I did my homework on digital camcorders, and in the end came down to the conclusion that I only had two brand choices: Sony or Canon. Now my only dilema left was the style of camera that I was to purchase. By that I mean the "ultra compact" upright style, like the Canon Elura40MC and Sony DCRPC101, or the traditional style of the Sony DCRTRV27. It should be obvious by the fact that I am writing this review that I chose the Sony DCRTRV27.pOne of the reviews I read said that the upright camera wasn't comfortable to hold in comparison to the horizontal style of the TRV27. I could not agree more. I held the Canon for about two minutes and had a hand cramp. The TRV27 is certainly small enough too. I also noticed immediately, that it was near impossible to hold the Canon Elura 40MC without covering the light sensor with my finger. I would say that this is a serious design flaw on Canon's part. pThat aside, the features of this camera far exceed my expectations for the price point. There are almost too many features! In all seriousness, the video I have captured so far has all been excellent, and I could not be more satisfied. The most common complaint I read about this camera (and all others BTW) is that it is not that great in low light situations. All I can say is that 1) Even cameras costing 3x this have the same issue and 2) this is easily remedied with a $... video light. For those reasons, I will not take any points away from this product. For me (first time camcorder owner with demanding tastes) this camcorder is fantastic.pThe only additional feature I would like to comment on is the digital photo quality. This is NOT a digital camera. The photo quality is fine for what it is, and to expect more would not make sense. I am more impressed by the 1 trick pony type of electronics, as I think that multi-purpose products tend to do a lot of things fair, and don't do anything great. p...

Excellent camcorder!pWas looking for TRV30 which went out of production and came across this one.pPros: 1) clear and vibrant video picture (video 690K pixels and still 1 mega pixels CCD)br2) Fast focusing when using zoom in auto modebr3) simple to use knobs and buttonsbr4) Value for pricebr5) still photo fairly good with 1 megapixel ratingbr6) video looks great on TV (at least in Sony Wega TV) than the LCD screen (May be I have reduce the brightness of screen)pCons:br1) 10x optical and 120x digital zoom slightly less than the competion JVC, Panasonic, Canonbr2) Battery life is short with LCD usagebr3) No memory stick holder/case suppliedbr4) No flashlight/ video light (have to buy separately) pWill recommend for anyone who wants good decent video with high resolution and money to spend.

Excellent camcorder!Was looking for TRV30 which went out of production and came across this one.Pros: 1) clear and vibrant video picture (video 690K pixels and still 1 mega pixels CCD)2) Fast focusing when using zoom in auto mode3) simple to use knobs and buttons4) Value for price5) still photo fairly good with 1 megapixel rating6) video looks great on TV (at least in Sony Wega TV) than the LCD screen (May be I have reduce the brightness of screen)Cons:1) 10x optical and 120x digital zoom slightly less than the competion JVC, Panasonic, Canon2) Battery life is short with LCD usage3) No memory stick holder/case supplied4) No flashlight/ video light (have to buy separately) Will recommend for anyone who wants good decent video with high resolution and money to spend.

This is a good camera. I wanted a camcorder for a recent vacation. I shopped around & tried the cameras in the stores. I originally wanted a panasonic with 700x zoom, but found that a digital zoom over 120x is worthless. This camera had better resolution, better night vision, a great feature to slow the shutter down in low light conditions, but still get color, interval recording (i.e. record for .5 seconds, every 30 seconds or such... neat to watch a plant grow or such), remote control (great to get in the shot), a nice sized screen, fits the hand well. It really is a great camera.Cons: tape loads on bottom, so has to be taken off of tripod. The memory stick it comes with is usable, but needs to be larger. Be SURE to read the manual to get the most use out of the features (didn't figure out how to mix still images from the memory stick with live shot images until after a week of use on vacation)...

Pro's:- Mini-DV format is ubiquitous and produces excellent images.- Large swivel-screen and color viewfinder.- Can also take 1 mega pixel still images and low-res MPEG's on memory stick.- Crazy, useless, nonetheless cool features like Super Night Shot, various fades, several picture effects, digital effects, time-lapse, digital zoom, etc.- Great design considerations including button placement, the overall feel (shape, weight, balance), and menu options.- Can take higher resolution stills directly onto tape (vs. onto memory stick).- A lot of DIY features like manual focus, exposure setting, white balance, etc.- USB streaming means it can be used as a web cam (overkill, but nice for eliminating extra devices).- Camcorder can be used as a bridge for transferring analog films directly onto a computer or onto DV tape (i.e., it has input capability).- Several connection options including: standard RCA, S-video, headphones, USB, Firewire, external mic.- Excellent battery life and information.Con's- One design problem comes from the bottom-loading tape, but honestly where else could they have put it?- Only 1 CCD, but that's what you get in the sub $1500 category.- Still images are 1 mega pixel, but hey, the fact that there are any stills is a bonus on a camcorder.- Battery charges on camcorder.I highly recommend this product: the value, features, and quality are all outstanding. I recommend doing certain things right out of the box to maximize the camcorder's capabilities. First, do not install the Sony issued software, it's worse than useless, it's anti-productive (just short of destructive). For stills and MPEG's you can simply use Windows' standard programs. The camcorder/memory stick shows up as a drive in My Computer when attached via firewire. For video editing you need something more robust anyway, so go with something like Pinnacle Studio 8 (lower end) or Adobe Premiere (the other end). Next, Turn off the digital zoom, it tends to make the picture pixilated. Raise the audio to 16 bit. Set still images and MPEG's to the highest settings simply because even at that level they aren't too good. Always keep steadyshot on. Finally, I have yet to get one, but a wide-angle lens seems desirable because the auteur ends up backing so far away from the subject being filmed.Here are a couple more recommendations for people that will be editing film on a computer. Firewire is a must, not just for the high transfer rates, but for the control you have through the computer. It allows you to preview your work without the long capture sessions. I use Pinnacle Studio for editing, it's great (i.e., easy and cheap). When filming, don't use: fades, picture effects, digital effects, or digital zoom, these will all just get in the way when you start editing. Make sure the lighting is good, if not use the exposure wheel. I like the letterbox feature, it just looks cool. There are different kinds of Mini-DV tapes, the tapes with built-in memory are expensive but invaluable while editing (the time code allows you to preview film without capturing it in the editing software). These tapes are about three times the price of a regular tape, but obviously can be reused (make your movie, edit it, output it to DVD or regular Mini-DV tapes, then record over the original raw material).

Pro's:br- Mini-DV format is ubiquitous and produces excellent images.br- Large swivel-screen and color viewfinder.br- Can also take 1 mega pixel still images and low-res MPEG's on memory stick.br- Crazy, useless, nonetheless cool features like Super Night Shot, various fades, several picture effects, digital effects, time-lapse, digital zoom, etc.br- Great design considerations including button placement, the overall feel (shape, weight, balance), and menu options.br- Can take higher resolution stills directly onto tape (vs. onto memory stick).br- A lot of DIY features like manual focus, exposure setting, white balance, etc.br- USB streaming means it can be used as a web cam (overkill, but nice for eliminating extra devices).br- Camcorder can be used as a bridge for transferring analog films directly onto a computer or onto DV tape (i.e., it has input capability).br- Several connection options including: standard RCA, S-video, headphones, USB, Firewire, external mic.br- Excellent battery life and information.pCon'sbr- One design problem comes from the bottom-loading tape, but honestly where else could they have put it?br- Only 1 CCD, but that's what you get in the sub $1500 category.br- Still images are 1 mega pixel, but hey, the fact that there are any stills is a bonus on a camcorder.br- Battery charges on camcorder.pI highly recommend this product: the value, features, and quality are all outstanding. pI recommend doing certain things right out of the box to maximize the camcorder's capabilities. First, do not install the Sony issued software, it's worse than useless, it's anti-productive (just short of destructive). For stills and MPEG's you can simply use Windows' standard programs. The camcorder/memory stick shows up as a drive in My Computer when attached via firewire. For video editing you need something more robust anyway, so go with something like Pinnacle Studio 8 (lower end) or Adobe Premiere (the other end). Next, Turn off the digital zoom, it tends to make the picture pixilated. Raise the audio to 16 bit. Set still images and MPEG's to the highest settings simply because even at that level they aren't too good. Always keep steadyshot on. Finally, I have yet to get one, but a wide-angle lens seems desirable because the auteur ends up backing so far away from the subject being filmed.pHere are a couple more recommendations for people that will be editing film on a computer. Firewire is a must, not just for the high transfer rates, but for the control you have through the computer. It allows you to preview your work without the long capture sessions. I use Pinnacle Studio for editing, it's great (i.e., easy and cheap). When filming, don't use: fades, picture effects, digital effects, or digital zoom, these will all just get in the way when you start editing. Make sure the lighting is good, if not use the exposure wheel. I like the letterbox feature, it just looks cool. There are different kinds of Mini-DV tapes, the tapes with built-in memory are expensive but invaluable while editing (the time code allows you to preview film without capturing it in the editing software). These tapes are about three times the price of a regular tape, but obviously can be reused (make your movie, edit it, output it to DVD or regular Mini-DV tapes, then record over the original raw material).

Pro's:- Mini-DV format is ubiquitous and produces excellent images.- Large swivel-screen and color viewfinder.- Can also take 1 mega pixel still images and low-res MPEG's on memory stick.- Crazy, useless, nonetheless cool features like Super Night Shot, various fades, several picture effects, digital effects, time-lapse, digital zoom, etc.- Great design considerations including button placement, the overall feel (shape, weight, balance), and menu options.- Can take higher resolution stills directly onto tape (vs. onto memory stick).- A lot of DIY features like manual focus, exposure setting, white balance, etc.- USB streaming means it can be used as a web cam (overkill, but nice for eliminating extra devices).- Camcorder can be used as a bridge for transferring analog films directly onto a computer or onto DV tape (i.e., it has input capability).- Several connection options including: standard RCA, S-video, headphones, USB, Firewire, external mic.- Excellent battery life and information.Con's- One design problem comes from the bottom-loading tape, but honestly where else could they have put it?- Only 1 CCD, but that's what you get in the sub $1500 category.- Still images are 1 mega pixel, but hey, the fact that there are any stills is a bonus on a camcorder.- Battery charges on camcorder.I highly recommend this product: the value, features, and quality are all outstanding. I recommend doing certain things right out of the box to maximize the camcorder's capabilities. First, do not install the Sony issued software, it's worse than useless, it's anti-productive (just short of destructive). For stills and MPEG's you can simply use Windows' standard programs. The camcorder/memory stick shows up as a drive in My Computer when attached via firewire. For video editing you need something more robust anyway, so go with something like Pinnacle Studio 8 (lower end) or Adobe Premiere (the other end). Next, Turn off the digital zoom, it tends to make the picture pixilated. Raise the audio to 16 bit. Set still images and MPEG's to the highest settings simply because even at that level they aren't too good. Always keep steadyshot on. Finally, I have yet to get one, but a wide-angle lens seems desirable because the auteur ends up backing so far away from the subject being filmed.Here are a couple more recommendations for people that will be editing film on a computer. Firewire is a must, not just for the high transfer rates, but for the control you have through the computer. It allows you to preview your work without the long capture sessions. I use Pinnacle Studio for editing, it's great (i.e., easy and cheap). When filming, don't use: fades, picture effects, digital effects, or digital zoom, these will all just get in the way when you start editing. Make sure the lighting is good, if not use the exposure wheel. I like the letterbox feature, it just looks cool. There are different kinds of Mini-DV tapes, the tapes with built-in memory are expensive but invaluable while editing (the time code allows you to preview film without capturing it in the editing software). These tapes are about three times the price of a regular tape, but obviously can be reused (make your movie, edit it, output it to DVD or regular Mini-DV tapes, then record over the original raw material).

After reading many reviews and shoping at several stores, I took home my new Sony Handycam. ( DCR-TRV27 )Don't let the compact size of this little giant fool you!The power and fetures found in the TRV27 are many you might pay more money for in other cameras. The image quality was great!I used it to record live music with very nice sound & video.Low light video was brighter than stills in same light.I found the controls laid out well and easy to use.The manual that came with it was good for basic operation, but when geting onto some of the advanced operations it was some times confusing. My bigest dislike about the camera is loading tapes is done from the bottom of the camera. If you have it mouted on a tripod, you must remove it for tape loading. Overal I love the camera and would recomend it to anyone.

I've been wanting to get a new camcorder for about two years now. I've put it off until recently when I saw the TRV27. It had pretty much what I wanted in a camcorder. Digital, large LCD, usb and firewire connections and i'm partial to Sony anyway. brAfter about two weeks of messing around with it I can certainly recommend this camera to anyone willing to spend the money for it. There are comparable cameras out there so it comes down to personal taste and affordability. pI can only give this 4 stars though because of a few things.br1. The included PixelView DV editing software sucks. I downloaded a trial version of Ulead Videowave and it had more features and was easier to use. Sony should've included better software to compliment their equipment.p2. Filming in low light is almost useless. The film comes out near total black. I would recommend a video light. pand lastly,br3. The still shots at standard settings aren't the greatest. The still shots are at 1.0 megapixels so to get the best output you need to have those settings at the highest resolution and hightest quality. That takes up space on the included 8 meg memory stick. If you are planning to use it as a digital camera for still shots, I would recommend the 128meg mem. stick. pOther than those concerns I'm completely happy with my purchase and having a good time learning video editing.

After one VHS and two Hi-8 camcorders, this is my first digital machine. I think it is superb. The pictures are incredibly sharp and clean. I didn't expect to use the memory stick much, but I'm already snapping and emailing loads of pictures of our kid. (The downside is that it subtracts from the number of quality film stills I take.) The 27 is quite easy to use and feature-rich. It is a cinch to plug it into my Mac and edit movies. The one glitch I had was finding a memory stick reader that worked properly, but I seem to have solved that. I think an accessory light is essential for better results. I bought Sony's 10/20 watt (less than 10 is too little light). I also bought 2 NPO-QM91 batteries and a Sony SQ quick charger. This battery is necessary for the light, and it works in the camcorder to give something like 6 hours of power. The 10x zoom isn't spectacular, but usually good enough, and Sony sells a magnifying lens. As always, the digital zoom is awful. The image stabilizer works well and I hear zero camera noise on playback. This camcorder and a Mac (and I suppose even a PC!) are a perfect home film making combination. It's a splendid camera.

This camera is great even for the technically challenged. For those of who think u won't be able to handle such an advanced camera, your wrong. It's simple. I got it for my birthday and have played with it a lot since getting it. The camera offers digital effects for still shots and movies. The battery life with the camera is also sufficient for normal users. It carries about 155 minutes of filming using the viewfinder and not the LCD screen. A great buy but a little [pricy].

I have never owned a video camera before and decided it was time to take the plunge. I decided to go with the Sony DCRTRV27 since it had the most features for the price. I didn't need anything too extravegant but wanted to make sure I'd have everything I needed to capture my growing family's adventures. With this camcorder you can simply pull it out of the box, charge it up, pop a tape in, and start on your merry way if you so desire. If that's all you need from a camcorder, though, you may want to go with a less expensive model.If you are looking for a camcorder with all of the extra features you need to keep family and friends all over the country up to date on you and your loved ones, however (digital photos, editing features, creating DVDs, etc...), then I highly recommend this model. This camcorder is hard to beat!

I bought this unit for Christmas 2003. After one year, the device is still flawless.pThe features are more than enough to satisfy the recreational videographer. I usually use the automatic settings (auto focus, auto brightness, etc.) whenever I can, but I'm glad the device has so many options, if I find myself in a situation where I need them.pThe 9-point auto focus is spectacular. While most camcorders use a single point to focus, this unit has a group of 9 points or boxes it uses to determine the optimum focus for the shot. It's really amazing, and almost instantaneous.pI love the small size, and the 3.5" LCD screen is much better than the 2.5". When taking video of people, especially kids, they love it when I flip the screen toward them, so they can see themselves. To them, it's like they are on TV. They tend to be more expressive. When I do this, I just look throught the viwfinder to keep the subject in frame.pIt's rugged. My wife dropped it at Disney World 9 months ago. It scratched the case a bit, but otherwise the unit wasn't phased.pI've made a few CD-ROM-based videos on my computer. The Sony TRV27 easily transfers video to the computer through the Firewire connection. The USB connection also works, but the compressed image quality is far worse the the pure Firewire transfer.pIt's nice to have the capabilities to shoot digital stils. However, the 640x480 1 megapixel image is too low-res for printing phoro-lab quality prints on a photo inkjet printer.pI think of the digital camera feature as a quite a bit above most cell phone cameras, and quite a bit below most 3+ megapixel cameras.pBattery life is great. I have not yet bought a spare, and haven't needed it. If I shot more video, I would probably get one of the larger batteries, which would, however, make the unit a little heavier.pAll in all, this is an excellent product. I'm sure the newest models are even better. Sony costs a bit more than some of the other brands, but when it comes to camcorders, you can't beat 'em.

I bought this unit for Christmas 2003. After one year, the device is still flawless.The features are more than enough to satisfy the recreational videographer. I usually use the automatic settings (auto focus, auto brightness, etc.) whenever I can, but I'm glad the device has so many options, if I find myself in a situation where I need them.The 9-point auto focus is spectacular. While most camcorders use a single point to focus, this unit has a group of 9 points or boxes it uses to determine the optimum focus for the shot. It's really amazing, and almost instantaneous.I love the small size, and the 3.5" LCD screen is much better than the 2.5". When taking video of people, especially kids, they love it when I flip the screen toward them, so they can see themselves. To them, it's like they are on TV. They tend to be more expressive. When I do this, I just look throught the viwfinder to keep the subject in frame.It's rugged. My wife dropped it at Disney World 9 months ago. It scratched the case a bit, but otherwise the unit wasn't phased.I've made a few CD-ROM-based videos on my computer. The Sony TRV27 easily transfers video to the computer through the Firewire connection. The USB connection also works, but the compressed image quality is far worse the the pure Firewire transfer.It's nice to have the capabilities to shoot digital stils. However, the 640x480 1 megapixel image is too low-res for printing phoro-lab quality prints on a photo inkjet printer.I think of the digital camera feature as a quite a bit above most cell phone cameras, and quite a bit below most 3+ megapixel cameras.Battery life is great. I have not yet bought a spare, and haven't needed it. If I shot more video, I would probably get one of the larger batteries, which would, however, make the unit a little heavier.All in all, this is an excellent product. I'm sure the newest models are even better. Sony costs a bit more than some of the other brands, but when it comes to camcorders, you can't beat 'em.

... I have had nothing but praise when it comes to this camera. The only down side is the snap shots. I Mega pixel is not that much, but it's enough for web publishing. It takes great video and the quality and sound is awesome !!! I also bought the 9 hour battery, since it consumes a lot of juice. Have fun!

I originally purchased a sharp wd450 for 400 bucks and it recently stopped working completely (after 10 months)...I went ahead and spent the extra money to buy a sony after a LOT of reading and research. Although the trv27 costs a bit more than standard cameras, it is well worth it. The picture quality is Excellent in most lighting conditions. The objects are crisp and sharp and the colors are vibrant and true. Even indoors with regular lighting, the picture is still good (may be dark if really low light, but not grainy) whereas my old sharp was very very grainy and dark in any lighting other than outside.pThe sony has so many nice feautres I now appreciate such as their infolithium battery indicator tells you how many minutes are left on the battery...but it goes even further by frequently checking the battery useage while you use it...for example, if you are using the eyepiece it will say 150 minutes left, however, if you decide to open up the LCD display, it recalculates battery and will then show 100 minutes left and back and forth...If I add a smart-shoe camera light, it recalculates how much battery I will have left once the light goes on....AMAZING.pi was also trying to decide on the new canon ZR series (zr 60) but I am glad I didnt to that route. The picture on the sony (with the ziess lens) is so sharp and the low light picture is very good. I've already started to read online reviews complaining of the poor low light with the new ZR series and the motor whining problem.pAnyway, the sony is a great camera...I probably may not have bought it if I didnt get a great deal on it...They are now being cleared out of stock everywhere to make room for the new sonys for 2003. I got mine a sears for under 650 bucks as a clearance. I couldn't pass it up. I would have gotten the trv18 but it was selling only for 50 bucks less than the trv27 at the time...go figure.

This camcorder is very light, compact and has a big LCD screen. The picture is really crisp and clear on outdoors. pBut, while shooting indoors in poor light, the quality is not really good. Infact, I compared with some tapes shot indoors using a Sony TRV330. And I found TRV330 pictures more superior for some reason! Technically, TRV27 is more advanced and I have no idea why it appeared that way. pThe main difference I felt during poor light condition is that TRV27 gives a blueish hue while the TRV330 gives more redish (similar to the lamp). By adjusting some of the settings, we can come up with a decent picture in night as well.pI usually shoot during daylight. Besides, night shots need additional lighting for most of the cameras. So, I would give it 4 stars :)

I have never owned a camcorder until I aquired the Sony DCRTRV27. I am impressed with the ease of use and the number of features. I disagree with some reviewers that the battery life is too short. I find it adequate. (An easy fix is to simply carry a smaller "extra" battery in a camera case).The digital effects, fades,low-light and widescreen format options are terrific as is the fire-wire connection. This makes capturing video with editing software a breeze. It is a little clumsy to change tapes - but I can live with this.

The DCR-TRV27 is the best camera I've owned. I study film at Cal State Long Beach, and have worked for public television, ESPN, and several student films. I have twenty years of home movie making experience and have recorded over one hundred hours of MiniDV tape with my Sony camcorder.
br /
br /Cons: Single CCD only. (3 CCD has superior color in low light)
br / The lens is 30mm, so there is less variety among lenses and filters than the more popular 37mm.
br / Digital Effects must be selected everytime the unit is powered on. I like the slow shutter effect, but it's a nuisance to select it in the menu whenever I want to shoot.
br / Wish the focus ring was bigger--easier to manipulate.
br / The built-in mic picks up the whine of the camcorder. I use an external mic in quiet rooms.
br / The MiniDV format: what else can you play it on? I'm going to get a MiniDV VCR to save wear on my camcorder.
br /
br /Pros: The perfect size, small enough to take anywhere, not so small that my fingers can't find the buttons.
br / Has Sony i-Link (IEEE 1394) interface, and functions as a codec, allowing me to capture video in an editing program, and record the finished cut to tape. I can even send analogue signals from my old VHS tapes to the computer through the TRV27.
br / Simple design allows me to hand it off to anybody to get me in the scene.
br / Large viewscreen.
br / Data Code (can be displayed on or off during playback) dat/time stamps all my footage so I never have to guess when I made that thing back in the place that one time.
br / Manual focus and exposure control is an absolute must.
br / The battery lasts for hours, even after four years. (I bought the InfoLITHIUM M Sony 12 hour battery.)
br /
br /The Bottom Line: I love my camcorder and recommend it to anyone who just wants to play with video. It's an excellent tool to learn on, with brilliant picture and good sound.
br /
br /John E. Walker

I have owned this product for several years and I can say it has been a solid performer the whole way. capturing all of the best memories of my life to date superbly. not once have I had any mechanical failure or mishap. this is a great camcorder and truly a quality product surviving many family events.

I bought it for video and it does an excellent job. Easy to use, good battery life, and top quality picture and sound. I didn't get it to take stills but a 1 meg picture is useless, a higher res picture would put this over the top.

I liked this camera as it has many features compared to higher priced cameras of Sony. This is one of the most light weighted Handycams.brPros : brLight weightbrLow pricebrIEEE 1394 supportbrDigital PhotographybrBig 3.5" LCD DisplaybrEasy HandlingpCons:brNo Flash light/video light.brLess resolution 1,152 x 864, that make pictures less sharp.

This is a great camera and buy. the quality is exceptional and with a one hundred dollar external mic it has superior performance. It has dv in and out and av in out and still picture is very nice. i do not owne this product but use it almost every day in my video production class

Easy to use, takes great video, what else could you want?

If you want to stop all the researching, guessing games and frustration, find a Sony TRV27 and grab it. After much searching and disappointment I spent the extra money and got one. I couldn't be happier with it.pInterestingly, I purchased the brand new TRV38 which is said to have many improvements over the TRV27. Well, after just one hour of use (TRV38), I knew I'd be returning it the next day. The picture isn't even close to the 27 in quality. It has totally unacceptable motor noise - not just a hum but a rising and falling drone. Also, in comparison, it looks rather like a'toy'. The touch screen mode for settings selection is a joke. First they tell you it's a great new innovation and then they say, "but be careful not to use your finger nails which would damage the LCD". (like no kidding.....) Sorry Sony but I heartily believe you goofed on this product! Oh, I did I mention how cheap it looks? I, of course, took it back and the store insisted I try another 38 right out of the box. Same deal.Poor picture and all of that noise!pSo I set out to find a TRV27, which is, in fact, the cam I had been dreaming of for about a year. One store had one left in a box. So, being a discontinued model, it could be hard to find one. But if you do you'll be very happy with it I'll bet.pAdvice: just don't be naive enough to think that you can pay $600-$700 dollars for a camcorder and get the same quality of one costing $2000 !!

It work perfectly. What I didn't like from my experience is that inside a light is needed. So I bought a light including flash from Sony because this camera also take pictures. The flash is too strong and the camera doesn't adjust the luminosity so the picture is too bright.pSony web site is very bad to provide anything for free. I went in travel without the CD shipped with the camera. So I went to the web site and communicated with them. They told me I have to pay to have access to the driver for streaming with USB! Things that any other company always provide for free. Also when I asked them to know where I can download the manual they told me I have to pay for it.pI will appreciate if Sony have more respect for his customer.

It work perfectly. What I didn't like from my experience is that inside a light is needed. So I bought a light including flash from Sony because this camera also take pictures. The flash is too strong and the camera doesn't adjust the luminosity so the picture is too bright.Sony web site is very bad to provide anything for free. I went in travel without the CD shipped with the camera. So I went to the web site and communicated with them. They told me I have to pay to have access to the driver for streaming with USB! Things that any other company always provide for free. Also when I asked them to know where I can download the manual they told me I have to pay for it.I will appreciate if Sony have more respect for his customer.

I don't know. some people reviewed it highly. I don't see any special about this camcorder. It has megapixel, but it's for photo. I didn't buy it for camera, but for camcorder. Picture was clear in close range, but about 10 feet away, objects are kind of blurry. And I couln't focus on it any noticeably.I bought it for trip, recording scenery, which it doesn't do very good job. If you want camera + camcorder, It will do a trick.But if you have already camera, I would go for better camcorder.

I purchased this as a replacement for an older, troublesome Sony Hi-8 camcorder. I had wanted to start trying my hand at video editing on the PC, and also transferring our old Hi-8 tapes to DVD, the thought being I'd first transfer them to Mini DV on the new camcorder, and then onto the PC for DVD authoring. pThe day after receiving the TRV27, we taped about 10 minutes of our daughter swimming, and I couldn't have been happier with it. The video and audio were crystal clear, noticeably better than the Hi-8 tapes. A test of transferring this data onto the PC (using a Matrox RT.X100 capture setup) showed that to be painless, and the resulting files were flawless. I thought I'd definitely made a good purchase. Unfortunately, that feeling was short-lived... pA little more than a week after receiving the new camcorder, I had transferred a couple of our Hi-8 tapes to Mini DV. I then noticed that attempting to play back one of these Mini DV tapes on the TRV27 showed a strange "banding" of the image...the top 1/4 of the picture was there, followed by a gray horizontal band covering the next 1/4, then another 1/4 that looked good, followed by another gray band on the bottom 1/4. Both tapes that had been transferred played this way, as did anything new I tried recording from the camera. pI ran a cleaning tape through it 3 times, which finally brought the picture back, but that left me with a bad feeling...why did the heads need cleaning that badly after approx. 2 hours total recording time? That was only a precursor to the trouble to follow... pThe next day was Thanksgiving. I used the camcorder to record about 20 minutes of the family. The following day, I wanted to start transferring Hi-8 tapes again, and decided to check the playback first, based on the previous problem. I tried to put in the tape I had recorded on Thanksgiving, but the tape carrier only took it in about halfway and then stopped, with the unit "dinging". There was a yellow triangle with a line under it on the LCD and the code C:31:40, or something like that. All I found I could do was remove and replace the battery multiple times, as each time it would pull the tape in a little farther. Finally it got the tape all the way in and rewound it, and when I hit playback, there was nothing...no video, no audio, just bluescreen, both on the LCD and hooked up to our tv. I tried running the head cleaning tape through it a couple times, and still nothing. I even tried some of the other tapes that we had transferred...no matter what, it would not playback a single thing. pA call to Sony's 1-888 number and time with their rep said it would need to go in for service...to Irvine, California (I live in Colorado). All this 10 days after receiving it and total usage on it of about 2 and a half hours. pSo now my new TRV27 is in the mail, on it's way to service, with no clue as to how long I'll be without it, nor what shape it will be in when I get it back. So I'm afraid that based on this experience, I could not recommend this camcorder. Seeing as how our Hi-8 unit, which is also Sony, had similar trouble, I don't think I'd be able to recommend Sony period. That old unit failed entirely the first time we really wanted to use it as well (for a Disney vacation), again after minimal prior usage. It went in for service too, and took more than a month to get back. And it had another visit to service after that one. And in fact, it's not working correctly now, which is why I rented a Hi-8 camcorder to do the tape transfers (money which was lost when the new camcorder wouldn't work either.) Nope, I do not have a good feeling about Sony camcorders at all.

Good overall camcoder. Sharp pictures when indoors with lighting.The only missing feature would be USB Streaming. Cannot be used as a Web Cam.