- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 16 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"I am glad I purchased this camcorder!"
Pros: Small size, can attach lenses, image stablizer, manual focus, built-in video light, Shutter and Aperture priority settings, 14x zoom, mic volume control.
Cons: Short battery life with supplied battery, "Auto" setting uses too slow shutter speeds in low light.
Summary: I really like being able to have full control over the parameters that affect image quality: shutter speed, aperture and focus. The image quality for both video and still images is excellent. Although 2MP is low resolution when compared to stand alone digital cameras, I do not have any complaints about the clarity and color quality of the photos. I doubt a stand alone 2MP camera could take better pictures.
I also really like the "wheel" that is used to change the camera settings. It makes it easy to quickly change the behavior of the camera when conditions change.
I recommend purchasing a 0.5x lens for indoor shooting. It really opens up the field of view and allows you to capture a lot more when you are close to your subjects (i.e. kids and dogs!). Buy a thread converter because the camera uses 34mm diameter attachments and there are many more lenses available in 37mm. A converter is cheap so it is no big deal.
My biggest complaint with the camera is how the Auto setting works while shooting inside. It seems to change the shutter speed constantly and when the light level drops just a little you can see the image blur due to the slow shutter speed. It seems to always choose an uncessary slow shutter speed.
Fortunately, there is a really easy solution. I just set the camera to "sports" (which ensures the fastest shutter speed possible) and then there is never a blur problem. And even when there is no sunlight coming in a window (like at night), normal ambient room lighting is sufficent for a good video image. (So I can't figure out why Auto chooses such a slow shutter speed.)
Of course if the room is really black you can use the built in LED light. It shines enough light on a close subject but the color is washed out. If you don't use the light you cannot see anything with the camera set to "sports" but if you really need to shoot a black room you can change the setting easily with the "wheel".
With the wheel set to Night mode, I am amazed at the image quality with little to almost no light. Of course motion is really blurred so it seems like it is not very useful for a video camera.
The only other complaint I have is minor. The battery capacity is not very good. But in actual use (I have been using the camcorder pretty heavily for about three weeks), I have not run out of power. I tend to shoot the kids doing something funny and then turn it off. You can plug the camera into the power cord and it charges while it sits there. I like that charging method because you don't need to pull a battery out of a charger to use the camera. You just unplug it and turn it on.
Other than those two complaints, this is an exceptional camcorder and you should consider it if it is in your price range (I paid $739). BTW - only perfection will warrent a "10" from me. And I have yet to purchase a perfect product.
