1. Deal-Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical
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Discount on Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom]
- Sleek, compact MiniDV camcorder and digital still camera with 1-megapixel CCD
- 10x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 120x) with Super SteadyShot image stabilizer
- 2.5-inch rotating LCD and color viewfinder
- Low-light recording settings, Memory Stick Duo slot, and accessory shoe
- NP-FM50 InfoLithium Rechargeable Battery
CL) Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
Comments
45 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Exactly What I Was Looking For, August 2, 2004
ByJay Kelly (Oklahoma City, OK)
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This review is from: Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

2. After looking at/researching cameras for a few months, I decided on this one.
Here is what I was looking for (and what I got) in this camera.1.
Small.
I wanted to be able to carry it in my pocket for easy access.
This is not much bigger than my digital camera.
It's freakishly small.2.
MiniDV.
This appears to be the dominant home camera format, and I didn't want to be stuck w/ a format that would be out of date in a year.3.
Easily transferrable to my laptop and/or DVD recorder.
No problems here.
Very, very simple to transfer video.4.
Video quality.
I wasn't comfortable paying a bit less for lower video quality.
I'm glad I chose to pay a bit more.
I'm very pleased w/ the quality.
No washed out colors in my experience (as indicated in some other reviews).
Very crisp and clear.5.
Low Light Capability.
A number of cameras in the under-a-thousand price range have trouble w/ low light.
This one does a very solid job.A Couple of Caveats:1.
I've had a bit of trouble with wind noise.
Granted, I live in Oklahoma where there are perpetual 459 mph winds, but I am surprised at this.
It's not a deal-breaker, but it's mildly annoying.2.
Buying this through online services offering ridiculously cheap prices is annoying at best and dangerous at worst.
I tried, no kidding, 6 different stores trying to 'get a good deal.'
They all had something wrong--either it was a gray market product, or it didn't come with a battery, or it was going to take a month
to get it.
My strong suggestion is that you pay a bit more and buy this from someone you can trust.3.
You may want to consider buying a spare battery.
You're looking at somewhere in the hour and a half range for the battery, but if you're filming your daughter's 83 hour long dance
recital, or if you don't have electrical access to recharge it, the extra battery is a good investment.BOTTOM LINE: If you're looking
for a solid videotape-the-kids-at-the-beach-or-playing-t-ball camera that you can use indoors and outdoors, this is a wonderfully
small, convenient, and fairly reasonably priced option.
50 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Awesome compact Mini DV camcorder, October 23, 2004
ByDC Machead "DC Machead" (Washington, DC USA)
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)
I used to have a Canon Elura 2, but I despised its nightshot capability and the battery life was dismal.
I discovered this camera searching several review sites and after seeing it in person, I was sold by its compact size.This camera is
very easy to operate and the quality of footage taken with it is phenomenal.
There aren't a lot of buttons on this camera, as most of the configuration settings are accessed through the screen-based menu
system.
I've read a lot of people find the menu system annoying, however I find that it's laid out quite nicely.
Once you pick a setting, the camera will shut down other options that aren't applicable given the settings you've selected.I'm very
happy with the nightshot mode.
If you've ever watched Survivor, the night shots shots taken with this camera look like.The zoom control on the camera took some
getting used to and I've found that using your right hand middle finger to control it works quite well.
You'll also want to adjust the hand strap to firmly hold your hand to the camera.I have not used the software that comes with this
camera and that seems to be where a lot of the whining comes from on CNet.

3. If you're going to get a DV camera and you plan to edit the footage, invest in some decent video editing software (or buy an iMac).
101 of 106 people found the following review helpful
Great home cam, March 1, 2004
ByMatthew Walsh (San Carlos, CA USA)
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This review is from: Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)
I needed a cam to make some movies of my new daughter.
I wanted something compact so that I would never hesitate to carry it around.
I also wanted to make sure it was easy to use and took great video indoors.
This narrowed my choices down to the Sony PC-105, TRV22 and the Canon Optura 300 / Elura 50.
Except for the TRV22, all were the vertical style which while small, were awkward to use (the Sony being the worst with its horrible
zoom control).
The Canon's also do not have the IR-illuminated night shot capability.
So, I was all set to buy the TRV22 especially since it has outstanding low-light capability when I tried out the HC40.
The HC's form factor is just so great, I couldn't pass it up.
It to me seems as small as the PC105 but is the much more hold-able horizontal style everyone prefers.So I bought both the TRV22
and HC40 and compared them at home.
Yes, the TRV22 does shoot noticably better in low light conditions, but practically speaking the HC40 is good enough for me, and
the form factor more than makes up for it.
I'd give it 5 stars if 1) its low light ability was as good as the TRV22 and 2) if its auto focus responded a bit quicker.