Sony Handycam® HDR-HC1 Hard Drive Camcorder

Pros: Great video quality.
Cons: Fairly expensive. Doesn't have as many features as some standard definition camcorders.

This camera is really your only option right now for consumer HD video recording. The price is fairly steep due to the lack of competition, but it isn't unreasonable. The camcorder records video in 1080i HDV format on regular miniDV cassettes. The ...

Pros: Image quality, decent range of pro functions, compact size, build quality, backwards compatibility.
Cons: Battery, bottom-loader, lacks: universal hotshoe, aperture/gain readout, fussy menu, av-in, ND filter

INTRODUCTION As an owner of an FX1 I decided to replace my Canon XM2 with a second HD camera, primarily to use as a safety cam & perhaps a player to save wearing out my man cam. It's worth pointing out how small the HC1 is, I would put it at about ...

Pros: Simple intuitive operating system, image quality, price, universal audio jacks
Cons: not sure yet

I just bought one yesterday and I am impressed. But, I am not an expert on video. The image quality is good. I am extremely impressed by the SUPER EASY operating system, which I learned through experimenting for a few minutes. I put in a tape and ...

Pros: The best consumer camcorder on the market.
Cons: Additional standard batteries are worth it in the long run for the comfort factor.

Just purchased this camcorder from Best Buy on 8-6-05. It is the best camcorder on the market. I have owned three other Sony camcorders; this one is worth the investment. When I hook up the camcorder to my hi def Sony TV the results are awesome. I am ...

Pros: HD;light;bright lens;stable image;manual focus and zoom
Cons: bottom-loading;no bundled software;image less bright than hdr-fx1

I am very impressed with this camcorder. It does not come cheap, but it is very, very nice considering how new this technology is. I cannot imagine why one would buy a camcorder these days if it is not a HD? What exactly is new in comparison to your old camcorder?
Image quality is quite impressive; the camcorder is light. it has bells and whistles you like, but shoots ok in automatic. The lens is very bright. Construction is not super-strong, like my years-old Canon, but it is similar to other high-end models, and it is much lighter than the old Canon:) The software to edit HD movies is very expensive now, but it will soon come down. So far you can view it directly on your HDTV, and import standard low-definition video into your computer. Again, low-cost software will come soon, but why wait - start shooting HDV now. Do get a better battery - I bought the highest-capacity (xx91) genuine sony on ebay for $50