Sony HDR-HC9 6MP MiniDV High Definition Handycam Camcorder 10x Optical Zoom

Had a heck of a time getting the film into my Mac, & I do this 4 a living, so it shouldn't have been this hard, but once I got that figured out (put the tapes into a stand-alone deck) everything else came up roses. Great picture quality. Not bad audio. I can attach a wireless lavaliere microphone, which works pretty good. Would be nice 2 be able 2 control the audio in levels of the mic. I've only dinked around with the camera so far, but I'm about 2 take it 2 India on a shoot, where it will be my backup camera, & kick around town camera. Will post again if anything significant emerges from that shoot. So far, I'd say it's a great little rig.

I like this a lot. Maybe it's just because it's my first HD camcorder, but I do a lot of video editing & dvd burning of youth sports videos (for my kids teams) & this is the first camcorder (including borrowed from other parents) that I've been able 2 actually get really good quality DVDs burned. Old VHS-C, Hi-8 & other DV camcorders (including hard drive & mini-dv) always look fine on my tv when plugged in directly from camcorder 2 tv, but once all the compression & burning & whatever is done & it's on DVD it never plays nearly as good. I know I'm converting the HD tapes into DV 2 burn but the end-result has been a much better quality DVD than the mini-DV tapes on DVD.

I like pretty much everything about this camcorder, especially all of the outputs & the placements & ease of the the battery, but the zoom is the one thing that I wish would feel a little better. It's hard 4 me with my big hands & fingers 2 do a nice, slow zoom in & out during a shot. I touch it a little & it doesn't really move, than I add a little too much pressure & it zooms in too far, too quickly. I think I'm getting a little better at it though, it just takes a bit more caution 4 me. Also, though it's not a big deal, I wish the eye-piece rotated up like my old hi-8 handicam does. I haven't tried taking pictures yet but I'm not that picky & I'm sure it's going 2 be just fine 4 me. As 4 battery time, it seems pretty typical 2 me, as far as the batteries that always come with the camcorders go. I always like 2 have two batteries so I'm covered anyway. I also prefer 2 shoot thru the eyepiece not looking at the LCD so that saves a ton of battery power.

I picked up this camera back in March 2008 4 a one day Amazon sale of only $[...]. Amazing price! The detailed reviews are spot on. Video is stunning 2 say the least. I firmly believe that HDV is THE way 2 go still 4 many reasons. Highest bit rate of all HD Camcorders, The tapes are CHEAP these days & you can use regular tapes just fine, no need 4 any expensive HD tapes. An 8 pack of DV tapes can be had 4 less than $[...] at Costco or Sams club. Tapes are easy 2 archive as well. They will last forever if you take care of them. If you have a hard drive based camcorder or flash based & you run out of room on your vacation in the middle of nowhere, your out of luck. The flash chips are expensive & editing software still hasn't caught up or on 2 either hard drive or flash based cameras. This camera worked perfectly with iMovie HD 4 editing. You can now burn a Blu-Ray Video disc on a regular DVD using Toast 9 & playback on your PS3. This means you can get up 2 9GB of 1080i video data on regular DL DVD. Of course you can also downrez 2 480P if you wish & burn 2 regular DVD 2 send 2 the grandparents. I wish it had a 25X optical as the 10X seems a little weak.

Here is my one major complaint about this camera. No analog passthrough! The only connections 2 this camera 4 input are digital. That means if you wanted 2 use this camera 2 passthrough any old VHS tapes so you could edit & burn 2 dvd on your computer your out of luck. I wish I had known this before I sold my old regular Sony DV camcorder. Other than that one problem this is a great camera. The build quality is solid, it doesn't feel cheap in your hands & the controls (at least 4 me as I have had 3 Sony camcorders now) are easy 2 learn & simple 2 use. Very highly recommended.

I love this camera! The image is good quality & the colors are vivid. I would recomended!! The only thing is that the battery doesnt last long, only about 1 hour so I would recommend a second battery but they are expensive.

Justin Paxton's review is right on the money. I couldn't have done better. If you want a miniDV tape format camera (for all the right reasons such as image quality, editing capability, shelf storage) then read his review carefully. I also agree, that this camera needs a 20x-25x optical zoom lens. I've been holding out until such a camera comes on the market at this price range. A 10x is basically useless 2 me.

The HDR-HC9 miniDV HD Handycam(R) Camcorder delivers high definition quality & versatility with a professional grade Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens, 10x optical zoom & 20x digital zoom, & a 3.2-Megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor 4 stunning video & 6.1-Megapixel still images. Use the Dual Record Mode 2 capture still images & video at the same time, while Super SteadyShot(R) optical image stabilization helps ensure clear images. Sony's ClearVid CMOS Sensor provides stunning detail & clarity with video performance up 2 1080 lines of horizontal resolution in HD format, or 530 lines of horizontal resolution in SD format. Unlike traditional CCD Imagers, CMOS Sensors require less power, providing improved battery performance. The optical zoom helps 2 bring the action close up from far away. The 2.7" Wide (16:9) LCD display rotates up 2 270 degrees 4 multiple viewing angles, as well as provides sharp, detailed images 4 monitoring or playback. Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lenses use highly advanced optics 2 deliver vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation, & perfect renditions of subtle tones. Filter Diameter - 37 Focal Distance - 37mm Shutter Speed - Auto, 1/2 - 1/500 (Scene Selection Mode) Minimum Illumination - 5 lux (Auto Slow Shutter ON, 1/30 Shutter Speed) Video Signal System - NTSC color, EIA standards Formats Supported - HDV (MPEG2) & DV (AVI) HDMI Connection Output Memory Stick PRO Media Compatibility - Tested 2 support up 2 8GB media capacity; does not support high speed transfer function; does not support Access Control security function. Format(s) Supported - HDV (MPEG2) / DV (AVI); Video Signal System - NTSC color, EIA standards Up 2 1440x1080 video res