Sony HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Blue)

Comments about Sony HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Blue):

I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT WHAT OTHER'S WROTE. BUT, HERE'S SOME OF MY REVIEW:

I AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THE VIDEO SECTION, BUT THE STILL PHOTO EVEN WITH ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION, IT'S NOT USABLE. I DON'T USE THE CAMERA PART UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE MACRO FEATURE??? IT'S AMAZINGLY CLEAR! YOU CAN SEE THE WEAVE PATTERN ON A CLOTH! IT'S LIKE A MICROSCOPE!! I'M IMPRESSED!

YES, TOO BAD IT DOESN'T HAVE A HEADPHONE JACK, MICROPHONE MOUNT (CAN'T HELP BECAUSE THE SIZE OF THE CAMCORDER...) AND A VERY SMALL INTERNAL SPEAKER (AGAIN THE SIZE OF THE CAMCORDER) IS THE CON FOR THIS CAMCORDER.

I'VE HAD IT FOR OVER A YEAR NOW AND IS WORKING FLAWLESS COMPARED TO THE "TAPE" VERSION I'VE HAD BEFORE. FINALLY THE TAPELESS CAMCORDER! RECORDING ONTO A SD MEMORY CARD OR THE ON BOARD FLASH MEMORY IS GREAT! NO MORE HEAD TO CLEAN, BAD TAPE, REPLACING THE HEAD, ETC. EVERYTHING CAN BE TRANSFERRED ONTO A DVD MEDIA.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I really enjoy this unit. Shoots well. Small enough that you can fit it in your coat pocket.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

Good quality image.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

We got this camcorder to replace our old mini dv Sony from 13 years ago. It is small, fits in the palm of your hand. Our son loves posting to youtube, and this fits the bill. There is a mic input so he can still use his headset mic.
The only gripe I have is with the Sony software - it doesn't allow you to edit. We downloaded a different utility to edit videos, so now no problems.
Works very well indoors, no lighting problems, and audio is nice and clear using built-in mic.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I was looking for a camcorder to supplement my more expensive Sony for "everyday use". This worked perfectly. I was already familiar with their video format and their "PMB" program so no issues there. However, This camera does not charge well through the USB, so I use a seperate charger for the battery. Zoom is misleading because it starts out wider than the other Sony's I have. End zoom is about equal to the 12x (optical) / 24x (enhanced) of other models.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I took it out of the box and instantly I am taking profesional like video. Supper clear. To be honest I had not expected such a great camera at such a low price.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

really great for special occation indoor and outdoor, easy to use, good capacity, great pic quality, love this camcorder

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

This is a really good product for starters, parents with kids. It's zoom is really nice. It has good indoor and outdoor shooting functions and picture quality is clear and crispy. The only one area where it could have been better is utility with Mac/ Apple products. The CD/ software is not compatible with Apple computers. Bettery life is reasonable. It gives about 2.5 hrs of recording with full charge which covers the recording time on internal memory.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

Delivers pretty amazing picture quality in a compact unit - easy-to-see LCD viewfinder makes framing a simple task. This unit lacks some of the more sophisticated features found on more expensive units, but it's a good compromise in features-vs-cost.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I use this for home movies and love it. This is an upgrade from standard def to HD and I have noticed three huge improvements from my last camcorder:1) Picture - clear, HD, zoom is a lot farther than any past camera2) image stabilization - This works wonders. My wife who is known for taping the feet or moving so much it will make you sea sick, and she taped with this camera and it looked good!3) Happy with the sound

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I have to rate this in comparison to the several Canon Vixia cameras I have been faithful to. When one died a week after the warranty expired I was upset and looked for an HD flash camera at less then half the price of the Canon camera. I read the reviews here and tossed the dice, hopeful it would be worth it. Well, I was at a wedding and discovered I was the only one there with a video camera and felt obliged to be a documentary guy. Later I followed my daughter in Saint Louis while she met up with old college roommates. There was a lot of walking video, dusk stuff, indoor hotel shots, elevators, and the footage is clear and colorful. Good dynamic audio. Crisp autofocus. Sharp wide-angle shots. This is a light-weight camera with 8GB of fast memory built in and great optics. Low light does work well. Image stabilization is over-the-top. Borrow one and see for yourself. Thnaks to BHPV for a great price and awesome (no fret) service.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I haven't utilized the product in our normal usage as of right now. I have set up the equipment and have determined that it is perfect for our needs. I was surprised at the size of the unit and was impressed with its capabilities so far.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I use this camera for special events, for animals and pets, and for landscaoes.

I like the size, ease of use and the quality.
Hard to beat for the price.
I also like the ability to add a screw on lens to protect the shutter. (something the newer models of this camera do not have)

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

Great size to travel.
Just a few button to use, and if you need more settings you can use the touch screen

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I bought this for my students to use in our broadcast journalism class. They love how easy it is to use.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I HAVE BEEN SHOOTING WITH CAMERAS AND MAKING FILMS AND MOVIES FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS, AND JUST NOW PURCHASED MY SONY DHR CX 160 SONY HANDYCAM WITH ACCESSORIES. I HAVE FILMED WITH MITCHELL CAMERAS, ARRIFLEX, AND AT LEAST SEVEN OR EIGHT OTHER MODELS BOTH FILM AND VIDEO TO INCLUDE BETA SP, Hi8, S-VHS,AND MANY BRANDS OF FILM CAMERAS, UTILIZING 35MM, 16MM, AND 8 MM FILM STOCKS.WITHIN HOURS OF RECEIVING MY CAMERA FROM B&H, I PUT IT THROUGH EVERY TEST I COULD DREAM UP. FIRST I USED NO LIGHTYS, THEN SOME LIGHTS, THEN OVERLY AMPLE LIGHTS. IT SEEMED THAT THE CAMERA CREATED LIGHT WHEN THERE WAS NONE.I JIGGLED THIS CAMERA, NOT MUCH LARGER THAN FOUR OF MY FINGERS, PANNED, TILTED, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOUR, AND I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE DISCOVERED A MIRACLE. USING ALL AUTOMATIC SETTINGS, I FOUND THE EXPOSURE LEVEL TO BE ONE HUNDRED PER CENT ACCURATE, THE MIC RECORDED PROFESSIONAL SOUND, THE STABILIZATION MADE THE SCENES' MOVEMENTS AS SMOOTH AS GLASS, THE WIDE ANGLE AND TELEPHOTO ATTACHMENTS LOOK AS GOOD AS THOUSANDS OF THE SHOTS I HAVE MADE WITH CAMERAS COSTING MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE. THE UN-EDITED AND UN-ENHANSED FOOTAGE USED TO CREATE A DVD OF ALL OF THE TESTS WAS REMARKABLY CLEAN AND HIGHER IN RESOLUTION THAN I HAD THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I NOW CAN LITTERALLY CARRY MY PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT IN MY POCKETS IN SHOOTING MY NEXT MOVIE.TED V. MIKELS

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Blue):

I did a lot of research, and for our casual usage, this camera is great! Out of the box it was simple to use, sleek, well constructed with a great user interface. The touch screen is big and very intuitive to use. The camera is very small and portable but of high quality construction.

I highly recommend this camera!

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I have owned this Camcorder since 11/2011 and have been very pleased with it. I shoot my son's football games during the day and even at mid day, the viewfinder is pretty good in direct sunlight and me wearing sunglasses. Low light shooting is pretty good for a 1/4" CMOS chip so I can't complain, expect some grainy video. There are two SteadyShot modes to choose from as well. Walking with it in hand and shooting still produces very stable videos.
Very light and easy to use, very little arm fatigue.
One tip: You can use your fingernails on the touchscreen instead of leaving fingerprints all over the screen.
The camcorder creats MTS files to the SD card and m2ts files on the internal memory because SD cards are not compatible with 4 character filenames. One can rename either file and both will work fine. I use PowerDirector10 with no problems.
I give it 5 stars because of how well it works at the price point.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

It is a really great camera if you want one not for professional use!

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I am a documentary filmmaker who purchased this camera for the subjects to use informaly, so they could provide some footage shot from their perspective. I wanted something simple to use, but that would generate progressive footage (not interlaced) because the main camera I am using is also 30p. I ended up returning this camera for two reasons, which pertain more to my specific needs for the documentary rather the uses an average user would require (since this camera is far from being professional or even pro-sumer):
1- the speaker of the camera has very low audio, making it difficult to review footage in-camera without connecting to a TV.
2- While the camera has a mic input, it does not have a hot or cold shoe adapter onto which one could hook a shotgun microphone. Also, there is no headphone jack, which is also a shame.
The footage, if shot at 60p (the only other option is 60i, which is unusable for my needs), if to be edited on a Mac (FInal Cut Studio, i.e.) needs to be converted using third-party software, which is also not the handiest. But I can live with that. The camera I purchased instead (Panasonic HC-V700) also shoots only 60p or 60i (ideal would be 30p or 24p), so I still have that issue. But the sensor on the Panasonic is larger, rendering better low-light images, and there is a coldshoe mount onto which I can hoot a small shotgun mic. No headphone output as well on the Panasonic.
So, I think this camera is just fine for birthday parties and shooting weekend picnics with the kids, but for my documentary needs it didn't suffice.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Blue):

I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT WHAT OTHER'S WROTE. BUT, HERE'S SOME OF MY REVIEW:

I AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THE VIDEO SECTION, BUT THE STILL PHOTO EVEN WITH ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION, IT'S NOT USABLE. I DON'T USE THE CAMERA PART UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE MACRO FEATURE??? IT'S AMAZINGLY CLEAR! YOU CAN SEE THE WEAVE PATTERN ON A CLOTH! IT'S LIKE A MICROSCOPE!! I'M IMPRESSED!

YES, TOO BAD IT DOESN'T HAVE A HEADPHONE JACK, MICROPHONE MOUNT (CAN'T HELP BECAUSE THE SIZE OF THE CAMCORDER...) AND A VERY SMALL INTERNAL SPEAKER (AGAIN THE SIZE OF THE CAMCORDER) IS THE CON FOR THIS CAMCORDER.

I'VE HAD IT FOR OVER A YEAR NOW AND IS WORKING FLAWLESS COMPARED TO THE "TAPE" VERSION I'VE HAD BEFORE. FINALLY THE TAPELESS CAMCORDER! RECORDING ONTO A SD MEMORY CARD OR THE ON BOARD FLASH MEMORY IS GREAT! NO MORE HEAD TO CLEAN, BAD TAPE, REPLACING THE HEAD, ETC. EVERYTHING CAN BE TRANSFERRED ONTO A DVD MEDIA.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I really enjoy this unit. Shoots well. Small enough that you can fit it in your coat pocket.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

Good quality image.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

We got this camcorder to replace our old mini dv Sony from 13 years ago. It is small, fits in the palm of your hand. Our son loves posting to youtube, and this fits the bill. There is a mic input so he can still use his headset mic.
The only gripe I have is with the Sony software - it doesn't allow you to edit. We downloaded a different utility to edit videos, so now no problems.
Works very well indoors, no lighting problems, and audio is nice and clear using built-in mic.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I was looking for a camcorder to supplement my more expensive Sony for "everyday use". This worked perfectly. I was already familiar with their video format and their "PMB" program so no issues there. However, This camera does not charge well through the USB, so I use a seperate charger for the battery. Zoom is misleading because it starts out wider than the other Sony's I have. End zoom is about equal to the 12x (optical) / 24x (enhanced) of other models.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I took it out of the box and instantly I am taking profesional like video. Supper clear. To be honest I had not expected such a great camera at such a low price.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

really great for special occation indoor and outdoor, easy to use, good capacity, great pic quality, love this camcorder

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

This is a really good product for starters, parents with kids. It's zoom is really nice. It has good indoor and outdoor shooting functions and picture quality is clear and crispy. The only one area where it could have been better is utility with Mac/ Apple products. The CD/ software is not compatible with Apple computers. Bettery life is reasonable. It gives about 2.5 hrs of recording with full charge which covers the recording time on internal memory.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

Delivers pretty amazing picture quality in a compact unit - easy-to-see LCD viewfinder makes framing a simple task. This unit lacks some of the more sophisticated features found on more expensive units, but it's a good compromise in features-vs-cost.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I use this for home movies and love it. This is an upgrade from standard def to HD and I have noticed three huge improvements from my last camcorder:1) Picture - clear, HD, zoom is a lot farther than any past camera2) image stabilization - This works wonders. My wife who is known for taping the feet or moving so much it will make you sea sick, and she taped with this camera and it looked good!3) Happy with the sound

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I have to rate this in comparison to the several Canon Vixia cameras I have been faithful to. When one died a week after the warranty expired I was upset and looked for an HD flash camera at less then half the price of the Canon camera. I read the reviews here and tossed the dice, hopeful it would be worth it. Well, I was at a wedding and discovered I was the only one there with a video camera and felt obliged to be a documentary guy. Later I followed my daughter in Saint Louis while she met up with old college roommates. There was a lot of walking video, dusk stuff, indoor hotel shots, elevators, and the footage is clear and colorful. Good dynamic audio. Crisp autofocus. Sharp wide-angle shots. This is a light-weight camera with 8GB of fast memory built in and great optics. Low light does work well. Image stabilization is over-the-top. Borrow one and see for yourself. Thnaks to BHPV for a great price and awesome (no fret) service.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I haven't utilized the product in our normal usage as of right now. I have set up the equipment and have determined that it is perfect for our needs. I was surprised at the size of the unit and was impressed with its capabilities so far.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I use this camera for special events, for animals and pets, and for landscaoes.

I like the size, ease of use and the quality.
Hard to beat for the price.
I also like the ability to add a screw on lens to protect the shutter. (something the newer models of this camera do not have)

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

Great size to travel.
Just a few button to use, and if you need more settings you can use the touch screen

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I bought this for my students to use in our broadcast journalism class. They love how easy it is to use.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I HAVE BEEN SHOOTING WITH CAMERAS AND MAKING FILMS AND MOVIES FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS, AND JUST NOW PURCHASED MY SONY DHR CX 160 SONY HANDYCAM WITH ACCESSORIES. I HAVE FILMED WITH MITCHELL CAMERAS, ARRIFLEX, AND AT LEAST SEVEN OR EIGHT OTHER MODELS BOTH FILM AND VIDEO TO INCLUDE BETA SP, Hi8, S-VHS,AND MANY BRANDS OF FILM CAMERAS, UTILIZING 35MM, 16MM, AND 8 MM FILM STOCKS.WITHIN HOURS OF RECEIVING MY CAMERA FROM B&H, I PUT IT THROUGH EVERY TEST I COULD DREAM UP. FIRST I USED NO LIGHTYS, THEN SOME LIGHTS, THEN OVERLY AMPLE LIGHTS. IT SEEMED THAT THE CAMERA CREATED LIGHT WHEN THERE WAS NONE.I JIGGLED THIS CAMERA, NOT MUCH LARGER THAN FOUR OF MY FINGERS, PANNED, TILTED, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOUR, AND I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE DISCOVERED A MIRACLE. USING ALL AUTOMATIC SETTINGS, I FOUND THE EXPOSURE LEVEL TO BE ONE HUNDRED PER CENT ACCURATE, THE MIC RECORDED PROFESSIONAL SOUND, THE STABILIZATION MADE THE SCENES' MOVEMENTS AS SMOOTH AS GLASS, THE WIDE ANGLE AND TELEPHOTO ATTACHMENTS LOOK AS GOOD AS THOUSANDS OF THE SHOTS I HAVE MADE WITH CAMERAS COSTING MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE. THE UN-EDITED AND UN-ENHANSED FOOTAGE USED TO CREATE A DVD OF ALL OF THE TESTS WAS REMARKABLY CLEAN AND HIGHER IN RESOLUTION THAN I HAD THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I NOW CAN LITTERALLY CARRY MY PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT IN MY POCKETS IN SHOOTING MY NEXT MOVIE.TED V. MIKELS

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Blue):

I did a lot of research, and for our casual usage, this camera is great! Out of the box it was simple to use, sleek, well constructed with a great user interface. The touch screen is big and very intuitive to use. The camera is very small and portable but of high quality construction.

I highly recommend this camera!

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I have owned this Camcorder since 11/2011 and have been very pleased with it. I shoot my son's football games during the day and even at mid day, the viewfinder is pretty good in direct sunlight and me wearing sunglasses. Low light shooting is pretty good for a 1/4" CMOS chip so I can't complain, expect some grainy video. There are two SteadyShot modes to choose from as well. Walking with it in hand and shooting still produces very stable videos.
Very light and easy to use, very little arm fatigue.
One tip: You can use your fingernails on the touchscreen instead of leaving fingerprints all over the screen.
The camcorder creats MTS files to the SD card and m2ts files on the internal memory because SD cards are not compatible with 4 character filenames. One can rename either file and both will work fine. I use PowerDirector10 with no problems.
I give it 5 stars because of how well it works at the price point.

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

It is a really great camera if you want one not for professional use!

Comments about HDR-CX160 HD Flash Memory Camcorder (Black):

I am a documentary filmmaker who purchased this camera for the subjects to use informaly, so they could provide some footage shot from their perspective. I wanted something simple to use, but that would generate progressive footage (not interlaced) because the main camera I am using is also 30p. I ended up returning this camera for two reasons, which pertain more to my specific needs for the documentary rather the uses an average user would require (since this camera is far from being professional or even pro-sumer):
1- the speaker of the camera has very low audio, making it difficult to review footage in-camera without connecting to a TV.
2- While the camera has a mic input, it does not have a hot or cold shoe adapter onto which one could hook a shotgun microphone. Also, there is no headphone jack, which is also a shame.
The footage, if shot at 60p (the only other option is 60i, which is unusable for my needs), if to be edited on a Mac (FInal Cut Studio, i.e.) needs to be converted using third-party software, which is also not the handiest. But I can live with that. The camera I purchased instead (Panasonic HC-V700) also shoots only 60p or 60i (ideal would be 30p or 24p), so I still have that issue. But the sensor on the Panasonic is larger, rendering better low-light images, and there is a coldshoe mount onto which I can hoot a small shotgun mic. No headphone output as well on the Panasonic.
So, I think this camera is just fine for birthday parties and shooting weekend picnics with the kids, but for my documentary needs it didn't suffice.