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Great feature is the Nightshot Plus. Too bad it has been discontinued. Newer camcorders do not has this feature, bad move on Sony's part.Only down side is it takes an extreamly long time to download the video to a computer. Really like this camcorder. Very easy to use.
A tripod should be used for this purpose. If you don't have a lot of money to spend and want quality video this is the camcorder for you. This is a great camcorder. By using a svga adapter I am able to transfer execellent digital picture dirrectly to dvd via dvd recorder. Would suggest you purchase an additional battery. Easy to use with touch screen. the clearity of picture is fantastic, even at full zoom.
Only buy one that you have done proper research on and you're sure that it is perfect for your needs. I recomment buying a slightly more expensive version, say the SR220 (which I believe is being discontinued, unfortunately). The 30GB hard drive is a plus, the "nightshot" infrared function is fun, and the Carl Zeiss lens and the 40x optical zoom are great, but the resolution cuts the product down to size. I made the mistake of not doing that, and I found out quickly what a mistake it was. Sony messed up on this camcorder. This camcorder is a good camcorder in respect to size, but what it gains in smallness, it lacks in quality.
The still photographs are even smaller - only VGA size. Remember, be careful when buying camcorders. Sony makes great camcorders, but the SR45 just doesn't cut it. I recommend to only buy this camcorder if you really do not care about video quality. I'm returning the camcorder tomorrow. It's highest quality video recording capability is 720x576 pixels, which is only 0.4 of a megapixel.
The recordings look good on the 2.7" screen, but as soon as they get on something much bigger, they plummet in quality.
I wouldn't pay more than $200 for a brand new, discontinued item like this either. Incompetence on Sony's part.- Barely standard definition.- DISCONTINUED MODEL as of early 2009 (maybe earlier).Bottom line:Don't waste your money unless you need only basic video capabilities, with very basic quality format and decently compact package. This is a discontinued model, so beware. The good:- 30GB HDD.- Comapct.- Can use Memory Stick flash cards alternatively.- Image stabilization.- Long zoom.- Takes single photo shots.- Touch screen viewfinder LCD.The bad:- Can't use the more popular, cheaper, widely available SD flash cards.- Single photo shots are TERRIBLE quality. I made a mistake buying this even at $300 with a discount, but I'm returning it after two months (thank you 90-day return policy, Target). Sony website offers no support for that. Not even worth taking.- Battery life with supplied battery is TERRIBLE.- No recording flash/light.- Cannot edit videos in Windows Movie Maker (you can probably find the video codec somewhere on the net, but after 10 minutes of searching I lost patience (if it's even possible). No one should have to waste hours of their time converting videos to some other format or finding some third or millionth party plug-ins to make this work.
The Sony Software is easy to use but somewhat limited in features. I love everything about the camera except for one aspect. My next camera (when funds aren't as tight) will likely have better lighting capability and software capability. Oh well, it forces me to spend less time editing which is probably better anyway. I cannot use my previous video editing software since the Sony MPEG output file does not include sound (Sony must have a unique format that encodes sound differently). As a result, I have only been able to use the software it has come with to edit the video.
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