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Sony Handycam DCR-SR80

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Full user review

  • 18 out of 22 people found this review helpful

    2.0 stars

    "Very disappointed."

    by hydeb on October 7, 2006

    Pros: Large harddrive, good size, easy to use.

    Cons: fair picture quality, no view finder,

    Summary: While I like the touch screen and the many hours the large harddrive can hold, there are more problems for me than it is worth at $799! The lack of a viewfinder became a huge problem when recording outdoor sports. The LCD just doesn't do the job when there is alot of action to follow, and it's washed-out with ambient light. The time and date is a viewable option when reviewing in the camera/LCD screen or when going out with analog, but when the files are transferred digitally, the time and date diappear. According to Sony engineers there is no option to retain the time and date in a digital transfer. Therefore I can transfer the files via the analog cables then capture it in a Pinnacle USB Box to be transferred back to digital and all for $800. WOW, why did I buy a digital camcorder? Another problem with the Sony and Pinnacle compatiblity is that when the files are transferred digitally, and moved into Pinnacle, the sounds gets delayed and by the end of 90 mintutes it is 30 seconds or more behind. The CCN 1 Meg, falls short of the 3 Meg CCN other similiar camcorders espcially the models with 3 CCN's. Similiar models have 20x optical zooms, and better lenses. So why did I buy this model, I was baited by the large harddrive. How much is it that worth? I am going to take it back and get my account credited even though the restocking fee is $150. It is better to make a $150 mistake than live with a $800+, (extra batter, maint. contract, etc.) one! Wait for a better model and cures to the software or solve some of the problems with the DCR-SR100 model. Ok, it is not a high-end model, but you should get what you pay for at least.

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  • 2 replies to this review
  • reply by: freccle on February 25, 2007

    Ilike the camera quality, it's easy to use, no faffing around with films etc, easy to transfer to pc etc etc but why oh why is there no viewfinder?
    It is totally IMPOSSIBLE to use in sunny conditions (about the only time we USE a camcorder!)You have to just point it in roughly the right direction and hope you record what you're trying to record. It's a major major disadvantage

  • reply by: icwtcop on November 11, 2006

    Dear Hydeb, what camera will you be looking to buy, I am faced with sucy a perplexing task trying to sort out so many details. I am trying to upgrade the ultimate viewer quality for classes we film to show in satilite schools. I feel paralyzed after researching this for a couple of days, everytime I think I've found the right camera, something drops out of the sky and smashes that idea. I need a hard drive based camera with and auxilary microphone jack, a headphone jack, with the possibility of transferring the recorded video segments via a true digital connection to our computer with the possibility of putting at least one entire 50 class on a dvd to produce the current 8mm tape quality we are using. If you've (or anybody else reading this) made a decision on a new camera, or have any suggestions, PLEASE FORWARD THEM! Thanks

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