Sony DCR-DVD910 - Camcorder DVD Handycam

Comments about Sony DCR-DVD910 DVD Handycam Camcorder:

I am a sports videographer with CtSportsTv[@] I needed the ability to instantly distribute video assets to the athletes, coaches and for uploading to YouTube. I wanted the AG-HMC70U Shoulder Mounted Camcorder, but my wife is on the verge of turning me into a eunuch. I also purchased a 30mm 2.0x Telephoto Conversion Lens and a Shotgun Microphone from Sony.I record mainly to the memory stick, the DVD feature is only used for in the field distribution to athletes or coaches and I have not had any complaints. The direct to digital recording shaves atleast four hours off my post production work load. The Standard Def quality is not a major problem because 90 percent of my work is for the web.The zoom is quick and cramped. I have to mount the camera on a monopod because it is so lite and I am used to a little weight. For what I do the trade off is well worth it. Disposable digital media, it's what I do.

Comments about Sony DCR-DVD910 DVD Handycam Camcorder:

Upside - We use this camcorder for family recordings. For the price, it rocks! It absolutely blows our old HI-8 out of the water with the DVD quality recording and the larger 1/5" CMOS sensor has better definition and color saturation than another Sony DVD camcorder we have used with a 1/8" sensor. We have a 52" LCD and a BD player that upconverts the recordings. It looks awesome in wide screen mode. Not as good as BD, but still extremely good for DVD quality. We have only been recording in SP mode on DVD-RW. No pixelation with fast motion, no lost recordings, never a problem with finalizing on a full disk. In typical well-lit inside and outside recording (even cloudy days are very good), this camera is absolutely the best bang for the buck! Color saturation is great and the CMOS sensor really picks up every detail. The optical zoom is more than sufficient at 15X. The digital zoom is just rediculously crummy and all manufacturers should just stop wasting their time putting it on any of the machines.

The finalized disk never gives us any trouble playing back on other manufacturers (Panasonic and Samsung so far) DVD players. I cannot speak to the recording on a memory stick as we have not played with that feature yet. Also, have not used the editing features on the camcorder yet. I expect to do most of my editing on the computer anyway.

Controls - Zoom controls are within easy reach of my finger and the on-screen controls are fairly intuitive. Read the manual and make it easier on yourself. It is an easy read.

Sound - 5.1 channel surround rocks! The sounds coming from behind the camera are reproduced precisely in the rear channels on our home theater. This is one feature Sony definitely nailed!

Video Downside - this camera is not great in low light. Very poor quality even in SP mode. If you will be recording in low-light situations often, look at another machine as you will definitely be disappointed with this one. I do not use "nightshot" because I don't like green-colored recordings.

Sound Downside - Wind is very problematic with the built-in microphone. Adding an external mic with windscreen would fix it, but using an external mic limits you to 2-channel stereo and no 5.1 surround. I love the surround capability so I will figure out how to affix a windscreen over the built-in mic.

Comments about Sony DCR-DVD910 DVD Handycam Camcorder:

I produce amateur short length movies and this camera is perfect for it. Great quality and the sharpness of the images are two of the most amazing features. Being able to finalize the DVDs and watch them on TV or PC easily is also great. Converting the video to editable video formats on pc is a bit problem but not the end of the world.

Comments about Sony DCR-DVD910 DVD Handycam Camcorder:

some of the software does not work with xp service pack 3 and sony tech. was no help, but camera works great