A Wonderful Camera

I am very happy with the new camcorder. Buy one. I had first ordered a Panasonic VDR-D300 Mini DVD camcorder. It used the small DVDs and only stored 18 minutes on each one. Reading the manual told me I did not want that camera, so I returned it for Amazon (I love their service) and purchased the Sony-SR100

I took practice shots outside and inside, zoomed in and out, took close ups of flowers both in wide angle where you can get to 1/2 inch away and telephoto that you must be 2 feet away. Everything was always in perfect focus.

Each scene shows up on the LCD as a thumbnail. You can play time all or anyone of them, you can play the last scene instantly after you take it and delete if you want. You can make a play list by selecting only those scenes you want to play, and if you want you can rearrange the scenes in any order you want. Still pictures also are shown as thumbnails. You select which one you want to see.

This is all done on the LCD screen, which is a touch screen.

I then plugged into my 60 inch TV and played the pictures. They were crystal clear. MUCH better than those still pictures I took in Africa with my 6 Mega pixel Minolta. Those look good on computer, or printed, but not so hot on TV.

I then plugged the camera into laptop and made a DVD of all the scenes on the hard drive without loading them into the computer first. I then played the DVD on the TV and it was the same as when directly from the camera

I then imported all the images camcorder hard drive into the computer and edited them. You can delete or edit them as you wish. Each scene shows as a thumbnail and you can play each one. You can also cut out frames or a group of frames.

Great camera and easy to use. I figured out all of the above in about an hour.
If a person does not wish to edit, then you just point and shoot and put all the unedited pictures on a DVD and that is it.

The 30 gig hard drive will hold 7 hours of pictures, so that is more than enough for a long trip. I have two lithium batteries that each last about 120 minutes. They recharge in two hours. As you take pictures the readout is always showing you how much time you have left on the battery.

I am sure on my travels I will be taking mostly video and also still pictures with my 6 megapixle camera but a lot less of those than before.

This camera also takes still pictures and it also has a flash. They seem to be good quality when viewed on the TV.

For pictures when it is very dark, it has an infrared light. I have not tested that.

This is an amazing product, and I find dealing with Amazon to be the best. I had one price for this camera $300 less, but when I tried to buy it, they called and asked if I wanted the parts other than the body. They tried to offer it to me complete for $100 less then Amazon, but after that sad experience, I did not want to do business with them.

Sony DCR-SR100 3MP 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom $809.99
From: Sony
The Sony DCR-SR100 30GB HandyCam Camcorder saves you time, money and space by recording stills and videos internally. Its built-in 30GB hard drive stores all your imaging - connect the camcorder to any PictBridge-enabled printer and print out your 3.0 MegaPixel stills instantly. Your home movies come to life with 5.1 channel sound recording, while the large 2.7" LCD screen lets you monitor or playback stills or video. You can even preview in 16:9 mode. The Progresive Shutter System gives you progressive-scan performance for excellent definition, while the Super SteadyShot(R) and Super NightShot(R) features help you take shake-free shots & video that look great in the lowest light. On-screen navigation makes using the DCR-SR100 a snap, and the Active Interface Shoe lets you connect optional accessories for all your video needs. Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens Super SteadyShot(R) picture stabilization Super NightShot(R) Infrared Progressive Shutter System Shutter Speeds - Auto, 1/2-1/4000 sec. (AE Mode) Focal Distance - 5.1 - 51mm Filter Diameter - 30mm Touch Panel Exposure Full Range Auto and Manual Focus Multiple picture and fader effects Programmed Auto Exposure modes - Beach & Ski, Landscape, Portrait, Sports Lesson, Spotlight, Sunset & Moon On-screen zoom & record buttons Built-in 5.1 channel microphone Active Interface Shoe USB 2.0 PictBridge compatible S-Video in/out (optional) Operating Systems - Windows 2000 Pro, XP Home and Pro Battery - InfoLithium(R) with AccuPower(TM) Meter System Dimensions - 3-1/6 x 2-7/8 x 5-13/15 (80.5 x 68.5 x 149 mm) Weight - 1 lb, 6 oz. (615 g) with tape & battery

From the Manufacturer:
The compact Sony DCR-SR100 30 GB Handycam Camcorder represents a breakthrough in digital home recording. With a 30 gigabyte hard disk drive that stores hours of video and hundreds of high-quality stills, a 10x optical/120x digital zoom, a built-in microphone that allows you to record in Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound, and many other features you'd only expect to find in the hands of professionals, Sony's DCR-SR100 will turn your home videos into instant classics ready for the big screen.

A USB 2.0 interface provides easy connection to a computer for video and still-image transfer.

An Amazing 30 Gigabytes of Storage
With the Sony DCR-SR100, your worries about storage capacity are over. Featuring an unbelievable 30 gigabyte hard disk drive, this camcorder can store up to 440 minutes of high quality video, and an amazing 1250 minutes (that's over 20 hours) of video in long play mode. That's practically your whole vacation! If you want to take digital stills, you can capture images up to 2016 x 1512 resolution directly onto your hard drive for easy transfer to your PC. Simply connect you camcorder to a PictBridge-enabled printer and print your 3.0-megapixel stills instantly. A USB 2.0 interface provides an easy way to connect your camcorder to your computer for fast transfer of video and still images to your computer for editing. You can also use the camcorder as an external storage device, for convenient archiving, storing, and transporting of your videos and still images.

High-quality Zeiss optics ensure you'll get the most from SR100's 3.0-megapixel CCD and 10x optical zoom.

High-Quality Optics and Easy-to-Use Features
At the heart to the DCR-SR100 is a 3.0-megapixel, 1/3-inch advanced Hole Accumulation Diode (HAD) CCD with a total of 2048 megapixels. Add to this the camcorder's professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lenses with advanced optical multi-layer coating, and the result will be some of the finest video performance you'll find in any camcorder device. The multi-coated lenses mean that your videos won't suffer from unwanted glare and flare that lesser quality optics give you. Sony has also added an advanced version of its SteadyShot system that controls an even higher range of shake and vibration frequencies, so that you can achieve increased smoothness in your shots without unwanted video degradation. The overall results of these features are vivid and brilliant images and video with true-to-life color saturation and tones.

All these professional-level features, however, don't mean that you need to have an advanced degree to operate the DCR-SR100. Not by a long shot. The camcorder features zoom and record buttons directly on the frame of the LCD screen. The locations of the buttons gives you more flexibility and a higher level of convenience when you're holding the camcorder, especially during overhead or low-angle shots. The 1200x total zoom means that you can keep your distance as you archive up-close and personal shots. One-touch wide-angle shooting gives you single-button convenience when you want to switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios for shooting. The camcorder's manual focus allows you to adjust the focus via the touchpanel, giving you greater control over situations where either the environment or the subject does not allow the camcorder's autofocus to perform optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.

With Sony's NightShot infrared system, you also have the ability to capture video in total darkness (0 Lux) up to 10 feet away. Super NightShot recording mode automatically adjusts the shutter speed to increase picture brightness and clarity. The camcorder's Color Slow Shutter mode allows you to record in low light situations with full-color detail by slowing down the shutter speed. And, of course, for the easiest and most convenient recording, the DCR-SR100 also features several auto-exposure modes, such as beach and ski, landscape portrait, sunset and moon, sports, and much more. Just choose a mode and begin shooting. It couldn't be any easier.

A 2.7-inch LCD highlights the SR-100's ultracompact size.

Surround Sound Recording for a Big Theater Experience
With Dolby Digital 5.1-channel recording, the DCR-SR100 will record in surround sound via its built-in microphone. By recording in 5.1-channel surround sound, you can experience your home movies with active sounds coming from all directions, just as if you were at the movies.

The camcorder's 2.7-inch LCD display screen provides excellent viewing clarity for when its time to review your video. The high-resolution 123 kilobyte pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles and provides sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback. The display's widescreen format makes shooting in 16:9 mode and composing shots even easier. And at a mere 22 ounces with the battery, and measuring 3.16 by 2.87 by 5.86 inches (H x W x L), the DCR-SR100 is ready to go wherever your filming takes you.