JVC Everio GZ-MS120 (Black)

Pros: Ease of setup and use; from shoot to YouTube in 5 minutes; Lasertouch navigation thru menus is great.

Cons: nothing yet

Summary: This camcorder is the best for home movies. This camera is meant to replace a Sony 8 mm Handycam that requires occasional "percusive maintenance" (a careful slap to the side) to operate. I did the research to compare Sony,JVC,and Canon for the following features: under $300 price, SD/Memory Stick media, good quality picture, and ease of use--without a lot of features that I would never use. The main use for this camera will be to easily shoot family events that can be uploaded to YouTube and Facebook or sent to a DVD.

The JVC MS120BU (black case)that I chose matched all of my requirements. I bought the camera with an 8GB memory card; while I am currently not needing the dual memory card feature, it is good to know that the storage capability is there. I played with all the menu selections, and left everything on Auto at this time. I loaded the enclosed software on my laptop, shot a short video, and sent it to YouTube. No problems. I did look at the manual briefly, but did not really need it beyond identifying where the buttons all were. The Lasertouch feature took a few minutes to master as I have a heavy touch, and it is very sensitive. Holding the camera took a bit of practice. I use just the wrist strap for safety and hold the camera using the pinkie and next finger. The middle finger runs the wide/telephoto button; the index finger takes snapshots, and the thumb runs the record button. The resulting video shows no shake with this setup.

I really have no need to do much editing of the results -- it is what it is -- family pictures. Beyond changing the order of scenes, there's not much editing to do. Some of the negative reviews mention features not intended for this camera. Those who aspire to filmaking and professional editing should look into more expensive camcorders.