Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom (Black)

Comments

1. Jason says:

   September 19, 2010 at 12:12 AM

   Review by Jason for Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   I have used various kinds of camcorders over the years, VHS, mini-dv, dv, never flash.

   The major reason I wanted this camera was because of the amazing ability to record video, and take it off your camera, being able to use it, right then, no editing, no having to capture the video using premiere or final cut, just boom, plug in camera, instantly watchable video.

   If your an amateur filmmaker (or aspiring) this is HUGE. You do not need to worry about tape. The flash card will NOT get damaged and eventually need to be replace. Film is now “free” meaning you can shoot what you want, whenever, all day, and not have to worry about the “cost”. This alone makes this camera very valuable. The fact that it uses open formats such as h.264 and mp4, ensures 20 years from now, you will have no problem opening and playing the videos this camera produces (unlike other cameras which capture in formats other than open formats).

   This camera does do that. You shoot your video (which is so very easy) and it saves each file as a h.264 compressed mp4. This file will play on many different devices, and you can take that mp4 and put it on dvd, post it on the web, whatever, the possibilities are endless. The audio mic does a great job, it has a wind mic feature which solves some of the problems from using the camera outside in the wind.

   It has an anti shake feature (image stabilization) so the video appears more steady. Overall this is a very good camera, and I’m happy with it. There is however, a few flaws, one of them (for me) is very major. I got this camera so I could do some fun things with it, without having to spend countless hours editing the footage, making it better.

   I do some 3d animation, occasional acting, and give lectures. One thing I was looking forward to was setting up the camcorder, and reading lines, and or acting. Hooking up the camera, and seeing the video, taking notes on what I need to improve on, to become better. You can do this (maybe I’m just vain) but to do this, you need to shoot in 4:3 mode, or the new YouTube mode. If your a singer and you want to capture your performance, it could not be easier than with this camera. Everything is perfect, pre-formatted, and ready for the web. The “problem” is you cannot do ANY of this in widescreen. The camera forgets to set the 16×9 flag, and as such your video comes out squished. (when shooting in “non 16×9 mode” everything works as it should, the video is fantastic, and works out of the box the way it should, simple solution, use 4:3, or import your footage in another program and export it back out corrected (which you will likely do anyway for anything important, such as color correction, adding titles, creating fun transitions, etc))

   I have a mac, and as such, this cameras software is not compatible with it (says so on the box, I’m not complaining). When I import the video footage into iMovie, it recognizes the video should be widescreen and fixes it. This is still quicker than shooting on mini-dv, but it is an additional step. Maybe the software included will do that on windows, but I cannot say for certain (I also had problems importing the video into Adobe Premiere CS3)

   Lets go over what I call, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

   The Good:

   -This camera looks like a camera.

   -It is very stylish, and looks stunning in real life.

   -It is very small, you can keep it in your pocket, carry it in your car, throw it in a bag, the possibilities are endless (it is very discreet)

   -3 hour long battery life, wow, just wow.

   -Shoots to SD card opposed to mini-dv (you do not loose much if any real quality, and you gain so much more as discussed above)

   -Manual ability to close the lens cover (some people are complaining about it, but since I had a camera that automatically did it which had a malfunction and no longer works, I highly enjoy doing it manually)

   -Quality (as with everything on this camera) is very high.

   -You get a nice bag to put the camera in (it is more a pouch, which protects it from dust, and lets you carry it by the handles)

   -The grip swivels so you can hold the camera in different ways.

   -The LCD swivels, you can view yourself on camera while capturing video, and you can flip it and reverse it to see the video on the camera (opposed to leaving it open)

   The Bad.

   -The Manual comes on PDF (this is not bad for me, as it is environmentally friendly, but for people who like to read the book before messing with the camera, will need to print it out)

   -Does not include software for the mac (though this could be considered a pro (one less thing to install and learn), as we have imovie, and it is more than capable of working with this camera, that makes this a non issue, just listing it)

   The Ugly

   Widescreen mode does not work the way it should. And this is HUGE.

   Unfortunately for this camera, today, youtube now runs in widescreen. This camera is set to do everything in full screen (for youtube), and the widescreen flag is never set when your shooting in widescreen mode. As I mentioned above, you can fix this, but it does not work out of the box.

   I’m hoping this gets fixed with a firmware upgrade (none has been made yet) if enough people complain about it, I’m sure they will fix it.

   Another great feature is one I saved for last. This goes back to those who would like to be filmmakers, and for those who would love to make professional quality videos.

   I’m a photographer, and one of the most important things you learn in photography, is how to composite your images in interesting ways. One of the most important and powerful ways is the rule of thirds. This is the one key, the one element, that can change your images (or video) from rank amateur, to high end amateur or pro.

   With this camcorder, samsung (much to everyone’s surprise) includes this amazing feature I see no-one here talking about, called grid mode. In it it sets up the lcd and shows a visual diagram in the form of a grid (think horizontal tic tac toe board). you can position your subject into those grids using the rule of thirds (upper right grid, lower left, upper left, lower right, just not in the middle). This makes everything you shoot, look professional and high end, without even thinking about it.

   This is huge. My mom can use this camera due to its simplicity, and after I explained to her the rule of thirds, even she can make fantastic amazing looking video. I already bought one of these for her, and my grandparents. This is a truly amazing camera.

   The only reason it does not get 5 stars from me, is the widescreen issue. If this gets fixed during a firmware upgrade, they get a 5.

   Out of all the cameras in this price range, this should be a no-brainer, don’t even think about checking the others out.
2. B. Levine says:

   September 19, 2010 at 12:14 AM

   Review by B. Levine for Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   I won’t dwell upon the little things missing from such an inexpensive camcorder (viewfinder, for one). You expect to sacrifice some details when you strip a camcorder down to its bare essentials and sell it cheap (well, not really cheap but inexpensive).

   While you won’t get DV quality video, you will get acceptable quality as long as you understand that you’re shooting in a highly compressed H264. Editing your footage on your Mac is virtually impossible unless you convert it all to DV and edit it in iMovieHD (or use that iMovie’08 abomination). Personally, I use MPEG Streamclip to convert to DV, drop those conversions into iMovieHD, do my editing, and convert the “reference movie” using MPEG Streamclip so I get a nice H264 for my iPod or AppleTV.

   I would have given this camcorder 4 stars but there is a flaw in the firmware that neglects to give any of the better quality settings (the 16:9 footage that’s better than the “YouTube” quality) the “16:9 flag” setting. So what you get is footage that’s squished narrow because all the players and editing apps see this video as 4:3. (QT Player and VLC on both Macs and PCs see this problem.) As I mentioned above, I use MPEG Streamclip (it’s free) to correct this problem when I export to DV – I set the 16:9 flag there. This problem with the camcorder is, frankly, inexcusable and shows that at least one engineer was asleep at the switch.

   If this problem were fixed (a firmware update, perhaps?), I’d go back to a 4-star rating. How could it get 5 stars? Give me an external microphone port.

   REVISING MY RATING: SAMSUNG HAS ADDED CIRCUITRY TO THE MX20 THAT DISABLES THE CAMCORDER AFTER 30 SECONDS IF IT DETECTS AN AFTERMARKET BATTERY. SEND A COMPLAINING EMAIL TO SAMSUNG AT THEIR WEBSITE. (Use the “contact us” link at their website).
3. R. Russ says:

   September 19, 2010 at 12:43 AM

   Review by R. Russ for Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   I now love this camcorder, its light, easy to use and the video after being converted on my computer with the right software makes the quality wide screen and crystal clear. First the software that comes with it is called Cyberlink Mediashow and it seems pretty sweet but it won’t allow a 16:9 aspect ratio even when selected. I went through Samsung’s tech support through their level 2 guys who were stumped and I found free software at download.com, “Free Video Converter v 1.3 which updates automatically after installing to v1.4″ and by selecting avi with Xvid 624×352 with 16:9, I got wide screen and great quality, I could have chosen up to 1920×1080 but on my 43″ plasma 624×352 is sweet. I’ve got my 8 and 11 year olds using this camera like pro’s and the videos are worth much more than the camera cost.
   
   Hopefully Cyberlink Mediashow will come up with a patch for their software as it has the potential to be great if they would just fix the aspect ratio issue.

   GREAT NEWS as of Nov 24, 2008 the patch for Mediashow has been released and it fixes the problem with the wide screen, kudos to Cyberlink for the quick fix.
4. Ellen says:

   September 19, 2010 at 1:06 AM

   Review by Ellen for Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   This is a great little camera. Took a video, connected to my laptop, which looked at the camcorder as a USB storage device, opened it in a new window and just copied the MP4 to my desktop. I can play it as an MP4 from my desktop, but I opened Adobe Premier Elements and changed it to a Quicktime video (conversion took about a minute) which I can email to friends. I had no problem with video lag and I am wondering if the other reviewer may have inadvertantly put the camera in its time-lapse mode. I would say that the video is comparable to my Sony Handycam (for which I spent considerably more).
5. Eagle Vision says:

   September 19, 2010 at 1:23 AM

   Review by Eagle Vision for Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   There is a market for simplicity of design and this camera caters to that crowd. If you are a user that would like to just turn on the camera and start taking movies, this camcorder will make a happy consumer. This first generation of Flash memory camcorders is a nice step for allowing users to interchange media between cameras and camcorders in a very portable form of media.

   The camera features a 2.7″ LCD screen, 34x optical zoom, a swivel handle and a rotating LCD screen. This particular model operates utilizing a SDHC (high capacity HD card) or MMC (multimedia card) plus. A flexible option is to record in 16:9 widescreen or 4:3 standard options.

   WHAT IS IN THE BOX?

   AC power adaptor
   
   Audio/video cable
   
   USB cable
   
   Software CD (Cyberlink Media Show)
   
   User manual CD, quick start guide (hard copy)
   
   Cloth pouch (for the carrying case)

   Unfortunately, to read the manual in detail, you have to load the disk and access the PDF on computer. A quick start guide gets you up and running very easily so you don’t really need to read the manual given the simplicity of the camera. But the manual decodes some of the subtle features.

   THE SOFTWARE

   The software is a simple product with limited capabilities. Fine tuning allows brightness, contrast, color saturation, and white balance. You can trim out sections of a video clip for deletion or extract an interval of the video. Additionally there are general fixes for a shaky video, background noise and fixing lighting. The video can also be rotated. You can add annotations but no music or sound to existing video clips.

   The software’s system requirements are below:

   RAM: 1 GB recommended
   
   3 GHZ Pentium 4
   
   OS: Windows Vista or XP
   
   RESOLUTION: 800×600
   
   MEDIA Supported: DVD+/RW or DVD-/RW

   DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION:

   My biggest requirement for a camera is a battery life indicator. You can see this when the unit is in video mode or if you hold the iCheck button down. While taking videos, I love seeing how much recording time I have left (hours,minutes,seconds) and approximately how much battery life I have left in minutes.

   The housing is hard plastic in a silver and blue combination. A switch operates the built-in lens cover. I find a built-in cover to be convenient since it is hard to keep track of something that can be easily taken off. A novel feature is the ability to rotate the handle with the built-in vinyl strap 180 degrees. The handle allows the user to record in almost any up-down angle. The most useful configuration is holding the camera like a pistol. You will not have to hold your camera up to your face (or on your shoulder) or have your elbow at a constant 90 degree angle (which is really hard for many people), like old camcorders had the user have to do.

   The LCD screen opens out and also swivels 180 degrees so you can film yourself talking. A tripod mount is in the underside of the unit and the unit does sit flat when set onto a counter – despite the fact that this is shaped like a bullet.

   A small door in the back of the unit contains ports for the A/V cable, USB cable and AC power supply. The underside of the unit contains a battery door with a slot next to the battery for a memory card.

   There are not too many buttons on this unit to simplify the operation. There is a record button, playback and video button, and an on-off switch in the back. The body houses only 3 buttons: an icheck button for the LCD display, LCD contrast button and an Easy button that makes this a point and shoot camcorder.

   On the LCD frame, there is a menu button, 4 way directional button with central enter button, and a record button.

   The top of the unit has a zoom/wide angle button. This button does not have fine control so it should be set and video should be taken at that setting. Otherwise the audience watching the video could get sick.

   Now, practically speaking the record button in the back of the unit is hard to access when your hand is in the strap. The button on the LCD frame is easier to access, but is more for 2 handed operation.

   There is a tiny speaker in the body of the camera that serves the purpose of just hearing sound. Quality of the audio playback from the camera is limited. A volume control toggle, fast forward, reverse, play and pause button are utilized with the 4 button directional keys, during playback.

   OPERATION:

   Before you can use this camera, you need an SDMC. There is no internal memory.

   It takes about 8 seconds from the time you push the power button to getting ready to take videos. The toggle switch for video and playback seamlessly allows the user to take video and quickly select the clip that he or she wants to review.

   Playback mode utilizes the directional keys to select the video clip of interest to review. The menu button during playback allows the user to have play options, delete clips, format the card, lock/protect a clip. With digital media, you don’t have to worry about rewinding or fast-forwarding as you would would Mini-DV, 8 mm or VHS.

   Taking videos is easy with the EasyQ button. Camera shake is activated, white balance, color, shutter speed, etc. are set. All you have to do is adjust your zoom and push record. This is the best feature for a simple person like myself who wants a foolproof method of capturing a moment in time.

   For more advanced users, turn off the EasyQ button and you can access the Menu. There are 10 iScene buttons for various situations: Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, Snow, Manual, High speed, Waterfall and Food. You can toggle Digital Zoom off (which I recommend since there is too much pixelation with digital zoom) – 34x is more than enough for many practical situations. Guide lines are available to frame your video in 3 modes: Off, Cross, Grid and Safety Zone. Resolution can be set for Superfine to Youtube mode.

   You can set the fader to on or off.

   Intervals for the length of a clip can be customized.

   Backlight for objects in front of a light source can be turned on and off.

   My favorite custom feature on this camera is the Digital Effect function where you can set Black and White, Sepia, Negative, Art, Emboss, Mosaic, Cosmetic, Pastel, and Stepprinting can be set for a more artsy touch.

   INTERFACE:

   The A/V cable allows me to connect to my Plasma using a RCA input. What you see on the LCD (good or bad) is the same image you get on the television. You can watch video clips or record while attached. The LCD flips out and inverts so you can have the camcorder shut with the LCD menu out to watch your videos. No remote is available with the unit which is a negative.

   PICTURE/SOUND QUALITY:

   My house has soft light and image quality under lower light conditions is grainy. High intensity light (Fluoresent) and outdoors gives better picture clarity through better color balance, intensity of brightness and less graininess. Candlelight darkness, renders this camera nonfunctional for good color picture quality. Low light for sepia and black and white is actually better for contrast.

   My perception of color saturation is that the camera does not handle lower light conditions well.

   A trial of video recording a TV commercial showed a slight graininess also but was also limited by a lag in the sound. The microphone seemed to capture video but there was a latency between the lips moving and sound output (equivalent to watching a dubbed movie, if you get my drift). Live recording of sound and video is more in sync and sound quality is very good, despite the compact size of this camera. It is quite robust.

   With faster motion, there is slight pixelation. Occassionally, the autofocus comes out of focus despite a more stationary video subject.

   The anti-shake features decreases motion slightly but does not minimize severe motion. The difference is barely perceptible. This is exacerbated when on 34x zoom. Practically speaking, you will need a monopod or small tripod to keep the motion down to a minimum.

   PRACTICAL MATTERS:

   Overall, its use is better as an outdoor camera than an indoor camera. Birthday party videos at home would be a limited application.

   This camera accepts SDHC cards by Panasonic, Toshiba, and SanDisk (if you’re buying this camera with memory cards, as you read this). A write speed of 2 megabytes per second is recommended for video. The card I used for this test is a Transcend SDHC 8 GB card that performs at 6 MB/Second.

   Transcend 8 GB SDHC SD Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

   I suggest the following to transfer video to your computer, instead of the USB cable:

   15-In-1 Memory Card Reader

   Charging can only be performed by plugging in the unit – as opposed to many digital cameras that have dedicated battery chargers. You need a spare battery. I ordered the following:

   Samsung BP85 Lithium Ion Battery for SC-HMX10,SC-HMX20 and SC-MX10

   PROS:

   Compact and light
   
   34x optical zoom
   
   Simplicity of design and operation
   
   One media between cameras and camcorders: Flash memory (SDHC) which can be interchanged with digital cameras
   
   Intuitive menu system
   
   Robust sound quality for a camera of this size
   
   Excellent battery life

   CONS:

   Limited by low light
   
   Negligible effect of the Anti-shake feature
   
   No still camera features, nor can you can extract a still from a video clip
   
   Average image quality but not quite the resolution attainable on Mini-DV
   
   Software not MAC compatible
   
   No internal flash memory

   VERDICT:

   Good entry level camera for a student or a person who wants a point and shoot camcorder.

   This is above average in performance for a person wanting a camera capable of uploading to Youtube.

   Great budget camcorder for analyzing your golf swing.

   Not recommended for a Prosumer, intermediate or advanced videographer – given the limitations in low light.

   For the price, simplicity and portability, this camera deserves 4 out of 5 stars for this category of camcorders. Two thumbs up!

   RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES:

   A real camera case instead of the drawstring sack.

   Backup battery when on the road.

   NOTE (I have both the SC-HMX20 and the SC-MX20):

   I also have the Samsung SC-HMX20 1080p HD camcorder/6.4 MP digital camera Samsung SC-HMX20C 8GB High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom with pop up flash and 8 MB of built-in RAM. It is an excellent camcorder, heavier in weight with excellent resolution – especially in lower light. If you want something for HD and low light, consider this camera (SC-HMX20). However, there is about a $400 price difference that may not be worth it to you.

   However, if you are a Youtube or other online video publisher, this SC-MX20 is a better option. It is lighter and more comfortable to take around trips to the park, picnics and the beach.

   UPDATE:

   This camera is so light and easy to handle that my 8 year old can use this camcorder without any problems. It is a great tool to help a child stimulate their imagination and make their own videos.

   This camera captures my golf swing very easily. It’s only drawback is the absence of a remote control. Otherwise, this would be a perfect item to use for analyzing the golf swing – for a training aid.
6. Derek A. Wade says:

   September 19, 2010 at 1:26 AM

   Review by Derek A. Wade for RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital Camcorder (White)
   Rating:
   I just got this baby and am actually kind of pleased with it. The video quality isn’t wonderful, but for a “webcam level” DVR I’m not surprised. (I AM surprised that my $200 12MP digital camera takes such lousy video.)

   I’ve noticed some complaints about this camera, and I can assure most of the complainers that the issue is your MEDIA, not the CAMERA. If you are not using a high speed microSD card you will probably have blur in still photos. I noticed this when working at Circuit City in the photo department a couple of years ago. The only cards we were allowed to use in the expensive cameras were cheap Sandisks, and the result was that we sold few of them because the $1300.00 cameras would take blurry photos. Once I convinced the manager to let me replace the Sandisks with a better quality card we started selling more of the high end cameras.

   Further, if your camera insists that you configure the card constantly, or your computer doesn’t immediately recognize the camera AND CARD when you plug it in, then your CARD is defective. Try it in another piece of electronics.

   As for this camera, it works surprisingly well and is idiot simple. There are five buttons on the back: On/Off, Play/Pause, Delete, Web Photo, and a big red Record. Around the record button are the controls for moving forward and back in the video list and FF/REW while playing, and for zooming in and out (digital only, unfortunately) while recording.

   There are two video modes: web quality (448X336) and high quality (640×480). Both of them give a decent picture.

   Web photo gives a surprisingly clear 1280×960 photo. There is no flash.

   It is actually slightly smaller than the still camera I use most often, a Samsung s860.

   There is a tripod mounting hole in the base of the camera.

   There are a few things I don’t care for:

   Sound levels are low. There is also no external microphone jack.

   Although this review is for the white version, I actually have the black (not available here on Amazon, hence this review). It has a high-gloss finish that holds fingerprints better than CSI equipment.

   AVI files produced are enormous.

   The packaging said it worked with HCSD cards OR microSD. It only works with microSD, which annoys me because those cards are about three times as expensive as they actually should be. (This is the main reason I give only four stars.) I happen to think EVERYTHING should have an SD card slot (Including the Kindle, Amazon, are you listening?)

   Digital zoom only (What’d you expect for $60?)

   That last line is actually rather important. This is a $60 camera that gets better quality than the webcam you probably bought for $45, but also allows you to take it with you and functions as a low end digital camera as well as a pocket sized camcorder. It’s not for the camera snob or the photography expert. It’s for the folks who want to shoot a few quick minutes of film with a limited depth of field. (I plan to use it for ghost hunting and shooting footage of football drills for YouTube.) As long as you understand its role it will perform well for you.
7. B. Rogers says:

   September 19, 2010 at 1:58 AM

   Review by B. Rogers for RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital Camcorder (White)
   Rating:
   We bought this for our 6 year old as a birthday present, he loves making movies with our regular digital camera. He got the camera 2 weeks ago and has already made 20 videos with it. Once we got the batteries in and showed him how to use it he hasn’t had any problems, nice size and simple controls. He likes the flip around screen so he can see himself while recording, now we just have to keep him out of his 2 year old brothers face with it.
8. Scott Hittle says:

   September 19, 2010 at 2:43 AM

   Review by Scott Hittle for RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital Camcorder (White)
   Rating:
   I gave this to my wife for her birthday and she really loves it. It is easy to use and takes decent quality video. It was really handy when we went on vacation. I am considering buying one for my daughter for christmas.
9. Dan J. Reed says:

   September 19, 2010 at 3:19 AM

   Review by Dan J. Reed for RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital Camcorder (White)
   Rating:
   Video quality is very sub-par. This is on a range with most camera phones. While its looks and design are nice, its quality of video is very poor. Very far from “DVD” quality.

   Pros –
   
   Uses plain old AA batteries
   
   Uses micro SDHC cards
   
   Easy USB interface
   
   Records in .AVI format (good for Windows, Bad for a Mac!)
   
   Flip out USB and screen.
   
   Screen is bright.
   
   TV/AV output (not HDMI)

   Cons –
   
   Crummy button response
   
   Crummy Quality (Grainy, fuzzy, dropped frames, jittery)
   
   Crummy Color
   
   No white balance control or settings, backgrounds get blown out.
   
   640×480 output. Audio 64Kbs bit rate – Video Bit rate about 42Kbs
   
   1:30 sec of video = about 50 Meg
   
   Screen is small.
   
   TV quality is awful.

   Fine for a kid. Or a “semi disposable video camera” (such as a helmet mount..).

   Avoid, your better off with a cheap-point and shoot camera that has a video setting.

   I got this as a gift. If I had paid for it, I would send it back to the store for a refund.
   
10. W. Bellant says:

    September 19, 2010 at 3:37 AM

    Review by W. Bellant for RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital Camcorder (White)
    Rating:
    When you record video on this camera you’d better talk loud because otherwise the volume is terribly low. If you want to use it for you tube you’ll have to find a way to edit the audio channel to raise the volume somehow. As is, the camera is almost useless.
11. John Berry says:

    September 19, 2010 at 4:03 AM

    Review by John Berry for Canon FS200 Flash Memory Camcorder w/41x Advanced Zoom (Sunrise Red) – 2009 MODEL
    Rating:
    This review is for people who have common sense about this technology and have done even a TAD bit of research before buying. I have been in the video/film/animation industry for 15 years and have used tons of equipment for everything from multimillion dollar productions, to rogue gorilla documentaries. This camera is for people who want to flip open something small and compact, shoot some video for memories and thas that. Pretty much ALL camcorders under 800 dollars are going to shoot interlaced video, and this one does as well. it has complete manual overide for focus and exposure. I read a review where a lady was complaining about filming a recital and the camera was going in and out of focus. No problem, set it to manual and problem fixed. There is no more .MOD file problems.. all files are read as .mpeg files now (you can download the newest software from the website) **EDIT** its come to my attention that some people are still getting the .MOD files extension. I am running windows XP service pack 3 on a PC and the program it installed is pixela imagemixer 3 version 4 and it automatically shows up as .mpeg 4 files.. so i dont know whats up and why that works for me, as i did nothing special or extra for that to happen..

    now onto quality.

    It is acceptable. Low light gives you grainy pictures and some ghosting. You will get this on pretty much ALL camcorders in this class. do NOT expect that if you spend another 100 dollars you will get a difference. If you want to see a noticable difference you will need to step up to the 800-1200 dollar range. Im sorry but thats just the facts. Another thing to be on the lookout for is called a frame buffer. Which EVERY camcorder over 100 dollars Should have.. you know, that telltale sign in video where when the camera moves back and forth the picture starts “waving like a flag in the wind”.. we’re good with that. The zoom on this camera is CRAZY good.. in general, optical zoom is good, digital zoom is bad.. this cameras optical zoom rivals most everything out there.. things i dont like. When you play your recorded videos on the camcorder, it will just play the next file without stopping, in one long stream.. this is cool, but i dont like not having the option to view one at a time. you HAVE to plug it in to the wall power when you transfer files to the computer. i dont like the record button on the end of the barrel.. the way i ALWAYS end up holding this camera is like how you hold a glass of water if you were pouring it out.. with my thumb on the top of the barrell.. i NEVER hold it “properly” (like a glass of water that im drinking).. its so tiny that holding it like that is almost cumbersome and unecessary.. In short i LOVE this thing for the convenience.. on standby it will boot up in 2 seconds.. AWESOME.. no tape, the small size, good battery life, relatively big LCD screen,external mic input and headphone all good.. needing a plug for computer connection, bad low light performance, bad management of video playback not so good.. all in all i REALLY like it…

    if you want the convenience of a TINY camcorder available at a moments notice, recording to a card instead of tape, a regular def video (most everything i shoot is for web or regular DVD which is regular def anyway) and a price thats not bad. this is for you

    Now, if you want a video camera for capturing high def home videos for permanent memories to keep forever and possibly burn to blu-ray, seriously, buy a high def, 3ccd progressive scan camcorder. Expect to pay around 1000+ dollars, but thats what you get. i dont understand the complaints that this is whats expected from this camcorder. You cant drive a civic around complaining it cant go from 0 to 60 in 2 seconds..
12. Johnny says:

    September 19, 2010 at 4:12 AM

    Review by Johnny for Canon FS200 Flash Memory Camcorder w/41x Advanced Zoom (Sunrise Red) – 2009 MODEL
    Rating:
    I bought this camera a couple of weeks ago and it is small. Smaller than I expected, but that is not a bad thing, it is easy to carry around in a vest pocket or coat pocket. I didn’t download or use any of the software provided with the camera, I have Sony Vegas on my computer. One thing that I do recommend is downloading the free SDCOPY software you can find on the net. Check the widescreen box and it will convert your .MOD files to mpg files lightning quick. Now you should be able to work with them in just about any editing software. Use a card reader for the SD card instead of connecting the camera to the computer, makes life easier. I use a cheap one that came with my SD cards.

    Zoom is good, and a steady hand or tripod is highly recommended for longer shots. Quick to start up, the auto lens cover is great, battery life also great.

    I really see no problems with this great little camera, other than low light filming could be better, but not many of these cameras are great in low light.
13. V. Hutson says:

    September 19, 2010 at 4:45 AM

    Review by V. Hutson for Canon FS200 Flash Memory Camcorder w/41x Advanced Zoom (Sunrise Red) – 2009 MODEL
    Rating:
    I have several Canon digital cameras, so when I decided to purchase a camcorder I immediately went to Canon. I waited a month for this new version. I wanted a small camcorder–and this is definitely small.

    I am a bit disappointed in the quality of the videos. For movies taken in full light I can hardly tell the difference between these movies and the ones I take with my Canon PowerShot A570 IS digital camera! Although, the sound is definitely better with the camcorder. For movies in dim light (I filmed my son’s Jazz concert), there was a huge difference so I decided to keep the camera.

    I would agree with the previous reviewer in that the control buttons on the LCD screen are practically useless in dark settings. I couldn’t see them during the concert I filmed.

    I also have a bit of trouble holding the camera because it is so small. I removed the “grip belt” strap it came with because I could not get it to fit securely and still allow me to adjust the buttons at the same time. It felt like the camera was going to slide off my hand. I now use the extra wrist strap that comes with the camera and while it doesn’t look as “cool”, I’m not worried about dropping the camera.

    My biggest hassel has been that the camera saves the movie files as MOD files which are a pain to work with! They will not import into most video editing programs (including Adobe Premiere Elements!), and the widescreen videos will not play correctly in Windows Media Player unless you convert the file.

    The camera comes with a software program to transfer, edit, and view the movies–but it is awkward to use and even with the conversion I still could not get the movies to import into Camtasia Studio 6, which is the program I use the most. So, after two days of internet searching this is what I found that works for me.

    1. I use a card reader to transfer the movie files onto my computer. This is much easier for me than using the program that comes with the camera.

    2. I downloaded a free copy of SDCopy, and I use it to convert the MOD files to mpeg files. If I check the “widescreen” box on the converting window the converted movies will play widescreen in Windows Media Player.

    3. The converted movies will import into Adobe Premiere, but they will not import into Camtasia Studio 6 (which is my goal). I can use Adobe Premiere to convert the files to avi files, but the process takes too long for me so I found a better and easier way.

    4. I purchased a MOD converter. The one I decided on was Daniusoft Mod Converter for $29. It works well. With a MOD converter, I can convert the MOD files to a bunch of other types that will import into other programs as well as play on other devices such as an ipod. I use it to convert the files I converted with SDCopy into .avi files that will import into Camtasia.

    Bottom line: Do your research and decide if this is for you. The FS100 received so many good reviews that I can’t help but wonder if the video quality of that camera is better than this one. Perhaps someone will post information that answers that question.
14. Mika R. Hutchison says:

    September 19, 2010 at 5:10 AM

    Review by Mika R. Hutchison for Canon FS200 Flash Memory Camcorder w/41x Advanced Zoom (Sunrise Red) – 2009 MODEL
    Rating:
    I ordered this so I can record our vacation to the beach on my husband’s leave from Iraq. I’m not terribly familiar with various camcorders but after much research I decided on the Canon FS200 and I’m quite pleased. I LOVE that it has flash memory as I can easily carry extra cards and swap them out as needed. It didn’t take too long to charge and has a great battery life. The picture quality is great, mic picks up sounds well and the zoom is fantastic. I love how small and lightweight it is. The price is good too. I’m very happy with this camcorder.
15. Steven M. Mcguinness says:

    September 19, 2010 at 5:23 AM

    Review by Steven M. Mcguinness for Canon FS200 Flash Memory Camcorder w/41x Advanced Zoom (Sunrise Red) – 2009 MODEL
    Rating:
    I bought this camcorder on May 15, 2009 to replace my Canon ZR200 camcorder that stopped playing tapes about 5 months ago. I loved my ZR200 and the plethora of tapes that I filmed using it. I still believe that tapes are the best form of archive known today!

    This review will focus on the features outlined at the product’s web-site. I congratulate Canon’s marketing staff at providing this outline.

    1. Ultra-Sleek, Compact and Lightweight Design
    
    The product is very sleek, compact and lightweight! The UPS scale at my office weighed the camcorder, battery and SDHC card at a mere 9.8 oz.
    
    I love the Red color and waited an extra month until this color was available. Due to it’s light weight, I recommend that you always use this w/ a tripod or monopod to provide the best video quality.

    2. Canon Exclusive: Genuine 41x Advanced Zoom
    
    This zoom feature is only available in the wide screen mode. It provides a wide-screen effect, giving you an extra 20% viewing area w/out an additional lens. In std (4:3) mode, you the best optical setting is 37x, which is almost as good.

    3. Canon Exclusive: DIGIC DV II Image Processor
    
    This processor has been around for several years now and delivers a superb shot and video using the optical zoom settings. Using the digital (2000x) zoom settings it does not seem to help as much. However, I was able to capture some good video at approx. 500-1000x zoom using the digital setting. Thank you canon!

    4. Superb Shooting Control – Video Snapshot, Quick Start, Quick Charge, Dual Shot and More
    
    The shooting control is superberb. However, you have to turn the dial to change between video and photo mode. I believe my last canon allowed simultaneous filming and picture taking.

    5. Stunning Digital Photography
    
    The photo’s I took were as best as I could have hoped for at 1024×780 resolutions. As you would expect from Kodak, the colors were fabulous and the light recognition was very good. I still haven’t figured out how to get the 5 pics / second (burst mode) working.

    6. 2.7″ Widescreen LCD
    
    This helps a lot in video play back. I have 20/20 vision and can clearly see the clips I just took. I also LOVE the replay mode, which moves from clip to clip until you press the pause button or reach the end.

    7. Pick the Color to Suit Your Style
    
    Sunrise red is HOT. I’m glad I waited a few extra weeks for it.

    8. Additional Features…

    The lithium Iron battery lasts 3-5 hrs, depending on camera use. I still bought 2 extra batteries for $35 total and don’t have any plans to start using them soon. 3-5 hours is amazing in comparison to the HD camcorders, which give you an hour of footage at best.

    The USB high speed terminal is nice, but it took me a few hours to figure out that you need to put the camcorder in PC transfer mode. The default mode is DVD burner mode, which I find to be an oversight by the focus group. They should know that 90% of US customers want to import the clips into their PC, not Canon’s DVD burner. This oversight dropped my review from a perfect 5 stars to 4 stars.

    I discovered that the headphone terminal outputs a mono signal, causing the right earphone to emit an irritating buzzing sound. Thank goodness I was not wearing a head set.

    I have not tested the audio input jack. However, I anticipate better results than their output jack.

    I only tested the Pixel’s software video capture feature, which failed to capture my wide screen video correctly. Thanks to the SDCopy shareware utility, I was able to capture my Wide Screen footage correctly. I hope they provide this feature in their sofware soon!

    After doing some testing I discovered that you can film almost 5 hrs. in low quality (3 mps/sec) mode, lmost 3 hrs in st. quality (6 mps/sec), and approx 2 hrs. of footage at high qualify (9 mps/sec) at the setting on an 8GB SDHC card.

    I did not purchase the extended warrantee because there aren’t many moving parts.

    I congratulate canon’s product design staff for providing a product that I will enjoy using for years to come.
    
    When you capture the video into your PC, you need to have it plugged into the power jack. Otherwise, it will not work. Hence, I suggest that you purchase a USB/HD Card reader with this device.

    With the cost of a 16 GB class 6 SDHC card at $40, I don’t know how canon expects to sell their FS22 (32 GB internal memory) or FS21 (16 GB intenal memory) at the price they are asking.

    This is truly a fabulous product!
    
16. Lisa Cash says:

    September 19, 2010 at 5:37 AM

    Review by Lisa Cash for Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3001BLK (Black)
    Rating:
    The Snapp is kinda cute. I bought it as a gift for me 8 year old niece,but decided to open it up and play with it before hand. It’s a good thing I did!
    
    Pros: It’s small & compact
    
    Easy to use
    
    No need for the disc that’s included.
    
    Cons: The case it comes with is thinner than a regualr sock and half as protective.
    
    You HAVE to purchase an SD card in order to use it,it wont allow you to take pics/video without it.

    It feels kinda cheap in your hand but I think it’s because it’s lighter than I had anticipated. Over all, easy to use, great for a kid or someone just looking for a cheap camcorder:) I would totaly buy this again for my niece or even as a cheap toy for myself. Buy an SD card and a case if you’ll need it adn it’s a great buy!
17. W. Remes says:

    September 19, 2010 at 6:09 AM

    Review by W. Remes for Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3001BLK (Black)
    Rating:
    It feels more like a cheap toy, but so it far has functioned fairly well, and mechanically it is pretty easy to use…My main problem is while it is easy to move between the video, camera and playback options the screen is very subject to glare and it is often diffcult to see what option the camera is set to, or what is actaully in the viewfinder when outdoors in the sunlight. That being said, you get what you pay for, and I actually think (since the the cost of this product is so cheap) that this product provides more than one would expect for the cost.
18. Michael Long II says:

    September 19, 2010 at 6:12 AM

    Review by Michael Long II for Maximal Power DB OLY LI-50B Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder
    Rating:
    This product was more than I expected. I bought it as a back up for the battery that comes standard with my camera. I wasn’t expecting anything special from a replacement brand, but I was shocked. The battery was about 1/10 the price of the Olympus brand battery, yet it had the same, if not a longer run time. I fully recommend this product as a supplement to the standard battery for extended trips. In either case, the battery life on a single charge for either product was more than enough for the excursions through the many different parks at Disney world. (my initial reason for buying the camera, an Olympus Stylus Tough 8000). Many of the excursions were over 15 hours, and I never needed more than one extra battery.

    A very high quality product for an inexpensive price.
19. Spencer says:

    September 19, 2010 at 6:33 AM

    Review by Spencer for Maximal Power DB OLY LI-50B Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder
    Rating:
    The maximal power brand really is a dependable battery. It works just like the original for my olympus 1030 camera at a cheaper price. Can’t go wrong really.
20. martin the german says:

    September 19, 2010 at 7:16 AM

    Review by martin the german for Maximal Power DB OLY LI-50B Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder
    Rating:
    Hey they came fast and the right model. I have used them and came to the following conclusion.
    
    You get what you pay for. If you want to buy a batterie for $30 with the original manufacturers stamp on it you can, and if you want to spend the same amount on 4 batteries from a no name Brand, you can do that too. The difference was; Even so the no name brand is not holding the charge as long as the original batteries do, it still makes more sense to me to have rather 3 backups, which you should have at least one anyway.
    
    Maximal Power DB OLY LI-50B Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder (Black)
21. Larry Holder says:

    September 19, 2010 at 7:30 AM

    Review by Larry Holder for Maximal Power DB OLY LI-50B Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder
    Rating:
    I purchased this battery to use as a backup for my Olympus Stylus tough 6000. As it is i never actually had problem with the standard Olympus battery that came with the camera, but i felt that it could not hurt to purchase a back up battery, especially when you consider the cost!
    
    The product cam in a timely manner as with all amazon purchases and was packaged pretty neat.
    
    I used the camera over the weekend for a Halloween party and i had this battery in use, and boy did it work well! I took about 60+ photos (all @ 10mp with the flash on) that night and (as with all pics) they were each reviewed a couple times after the photo was taken. I even used it a bit the next day and the battery still has charge. I’m going to use it some more today and see if i can drain the charge a bit to get an idea as to how many pics i can take on a full charge.

    If there is any complaint at all, it’s that when you first put the battery to charge it stops charging after about 2-3 minutes, this could mislead some into thinking it is fully charged at this point, when in reality it isn’t. When this happens all you need to do is remove the battery and charger from the outlet and plug it back in and leave it for a few hours till you KNOW it should be fully charged. It should be noted that some people get this same problem with the official Olympus battery, so it’s not a problem specific to this product.

    Great item here folks; buy it if our camera uses it, at such a low price (i paid about $7. USD for it) you cannot go wrong.
22. S. Candreva says:

    September 19, 2010 at 8:24 AM

    Review by S. Candreva for Maximal Power DB OLY LI-50B Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder
    Rating:
    Perfect fit, holds charge well so far. Great substitute for LI50B from olympus at a much more affordable price.
23. Peelers says:

    September 19, 2010 at 9:05 AM

    Review by Peelers for JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Black)
    Rating:
    I purchased this little camcorder about a month ago along with JVC BN-VF815US 1460 mAh battery. Overall I am very impressed with this little camcorder. I have been using a Panasonic DV Tape camcorder for 9 years and it was time to get away from those darn tapes. With the JVC there is no moving parts (no hard drives, no tapes, no DVD) just a couple of flash cards.
    
    In addition to the camcorder, I had to upgrade my video editing software. I was using Pinnacle Studio 10.8 for my old Panasonic but I could not import the MOD file format from the new JVC. I purchased Corel Ulead VideoSutdio 11.5 plus from Amazon for only 40 bucks and I am very impressed with it as well.
    
    Here are the pros of the JVC:
    
    1) Low cost (under $275)
    
    2) Solid state – no moving parts – records to flash memory.
    
    3) Great color and low light performance compared to equivalent Panasonic, Canon and Sony. Check out the review on camcorderinfo.com (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/JVC-Everio-GZ-MG670-Camcorder-Review-36240.htm). Its for a slightly higher model (MG670) than the MS120 but they share the same lens, sensor, user interface and body.
    
    4) Can see the screen in sunlight. With no view finder I was worried about seeing the screen outside but with this screen its not that big of an issue.
    
    5) 16X9 windscreen native (can also do 4X3)
    
    6) Auto lens cap. Lens cap automatically opens and closed with screen.
    
    7) Auto on and off. Along with the lens cap, the power automatically turns on and off with open and close of the screen. No more videos of the ground (or my wife’s feet) because you forgot to power off the camera after the last shot.
    
    Instant on – Once you open the screen, you can start taking video within a second or two.
    
    9) Low power consumption – No moving parts means less power and longer battery life.
    
    10) Each video is saved and managed like a file on the camera. Its easy to delete or view these files right on the camera. No more hunting through the tape.

    Cons -
    
    1) Difficult to hold – the hand strap is very thin and does not have much support. You need to use two hands to hold it still enough.
    
    2) No optical image stabilization – The digital stabilization is decent but you need to keep this one steady. Maybe that why they put that thin strap on this thing. Again two hands.
    
    3) Like other camcorders in this range, they take decent but not good still photos. You still need to keep you digital camera near by.
    
    4) MOD format. Works with most newer video editing SW but did not work with my 3 year old version of Studio 10.8. Words great with older version of Ulead VideoStudio 11.5
    
    5) Low light performance – while low light performance is good compared to competitors, it does not have an IR filter like my old Panasonic.
    
    6) No hot shoe – I never used the one on my Panasonic so not a big deal.
    
    7) No viewfinder – Can still see well in sunlight so not a big deal.
    
24. Preston Fassel says:

    September 19, 2010 at 9:15 AM

    Review by Preston Fassel for JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Black)
    Rating:
    After my disastrous experience with Sony’s HD Webbie, I was in the market for a video camera that was both high quality and user friendly. Those who’ve read my review for that product, or who have used the product themselves, know that Sony intentionally designed the Webbie to shut down recording after 25 minutes of footage, ostensibly to retain the integrity of the Camera’s internal components. This means that footage must be recorded in 25 minute intervals, with necessary breaks in between to re-start recording. For all of its positives, this glaring drawback made the Webbie useless to me, and, I would presume, most others as well.

    In my search for a new camera that was as close to the Webbie as possible without being useless, I came across the JVC Everio. I’d never owned a JVC product before, but had heard good things; formerly a “Sony Man,” the Webbie debacle had left me willing to try out other brand names and see what they had to offer. With one drawback– the still camera option– it turned out to be a worthwhile decision.

    IMAGE QUALITY AND RECORDING FEATURES

    Image quality is probably the number-one thing people are looking for in a video camera, so I’ll address it first. The Everio is definitely not HD; if one wants to use this for professional purposes, and are bereft some high-quality video editing software, the Everio is probably not for you. The Webbie does, without a doubt, create higher-quality recordings. That being said, this is probably the highest quality video available without going HD. Think of it as “semi-HD.” The camera comes with multiple video quality settings, which permit for more recording time for lower quality or less recording time for higher quality. The lowest quality setting is analagous to a high-quality cell-phone camera or a middle-of-the-road webcam. The highest setting is that “semi-HD” category.

    Contributing to the video quality are the image stabilization feature and the superb 40x optical zoom, which loses no video quality. The Flip, for example, will rapidly degrade in video quality the further one zooms in, and is only really useful for recording about two to three feet in front of the camera. Not so with the Everio.

    In addition, the Everio comes with multiple image options– Black and white and sepia, which speak for themselves; Strobe, which simulates low-quality webcam recording (for whatever reason), and a very nifty “Old Fashioned” feature that simulates an old 1970s-1980s era film, with a grainy filter and washed out colors. For the more industrious user, JVC also makes several accessories for the camera, including a polarized filter for bright, outdoor recording, and various conversion lenses.

    The Everio’s primary drawback in video recording is that it has limited capabilities in adjusting for low-light recording. This is not to say that video recorded in low-light is of a poor quality, simply that it is lower quality than video recorded in medium or bright light. To offset this, the Everio comes with a built-in LED bulb that is pretty bright, and can light up a medium-sized room in the dark. It doesn’t quite fix the problem, but it does a lot to make sure that one’s video recorded in a darker area isn’t a lost cause. That being said, there is no night vision feature, so if that’s a necessity, this isn’t your camera.

    STORAGE MEDIUM

    Like the Webbie, the Everio utilizes the SD card feature. This means that in order to record, one inserts an SD card into a slot on the camera and records onto it; it’s an identical principle to recording onto a VHS. Once the SD card has filled up, one can either save it and record on another card, or transfer the footage onto one’s computer or a DVD, then wipe the card and use it again and again.

    Unlike the Webbie, though, the Everio has TWO SD card slots which work in tandem. Say, for example, one has an SD card with an hour’s worth of recording time, but wants to record two hours of footage. Simply insert a second SD card into the camera, and when the first reaches capacity, the Everio will automatically begin recording on the second card. With two high-capacity SD cards, one could theoretically record for days without having to stop.

    CONSTRUCTION/EASE OF USE

    The camera is made of a medium-high grade durable plastic, and should be able to stand up to a moderate amount of abuse. At the end of the day, though, this is a piece of eletronic equipment, and isn’t designed to be beaten up. It’s somewhat cumbersome in construction, but definitely easier to manage than some of the older mini-DV/DVD recorders that were only slightly smaller than a 1980s VHS camera. Imagine holding a 12oz can of soda sideways and you’ve got the idea. Those with larger hands might find it too small, those with smaller hands too big. In either case, it’s a fairly easy adjustment (I’ve got larger hands, my girlfriend has smaller hands) and not a hindrance to operation. A leather strap on the side of the camera allows it to somewhat rest of the back of one’s hand, but it’s not a terribly well thought-out feature and most probably won’t put it to use.

    The camera is operated via the view screen, which does double duty as a touch-activated menu screen. Options are scrolled through via a sensor to the left of the screen, identical in function to the touch-activated scroll bar found on several laptop mousepads. The Everio has a tendency to scroll through options too quickly, and can be somewhat sensitive to touch, which can be mildly frustrating. Those experienced with laptop touch pads, though, should have no problem at all.

    POWER

    Unlike the Webbie, which has an internal battery and can only be charged by plugging in the camera, the Everio runs on an external battery that snaps into the back of the camera. The battery can either be charged by keeping it in the camera and then plugging the camera into the wall, or by buying a separate battery charger. As of the writing of this review, JVC makes three types of batteries for the Everio; the most basic, one of which accompanies the camera, runs for about two hours on a full charge. One can purchase one of the two upgrades, which run for five and eight hours.

    CAMERA

    Like the Webbie, the Everio comes with a built-in digital camera. This sounds like a great feature, and was a contributing factor in my purchase– why buy a video and digital camera if one can have both in the same product? Unfortunately, here is the area where the Webbie blows away the Everio, hands down, and is what prevented me from giving this five stars. The Webbie’s built in camera, although worthless in low light, produced excellent images in medium and bright light. The Everio’s camera feature, quite honestly, is garbage. For the superiority of the film quality the Everio is capable of, its still image capabilities are worthless. The pictures one gets are of cell-phone camera quality: Grainy, heavily pixelated, and in need of contrast/lighting correction. Even with a great photo editing program, one will still be left with sub-par quality pictures. The camera also lacks the stabilization feature of the video camera; the tiniest movement produces an image that looks as though it was taken from underwater. The subjects, as well as the camera operator, must remain perfectly still for anything even vaguely resembling a nice picture.

    CONCLUSION

    This is a great piece of equipment, and for the average consumer, the best bang for your buck. It certainly isn’t HD quality, and won’t take the place of your digital camera, but for everyday user, and even amateur filmmakers who don’t have the monetary resources for a “top of the line” camera, this is the product you’ve been looking for.
25. J. Michael says:

    September 19, 2010 at 10:05 AM

    Review by J. Michael for JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Black)
    Rating:
    When I went to the store to buy a video camera, this seemed like the best choice. The price was right and the video quality as seen through the LCD monitor seemed crisp and sharp. However, there are problems.

    First, the still pictures it takes are garbage, so don’t think you’re going to replace your digital camera with this. That wasn’t much of a drawback for me, since I mainly intended to use it for video.

    Second problem: while recording video or when reviewing recorded video on the camera’s monitor, it always looks great. But when you watch it on a TV or upload it to your computer, it usually looks absolutely horrible, even if the video was taken in full sunlight. The Auto settings for this thing are completely worthless, and what you see in the LCD monitor is often not what you get in reality. It took me A LOT of experimentation with the settings in order to get my video quality to be any good, but it is possible.

    The third, and biggest problem is the format in which video is recorded. When you upload video to your computer, it is in MOD format. Yes, it will play in the Everio Media Browser that comes with the camera and it will even play in Windows Media Player, but if you want to edit it or put it on a DVD, you’re in for a very frustrating time. I had a simple movie I needed to edit using Windows Movie Maker, and then to put on a DVD. WMM wouldn’t recognize the MOD format. Yes, the camera comes with software that converts the MOD files into WMV files, which Windows Movie Maker recognizes, but the quality_really_suffers with the conversion. So, I spent a week searching for programs on the internet that would convert MOD files into something compatible with WMM, but which would retain the quality of the original MOD file. It was very difficult.

    So, my recommendation is to find out beforehand whether your video editing software can handle the MOD format. As I understand it, the newer (meaning within the last year or 2), higher-end programs can do it, but not everyone wants to spend the $ for that. So, do your homework before buying this, or any camera.
26. Merrick says:

    September 19, 2010 at 10:17 AM

    Review by Merrick for JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Black)
    Rating:
    This camera has great bang for your buck.

    Pros:
    
    -Great Zoom, digital zoom still holds decent quality
    
    -Light
    
    -nice interface
    
    -Quality optics

    Cons:
    
    -Light plastic construction, dont drop it
    
    -Low light performance isn’t great, not a problem for me.
    
    -Still picture taking quality is poor
    
    -Need to keep it rather steady

    I just wanted a small camcorder for quick action movies for sports/snowboarding/rock climbing that i could upload and mix with an audio track and the everio delivers. I am happy with the product so far for what I paid.
    
27. L. Murataj says:

    September 19, 2010 at 10:29 AM

    Review by L. Murataj for JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Black)
    Rating:
    i love this camcorder. so easy to use, light, and the best part is the dual memory card slot. Beautiful color, light, pictures… the only thing was recording while moving, the camcorder is so light that any movement you make will ruin the video.
    
28. Alan says:

    September 19, 2010 at 11:08 AM

    Review by Alan for Polaroid 50″ Photo / Video Travel Tripod Includes Deluxe Carrying Case For Digital Cameras & Camcorders
    Rating:
    I paid very little for this on special. With free shipping or Amazon Prime (I forget) it was really inexpensive. Well made for a lightweight stand for a point and shoot or small video camera. I like the quality.
29. Peelers says:

    September 19, 2010 at 11:55 AM

    Review by Peelers for JVC Everio GZ-MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Blue)
    Rating:
    I purchased this little camcorder about a month ago along with JVC BN-VF815US 1460 mAh battery. Overall I am very impressed with this little camcorder. I have been using a Panasonic DV Tape camcorder for 9 years and it was time to get away from those darn tapes. With the JVC there is no moving parts (no hard drives, no tapes, no DVD) just a couple of flash cards.
    
    In addition to the camcorder, I had to upgrade my video editing software. I was using Pinnacle Studio 10.8 for my old Panasonic but I could not import the MOD file format from the new JVC. I purchased Corel Ulead VideoSutdio 11.5 plus from Amazon for only 40 bucks and I am very impressed with it as well.
    
    Here are the pros of the JVC:
    
    1) Low cost (under $275)
    
    2) Solid state – no moving parts – records to flash memory.
    
    3) Great color and low light performance compared to equivalent Panasonic, Canon and Sony. Check out the review on camcorderinfo.com (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/JVC-Everio-GZ-MG670-Camcorder-Review-36240.htm). Its for a slightly higher model (MG670) than the MS120 but they share the same lens, sensor, user interface and body.
    
    4) Can see the screen in sunlight. With no view finder I was worried about seeing the screen outside but with this screen its not that big of an issue.
    
    5) 16X9 windscreen native (can also do 4X3)
    
    6) Auto lens cap. Lens cap automatically opens and closed with screen.
    
    7) Auto on and off. Along with the lens cap, the power automatically turns on and off with open and close of the screen. No more videos of the ground (or my wife’s feet) because you forgot to power off the camera after the last shot.
    
    Instant on – Once you open the screen, you can start taking video within a second or two.
    
    9) Low power consumption – No moving parts means less power and longer battery life.
    
    10) Each video is saved and managed like a file on the camera. Its easy to delete or view these files right on the camera. No more hunting through the tape.

    Cons -
    
    1) Difficult to hold – the hand strap is very thin and does not have much support. You need to use two hands to hold it still enough.
    
    2) No optical image stabilization – The digital stabilization is decent but you need to keep this one steady. Maybe that why they put that thin strap on this thing. Again two hands.
    
    3) Like other camcorders in this range, they take decent but not good still photos. You still need to keep you digital camera near by.
    
    4) MOD format. Works with most newer video editing SW but did not work with my 3 year old version of Studio 10.8. Words great with older version of Ulead VideoStudio 11.5
    
    5) Low light performance – while low light performance is good compared to competitors, it does not have an IR filter like my old Panasonic.
    
    6) No hot shoe – I never used the one on my Panasonic so not a big deal.
    
    7) No viewfinder – Can still see well in sunlight so not a big deal.
    
30. Preston Fassel says:

    September 19, 2010 at 12:28 PM

    Review by Preston Fassel for JVC Everio GZ-MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Blue)
    Rating:
    After my disastrous experience with Sony’s HD Webbie, I was in the market for a video camera that was both high quality and user friendly. Those who’ve read my review for that product, or who have used the product themselves, know that Sony intentionally designed the Webbie to shut down recording after 25 minutes of footage, ostensibly to retain the integrity of the Camera’s internal components. This means that footage must be recorded in 25 minute intervals, with necessary breaks in between to re-start recording. For all of its positives, this glaring drawback made the Webbie useless to me, and, I would presume, most others as well.

    In my search for a new camera that was as close to the Webbie as possible without being useless, I came across the JVC Everio. I’d never owned a JVC product before, but had heard good things; formerly a “Sony Man,” the Webbie debacle had left me willing to try out other brand names and see what they had to offer. With one drawback– the still camera option– it turned out to be a worthwhile decision.

    IMAGE QUALITY AND RECORDING FEATURES

    Image quality is probably the number-one thing people are looking for in a video camera, so I’ll address it first. The Everio is definitely not HD; if one wants to use this for professional purposes, and are bereft some high-quality video editing software, the Everio is probably not for you. The Webbie does, without a doubt, create higher-quality recordings. That being said, this is probably the highest quality video available without going HD. Think of it as “semi-HD.” The camera comes with multiple video quality settings, which permit for more recording time for lower quality or less recording time for higher quality. The lowest quality setting is analagous to a high-quality cell-phone camera or a middle-of-the-road webcam. The highest setting is that “semi-HD” category.

    Contributing to the video quality are the image stabilization feature and the superb 40x optical zoom, which loses no video quality. The Flip, for example, will rapidly degrade in video quality the further one zooms in, and is only really useful for recording about two to three feet in front of the camera. Not so with the Everio.

    In addition, the Everio comes with multiple image options– Black and white and sepia, which speak for themselves; Strobe, which simulates low-quality webcam recording (for whatever reason), and a very nifty “Old Fashioned” feature that simulates an old 1970s-1980s era film, with a grainy filter and washed out colors. For the more industrious user, JVC also makes several accessories for the camera, including a polarized filter for bright, outdoor recording, and various conversion lenses.

    The Everio’s primary drawback in video recording is that it has limited capabilities in adjusting for low-light recording. This is not to say that video recorded in low-light is of a poor quality, simply that it is lower quality than video recorded in medium or bright light. To offset this, the Everio comes with a built-in LED bulb that is pretty bright, and can light up a medium-sized room in the dark. It doesn’t quite fix the problem, but it does a lot to make sure that one’s video recorded in a darker area isn’t a lost cause. That being said, there is no night vision feature, so if that’s a necessity, this isn’t your camera.

    STORAGE MEDIUM

    Like the Webbie, the Everio utilizes the SD card feature. This means that in order to record, one inserts an SD card into a slot on the camera and records onto it; it’s an identical principle to recording onto a VHS. Once the SD card has filled up, one can either save it and record on another card, or transfer the footage onto one’s computer or a DVD, then wipe the card and use it again and again.

    Unlike the Webbie, though, the Everio has TWO SD card slots which work in tandem. Say, for example, one has an SD card with an hour’s worth of recording time, but wants to record two hours of footage. Simply insert a second SD card into the camera, and when the first reaches capacity, the Everio will automatically begin recording on the second card. With two high-capacity SD cards, one could theoretically record for days without having to stop.

    CONSTRUCTION/EASE OF USE

    The camera is made of a medium-high grade durable plastic, and should be able to stand up to a moderate amount of abuse. At the end of the day, though, this is a piece of eletronic equipment, and isn’t designed to be beaten up. It’s somewhat cumbersome in construction, but definitely easier to manage than some of the older mini-DV/DVD recorders that were only slightly smaller than a 1980s VHS camera. Imagine holding a 12oz can of soda sideways and you’ve got the idea. Those with larger hands might find it too small, those with smaller hands too big. In either case, it’s a fairly easy adjustment (I’ve got larger hands, my girlfriend has smaller hands) and not a hindrance to operation. A leather strap on the side of the camera allows it to somewhat rest of the back of one’s hand, but it’s not a terribly well thought-out feature and most probably won’t put it to use.

    The camera is operated via the view screen, which does double duty as a touch-activated menu screen. Options are scrolled through via a sensor to the left of the screen, identical in function to the touch-activated scroll bar found on several laptop mousepads. The Everio has a tendency to scroll through options too quickly, and can be somewhat sensitive to touch, which can be mildly frustrating. Those experienced with laptop touch pads, though, should have no problem at all.

    POWER

    Unlike the Webbie, which has an internal battery and can only be charged by plugging in the camera, the Everio runs on an external battery that snaps into the back of the camera. The battery can either be charged by keeping it in the camera and then plugging the camera into the wall, or by buying a separate battery charger. As of the writing of this review, JVC makes three types of batteries for the Everio; the most basic, one of which accompanies the camera, runs for about two hours on a full charge. One can purchase one of the two upgrades, which run for five and eight hours.

    CAMERA

    Like the Webbie, the Everio comes with a built-in digital camera. This sounds like a great feature, and was a contributing factor in my purchase– why buy a video and digital camera if one can have both in the same product? Unfortunately, here is the area where the Webbie blows away the Everio, hands down, and is what prevented me from giving this five stars. The Webbie’s built in camera, although worthless in low light, produced excellent images in medium and bright light. The Everio’s camera feature, quite honestly, is garbage. For the superiority of the film quality the Everio is capable of, its still image capabilities are worthless. The pictures one gets are of cell-phone camera quality: Grainy, heavily pixelated, and in need of contrast/lighting correction. Even with a great photo editing program, one will still be left with sub-par quality pictures. The camera also lacks the stabilization feature of the video camera; the tiniest movement produces an image that looks as though it was taken from underwater. The subjects, as well as the camera operator, must remain perfectly still for anything even vaguely resembling a nice picture.

    CONCLUSION

    This is a great piece of equipment, and for the average consumer, the best bang for your buck. It certainly isn’t HD quality, and won’t take the place of your digital camera, but for everyday user, and even amateur filmmakers who don’t have the monetary resources for a “top of the line” camera, this is the product you’ve been looking for.
31. J. Michael says:

    September 19, 2010 at 1:18 PM

    Review by J. Michael for JVC Everio GZ-MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Blue)
    Rating:
    When I went to the store to buy a video camera, this seemed like the best choice. The price was right and the video quality as seen through the LCD monitor seemed crisp and sharp. However, there are problems.

    First, the still pictures it takes are garbage, so don’t think you’re going to replace your digital camera with this. That wasn’t much of a drawback for me, since I mainly intended to use it for video.

    Second problem: while recording video or when reviewing recorded video on the camera’s monitor, it always looks great. But when you watch it on a TV or upload it to your computer, it usually looks absolutely horrible, even if the video was taken in full sunlight. The Auto settings for this thing are completely worthless, and what you see in the LCD monitor is often not what you get in reality. It took me A LOT of experimentation with the settings in order to get my video quality to be any good, but it is possible.

    The third, and biggest problem is the format in which video is recorded. When you upload video to your computer, it is in MOD format. Yes, it will play in the Everio Media Browser that comes with the camera and it will even play in Windows Media Player, but if you want to edit it or put it on a DVD, you’re in for a very frustrating time. I had a simple movie I needed to edit using Windows Movie Maker, and then to put on a DVD. WMM wouldn’t recognize the MOD format. Yes, the camera comes with software that converts the MOD files into WMV files, which Windows Movie Maker recognizes, but the quality_really_suffers with the conversion. So, I spent a week searching for programs on the internet that would convert MOD files into something compatible with WMM, but which would retain the quality of the original MOD file. It was very difficult.

    So, my recommendation is to find out beforehand whether your video editing software can handle the MOD format. As I understand it, the newer (meaning within the last year or 2), higher-end programs can do it, but not everyone wants to spend the $ for that. So, do your homework before buying this, or any camera.
32. Merrick says:

    September 19, 2010 at 2:09 PM

    Review by Merrick for JVC Everio GZ-MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Blue)
    Rating:
    This camera has great bang for your buck.

    Pros:
    
    -Great Zoom, digital zoom still holds decent quality
    
    -Light
    
    -nice interface
    
    -Quality optics

    Cons:
    
    -Light plastic construction, dont drop it
    
    -Low light performance isn’t great, not a problem for me.
    
    -Still picture taking quality is poor
    
    -Need to keep it rather steady

    I just wanted a small camcorder for quick action movies for sports/snowboarding/rock climbing that i could upload and mix with an audio track and the everio delivers. I am happy with the product so far for what I paid.
    
33. L. Murataj says:

    September 19, 2010 at 2:44 PM

    Review by L. Murataj for JVC Everio GZ-MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Blue)
    Rating:
    i love this camcorder. so easy to use, light, and the best part is the dual memory card slot. Beautiful color, light, pictures… the only thing was recording while moving, the camcorder is so light that any movement you make will ruin the video.
    
34. Brian VanderBeek says:

    September 19, 2010 at 3:16 PM

    Review by Brian VanderBeek for Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3000 (Black)
    Rating:
    Managed to snag this camera for $19.99 from J&R, and purchased an 8GB memory card for $14 at the local Target. The instructions indicate the Coby camera accepts up to an 8GB card, which would give it about 2 hours of recording time. When I inserted the 8GB card, the camera froze. It would start up, then freeze, and the only way to turn it off was to remove a battery. I did this 5-6 times, with the same result. I called Coby and was told my camera might be defective and I would have to return it to receive a replacement. It would cost as much as the original price to return, so I declined. The camera worked fine with no card, but with minimal internal storage I got about 20 seconds of recording time. I tried again with a 4GB card, and the camera still froze. I had an old 512MB card around, so I tried it. Lo and behold, the Coby accepted it. It gives me nine minutes, 3 seconds of recording time. Bottom line is that my camera is not defective, but it does not accept 8GB cards as advertised. When working properly, this is an amazing little camera for the price. Very easy to use, acceptable picture quality, decent sound. Not sure the small light on the front would help in any situation, but it’s nice to have. USB is true plug-and-play (no installation required) with all my PCs (haven’t tried with a Mac.) I’m going to continue to find the largest memory card it will accept, since 9 minutes is not quite what the product promises.
35. Avid Reviewer says:

    September 19, 2010 at 3:23 PM

    Review by Avid Reviewer for Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3000 (Black)
    Rating:
    Even though the Coby CAM3000 has a puny 1.3 MP pixels (1280 x 960), I’m pleasantly surprised that the quality of the video looks very descent on my 21″ monitor (@ 1680 x 1050 screen resolution); it looks only very slightly pixelated. Considering how affordably priced this mini camcorder is, I’d say it’s a real bargain.

    - Build Quality
    
    The build quality is really quite good — this mini camcorder does not look cheap to be sure. Although it has a shiny, not rugged, plastic exterior, it seems to be fairly scratch resistant. All the buttons are firm, not jiggly.

    - SD Card Expansion Slot
    
    The mini camcorder has about 20 MB of built-in memory, which is sufficient for only a few seconds of recording (makes me wonder why they even bother including the built-in memory). No problem – it has an SD card expansion slot. I have no trouble getting the mini camcorder to recognize my high-capacity SD card. I’m using a Kingston 8 GB microSDHC Card with an SD card adapter (came with the Kingston package).

    - Digital Zoom
    
    This mini camcorder actually has digital zoom-in/out, as opposed to optical zoom (better). The trouble with digital zooming is the image gets pixelated when you zoom in. The zooming is also a little choppy.

    - LCD Screen
    
    The display on the LCD screen is very clear. The LCD screen is somewhat smallish, but it’s perfectly adequate nonetheless.

    —
    
    For the price, this mini camcorder produces some very descent 1280 x 960 videos. The quality isn’t on par with that from a regular camcorder, of course, but it is more than adequate if you’re planning on using your videos on y0utube. It’s ultra portable and perfect for some quick and casual takes.
    
36. Matthew Brodeur says:

    September 19, 2010 at 3:58 PM

    Review by Matthew Brodeur for Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3000 (Black)
    Rating:
    I picked this up after hearing Dick DeBartolo and Leo Laporte review it on the Daily Giz Wiz podcast. It was on a 1-day sale for 20 bucks. Can’t beat that! But even at the regular price it’s a steal. Surprisingly good video quality for the price – IF you’re outdoors. It has a tiny little light on it, but that’s useless other than to use up the batteries. But I took some videos of my kids at Halloween outdoors and they came out really great. Just right for uploading to YouTube and sharing with the in-laws in FL.
    
    And for this price I’m not afraid of letting the kids have a go with it. They watch these inane YouTube videos and play around pretending they’re making their own. Well, do it for real now!
    
    I love that it can be expanded with a regular SD card too.
    
    Eventually I’d like to get a nice HD handheld camcorder, but this is a nice starter.
37. maltdog says:

    September 19, 2010 at 4:58 PM

    Review by maltdog for Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3000 (Black)
    Rating:
    I also bought at a lower price from J&R, and am now waiting on my return shipping label… this thing is a piece of junk! All I wanted was YouTube-quality video, and the CAM3000 doesn’t deliver. Details follow:

    Pros:
    
    Inexpensive.
    
    Small and light.
    
    Fast wake up.
    
    Control buttons seem sturdy.
    
    Incredibly simple to operate.
    
    Impressive 4X digital zoom.
    
    The LCD display is bright.
    
    Video quality is adequate when recording outdoors.

    Cons:
    
    Feels like cheap plastic… I fear breaking it when opening the battery compartment, etc. I wouldn’t trust a child with it.
    
    The memory card and USB covers are difficult to open.
    
    Requires 4 AAA batteries- no internal or rechargebale battery.
    
    An additional SD memory card must be purchased; the 32MB memory is good for only a few seconds of video (a 2GB card records 35 minutes of vid.)
    
    Low light/indoor recording is very, very dark… to the point of unrecognizeable video.
    
    Without operator narration, the mike picks up ambient noise (“wind” noises and unknown clicking) very loudly.

    The specific reasons for returning this camcorder are that the recorded video is choppy- lots of starting and stopping for no reason- and sound cuts in and out. Some video was even “damaged ” (?) and unable to upload to my PC. Basically, it doesn’t work as advertised, and I’m not sure I would have kept it even if it had.
38. Stiksister says:

    September 19, 2010 at 5:52 PM

    Review by Stiksister for Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3000 (Black)
    Rating:
    I picked up two of these for family members and they love them. Really good value for your $$. Easy to use and decent quality videos. Don’t expect HD for $30, but you can’t beat it for the price. Will take up to an 8GB SD card which will record over 2 hours of video. Also will take stills. Small size makes it easy to carry around. Do your kids always want to use your expensive video camera to make their own videos? Does that make you nervous? Get them one of these instead. Simple to use, even young kids can operate it and it is fun to see the videos that they make. Putting the videos on YouTube could not be simpler. I took a video and then put the SD card into the card slot on my computer and uploaded directly off the card to YouTube. Easy peasy!
39. W. Rulewicz says:

    September 19, 2010 at 5:56 PM

    Review by W. Rulewicz for Maximal Power DB CAN NB-6L Replacement Battery for Canon Digital Cameras/Camcorders
    Rating:
    This battery size is actually 1.72×1.26×0.31 which is too wide to fit my Canon SD1200 IS, or its charger. The battery that I received was actually marked “for nikon en-el12″ and was only wrapped in “acd-291 Canon nb-6l” label and placed like that in the plastic box. Waste of time and money if you’re looking for Canon SD1200 IS battery. The size of the original canon nb-6l battery that came with the camera is 1.65×1.355×0.27.
40. E. Orgon says:

    September 19, 2010 at 5:58 PM

    Review by E. Orgon for Maximal Power DB CAN NB-6L Replacement Battery for Canon Digital Cameras/Camcorders
    Rating:
    Works just as good as the original Canon battery, holds the charge just as long and gives you as many pictures.
41. mum of one says:

    September 19, 2010 at 6:07 PM

    Review by mum of one for Maximal Power DB CAN NB-6L Replacement Battery for Canon Digital Cameras/Camcorders
    Rating:
    I don’t understand why anyone would want to pay ten times more for a canon battery when this battery does just the same job for so much cheaper!
42. Richard Niewiroski Jr. says:

    September 19, 2010 at 6:56 PM

    Review by Richard Niewiroski Jr. for Maximal Power DB CAN NB-6L Replacement Battery for Canon Digital Cameras/Camcorders
    Rating:
    I bought two of these to have as backup batteries on my Canon S90. For the last three weeks of heavy use (6000+ pics), I’ve had nothing but great results. The batteries perform exactly the same at the OEM Canon versions. I’ve even accidentally put both of them through the washer and dryer and they still work perfectly. I rarely rate anything 5-stars on here, but these batteries definitely deserve them. You simply can’t beat the performance for this price.
43. John J. Janora says:

    September 19, 2010 at 7:07 PM

    Review by John J. Janora for Maximal Power DB CAN NB-6L Replacement Battery for Canon Digital Cameras/Camcorders
    Rating:
    This battery lasts just as long as the original product battery and charges very quickly. With this price there is no real excuse to run out of juice while on a long trip or while using as a camcorder.
44. Laughing Sal says:

    September 19, 2010 at 7:57 PM

    Review by Laughing Sal for Digital Blue Disney Flix Video Camcorder – Black (DS15002)
    Rating:
    I bought one of these Flix cameras used from Amazon to take with me on a trip. I intentionally went for something inexpensive, as I can be a bit hard on my electronics, and didn’t want to worry if the camera was dropped or broken. I was a bit apprehensive about my purchase as some reviewers were disappointed, or had poor customer service interactions with Digital Blue.
    
    when the camera arrived, I was astonished at how small it was. it is about the size of a pack of cigarettes [sorry, didn't have another size analog.] I figured ‘well, this little bitty thing can’t be very good.’ to my delight, the video and audio quality ARE very good! granted, the last video camera I used was a Hi8 camera back in art college, and had no experience with digital video cameras. believe me, it was a pleasant surprise at how well this tiny thing worked. this camera captures images with good detail and bright crisp colors. the sound is decent, too. I called Digital Blue as I own an iMac and the enclosed software wouldn’t work on a Mac; the fellow who helped me was EXTREMELY kind and patient and helped me use the camera with my Mac. I can import the video into iMovie with no problem. make sure to purchase an additional memory card with your camera; I did, and now have one hour’s recording time.
    
    no, the zoom isn’t great; it pixilates the zoomed in object. but I carry this camera in my car in case I need it for emergencies, or just to shoot things I come across. the camera’s small size makes it easy to fit into any purse or even a pocket. I recommend this camera highly. I bought mine for about 40.00, and it has served me well- and yes, I did drop it. it still works just fine!
    
    if I have any questions at all, Digital Blue answers them fully and are generous with their time. give this little camera a try, especially if you are on a budget, but still want to shoot video. it does not work well in very low light conditions, but will shoot indoors with adequate ambient room light. it records distant vistas just fine, too. AND it takes very decent still photos!
    
    I used it to record a raccoon family eating peaches that fell from my tree at night, using a flashlight. the video came out a little grainy, but it recorded the lighted objects adequately, making for a fun little ‘memory’ video. all in all, again, a great little purchase. I HIGHLY recommend this product.
45. Packratt says:

    September 19, 2010 at 8:06 PM

    Review by Packratt for Digital Blue Disney Flix Video Camcorder – Black (DS15002)
    Rating:
    We bought this for our 8yr old son who loves making his own movies. He enjoys it and it’s made well. The only things we’d like to see changed for future versions of this is a volume control (it’s pretty loud when they’re reviewing a movie they took) and an easy on/off switch. Aside from that we’re quite happy with the purchase! Oh,buy some rechargable batteries for this since it eats up regular ones farily quick if your little one is a budding film maker!
46. Amy Band says:

    September 19, 2010 at 8:25 PM

    Review by Amy Band for Digital Blue Disney Flix Video Camcorder – Black (DS15002)
    Rating:
    My son loves his Disney Flix Video! We find it very creative and it helps him use his imagination while he captures certain moments. The special effects available from the software are lots of fun.
47. lucky13 says:

    September 19, 2010 at 9:03 PM

    Review by lucky13 for Digital Blue Disney Flix Video Camcorder – Black (DS15002)
    Rating:
    This kids camcorder has been one of the best Christmas presents we’ve ever purchased for our daughter — with the exception that after around 4 months it stopped working all together. Digital Blue quickly responded to our problem, and replaced the camera.

    After another year of use, the camera doesn’t work at all if a memory card is installed. The on-camera memory is so small; you need the memory card to get any real use out of the camera. Digital Blue’s response now:

    Unfortunately our limited warranty policy is only for one year from the date of purchase. We also do not have a repair facility for our products.

    No replacement (understandable), but can’t fix it? Buyer beware!
48. Maximillian Martinez says:

    September 19, 2010 at 9:36 PM

    Review by Maximillian Martinez for Digital Blue Disney Flix Video Camcorder – Black (DS15002)
    Rating:
    good camera for the money. we paid $45 for it. its for my son to replace his v-cam now which i think is no longer available. YOU MUST BUY A MEMORY CARD IT ONLY HAS 64K WORTH OF INTERNAL MEMORY. it was only good for 2 mins worth of video. i dont know how long its going to hold up, we’ve only had it since easter. so far so good it has fallen once from about 3 feet and had no problems so it seems pretty stable.