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It beats the XL-2 and DVX100b in that regard. If 24p and HD is not on your list of wants, this is one of the better MiniDV camcorders on the market, that will last and keep lasting while giving you a superior shooting quality day in and day out.
It's paucity of functions make it easy for anyone to pick this up and learn how to use. This and an editing program will get to places you've always wanted to go to in the world of shooting, be it high quality family videos, weddings, short films, and feature length amateur films.
I did type out a lengthy review, and it was a very encompassing one, but somehow it disappeared because of a button on my mouse. The only drawback is that it doesn't have 24p capabilities or HD, but since there are a plethora of HD cameras out there now, well then for that you could go look elsewhere.
It is actually a very easy camera to learn to function and use for the beginner and as such anyone could pick this up and start with their prosumer shooting right away. Needless to say I am just going to sum up what it said, and know I did have a long review for you, but alas it was not meant to be.One of the better prosumer cameras out there, and one of the better documented low light performing cameras.
If you are looking for a professional quality camcorder than look no further, this is a fantastic 3CCD camera for all your shooting needs.
Still has all the good quality of VX-2000 but, a very cheap eye piece. Purchase new VX-2100 in September 2008 & did so based on the fact I have had a Sony VX-2000 for 5 years. The VX-2000 has a clear eye viewer and the VX-2100 reminds me of looking through a plastic toy microscope.
Keep your heads clean and always monitor your audio with headphones. Why only 4 stars. I've checked out the HD upgrades to this camera, and they really don't compare - yet. I also recommend a hard-shell case. (Sometimes you can't set up in your lights, especially when the CEO of a corporation only has 5 minutes to spare for a shoot, and it HAS to be in his/her office. I've had one of these for 4 years.
With a little practice, the manual controls are easy to reach and work very well. The mic input is an 1/8' plug (which isn't a horrible work-around is you use high-quality mics) The placement of this jack isn't too good, and I've pulled the mic cord out by accident a time or two. It's received fairly heavy use over that time with NO problems. If you don't need an HD camera, this little guy will serve you well. I hope Sony will make a HD camera as good as this one soon. Great in low or limited light-use situations.
I love how good the footage looks in low- or poorly lit situations.
Great quality in video and audio. This is my first 3 chip camera and probably my top choice for years to come.
In a couple of years, I'll check it out. Once a camera's drive mechanism fails, the repair costs are staggering. I bought this to replace my defunkt Canon GL2 (tape drive mechanism failure - check the web for tons of dissatisfied Canon customers). If you had a previous edition Sony camcorder, you'd be able to use this without so much as a look at the owner's manual. The camera manufactures would have you believe that you can do fancy editing work on there units. Too bad. Perhaps the HD camcorders improve upon this feature.
Buy a Mini-DV VCR to do the post filming grunt work. And a caveat.
Perhaps there's enough resolution there for a 4x6 print, but not much more. Given their miserable track record for longevity, I will NEVER buy another Canon product.
I still had a bunch of mini-DV tapes to capture into my PC and wasn't ready to step up to an HD camcorder, so this was the nearest I could come to the quality I had grown to expect from my Canon GL2.The quality of the video this camera takes is fabulous and it's very easy to use. As an aside, the GL2 wasn't the only Canon camcorder I've had that died.
So shoot your video with the camera, then rewind, capture and/or edit your film with a Mini-DV deck. The only complaint I have with the Sony is that the still pictures it is capable of taking (rapidly too I might add)., are just not in a high enough resolution to make them suitable for much beyond supplementing your video clips.
It would have been nice to park my Nikon at home and have this be my work horse.
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