sony DCR-SR200 2.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

This is my first HDD camcorder. I owned several MiniDV camcorders in the past. I have owned the camera for 2 weeks, so this review should be considered as initial impression.
PROS:
- Picture quality is very good in good daylight. I had some shots at night in well lit family room, and the video is not as sharp as day time shots, but still very good.
- The Super Nightshot feature is fun to have to take kids video while they are sleeping. As expected, the video is very grainy.
- The quality of still pictures is acceptable.
- Zoom is very smooth
- The touch screen is awsome. Hope the screen won't get scratched in the long run
- Camera is easy to use without having to read too much into the manual
- The menu is sort confusing in some areas, but not too bad
- Lightweight

CONS:
- Pricy, compared to MiniDV models of similar quality
- Battery sticks out too much off the back of the camera making it look sort of ugly
- Allows only 3 still shots during video. I wish I can snapshot still photos from video like most of Panasonic models.
- All connectivities are on charging base. This means one more thing to carry with on vacation
- No separate battery charger. Battery is charged on the charging base or on camera
- Only 10x zoom

Overall, pretty happy with the purchase, and will be a lot of funs making family videos. I did not make a single DVD from my previous MiniDV's. This is a 4.5 stars rating.