I purchased this camcorder for my boyfriend's birthday (May 2008). I loved it so much I went out and bought myself one.
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br /The picture quality is amazing for the price. I am very impressed. It is not a low-light (no light) camera. You need moderate lighting to see your subject when shooting indoors or at night. Keep in mind - this is not a professional quality camcorder. If you are looking for a professional camcorder this is not the product for you.
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br /The sound is decent if your subject is talking loudly at a distance or near the mic (be careful not to block the mic with your finger when hand-holding the camera)
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br /Solid construction and features compared to similar products in its price range.
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br /The lens has no cover (similar to that of a camera cell phone) so be sure to place the camera in its carrying case when not in use to prevent scratches on the lens.
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br /The camcorder is very portable and is simple to use. It has minimal buttons and basic features (on, off, record, stop, play, volume, etc)
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br /Again... it is NOT a professional camera. If image stabilization, sound and low light are important features that you MUST have - this is NOT the camcorder for you. This is an amateur camcorder - I believe it serves its purpose and produces quality recordings for the price.

I thought about doing a video review so you could see my main complaint with the camera first hand: the picture quality just isn't good. New light sources such as bright rooms create huge bloom effects that take several seconds to dissipate, and the camera *never* clearly displays stronger light sources such as incandescent bulbs.
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br /The overall picture quality isn't good, even at the highest HD video setting. You'll find better quality on a VHS camcorder: the contrast is all out of whack, anything white or close to white creates bloom light, and the camera doesn't handle motion well. It is advertised as HD, but the picture doesn't even qualify as normal definition on a TV, let alone a computer monitor.
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br /On the positive side, it is easy to use and light weight, and if you think you need a video camera that you can pull out and just start recording, it is sufficient for that. Just don't expect your videos to be terribly comprehensible unless you hold very still.
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br /At this relatively cheap price tag, I'd recommend that you DO NOT buy it. You don't even really get what you pay for.

For the quality, you can't beat the price. We looked at several similiar camcorders and this is the only one we could find in this price range that was HD. We ended up buying another one for our son.
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