Sony Handycam DCR-HC48 (DCRHC48) Review
October 31, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The Sony Handycam DCR-HC48 (DCRHC48) is a digital miniDV camcorder available at popular electronics retailers like Circuit City and Amazon.com. The DCR-HC48 includes popular features like digital still image capability, a Carl Zeiss lens and a large LCD touch screen. The Sony Handycam DCRHC48 is definitely packed with the latest features. The unique Handycam station is similar to a laptop docking station which makes re-playing and transferring your videos fairly simple. The DCRHC48 is the top model available of the 3 that Sony recently released. Night vision, digital still picture ability, improved zoom and the Handycam station are some of the advanced features you won’t find on the lesser models. At just over $300, the Sony Handycam DCR-HC48 is still a pretty great deal compared to the fairly expensive hard drive and miniDVD camcorders.
Sony Handycam DCRHC48 Features & Specifications Review
- Camcorder Type: Digital
- Format: miniDV
- Screen: 2.7 inch Touch Screen
- Connection: USB 2.0, Firewire
- Optical Zoom: 25x
- Digital Zoom: 2000x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Digital Still Capability: Yes
- Digital Still Resolution: 1 megapixel
- Memory Card Type: Memory Stick DUO
- Warranty: 1 year
- Special Effects: Sepia, Still, Trail, Mosaic, Pastel, Monotone, Old Movie, Flash Motion, Negative Art, Solarization, Luminance Key, Low Shutter Speed (LSS)
- Shooting Programs: Beach, Candle, Sunset, Sunrise, Fireworks, Landscape, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports lesson, Twilight mode
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
- Dimensions: 2.5 inches wide, 4.5 inches deep, 3.3 inches high, 16.4 ounces
The popularity of miniDVD and hard drive camcorders are increasing but miniDV is still selling extremely because of what you get for the money. A review of the Sony Handycam DCR-HC48 shows that you can still get a really great camera for a reasonable price. You don’t get the convenience of minDVD or a hard drive but the rest of the features are superb. The DCRHC48 has received great reviews across the board and should definitely be a considerable option if you are purchasing in this price range and type. Shopping around could be key. We have found prices range from the low $300’s to the high $300’s.
Find the Sony Handycan DCR-HC48 at one of these retailers:
Amazon.com | Circuit City | Best Buy | Buy.com | Wal-Mart | Target.com
HP Photosmart Mz67 Review
October 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The HP Photosmart Mz67 is an 8.0 megapixel digital point and shoot camera that was manufactured for the occasional photographer. It includes important features like image stabilization, simple to use menu’s and an overall good picture quality. The Photosmart Mz67 features a mostly black exterior with a few small silver accents. The 2.5 inch LCD screen is about average for camera’s in this price range. A review of the HP Photosmart Mz67 finds that it is a great camera for the average user and helps them take excellent pictures with red eye reduction, anti shake and other key features. The Mz67 can be found at under $200 making it a very affordable camera.
HP Photosmart Mz67 Features & Specifications Review
- Camera Type: Digital Point & Shoot
- Resolution: 8.0 megapixels
- Digital Zoom: 8x
- Optical Zoom: 6x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Screen: 2.5 inch LCD
- Movie Mode: Yes (records audio)
- Built-in Memory: 16MB
- Memory Type: SD (secure digital)
- Warranty: 1 year
- Dimensions: 2.5 inches high, 3.8 inches wide, 1.2 inches deep, 0.4 lbs
- Shooting Programs: Action, Sunset, Theatre, Close-up, Landscape, Portrait mode, Night portrait
- Timer: 10 seconds
- Connection: USB 2.0
The HP Photosmart Mz67 is a pretty feature packed camera for its size. It’s not as compact as similar Canon and other models but it exceeds in other areas like its digital and optical zoom. Many camera’s in the compact class in this price range only have 3x optical zoom and similar digital zoom. Overall, the Photosmart Mz67 isn’t as flashy and trendy as some other compact camera models but it still takes a quality picture and exceeds some of the features of other cameras.
Find the HP Photosmart Mz67 at one of these online retailers:
Best Buy | Circuit City | Buy.com | Amazon.com | Target.com | Wal-Mart
Canon SD1000 Review
October 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Canon has created a very successful line of compact cameras and the Canon SD1000 continues to impress. The SD1000 is the next step up from the previous Canon SD600. While the layout and controls remain simliar, there have been a few other changes including an upgrade to 7.1 megapixels. The SD1000 is a very compact, credit card sized camera. It features a mostly silver exterior with a few black accents. An all black model is available under the model number SD1000K. A review of the Canon SD1000 proves to uphold the Canon ELPH reputation. For its price range, sub $200, it may be one of the best in its class.
Canon SD1000 (SD1000K) Features & Specifications Review
- Camera Type: Digital Point and Shoot
- Resolution: 7.1 megapixels
- Digital Zoom: 4x
- Optical Zoom: 3x
- Image Stabilization: No
- Screen Size: 2.5 inch LCD
- Movie Recording: Yes (with audio)
- Memory Card Type: SD (secure digital)
- Dimensions: 2.1 inches high, 3.4 inches wide, 0.8 inches deep, 4.4 ounces
- Shooting Programs: Snow, Beach, Indoor, Foliage, Aquarium, Fireworks, Color swap, Underwater, Kids & pets, Color accent, Digital macro, Portrait mode, Stitch assist, Night snapshot
- Special Effects: Sepia, Vivid, Neutral, Vivid Red, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Black & White, Custom Effect, Positive Film, Darker Skin Tone, Lighter Skin Tone
- Self Timer: 2 sec, 10 sec
Canon continues to dedicate this ELPH line for the amateur photographer that isn’t interested in all the extra features in options like manual exposure control which was left out. The technology that operates the SD1000 is the biggest difference from the SD600. With improved performance, the shutter speed and operating times have greatly improved. For under $200 at major retailers like Circuit City, the Canon SD1000 is one of the best compact cameras in its class.
Find the Canon SD1000 at one of these online retailers:
Circuit City | Amazon.com | Best Buy | Buy.com | Wal-Mart | Target.com
HP Photosmart R847 Review
October 26, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The HP Photosmart R847 is a 8.0 megapixel digital point and shoot camera. It comes with all the features you’d expect like image stabilization and high resolution among other important features. The Photosmart R847 has an all silver, metal style casing with a sliding lens cover. At just under $200, this camera is moderately priced. There are literally hundreds of cameras in this price range so the competition is tough.
HP Photosmart R847 Features & Specifications Review
- Camera Type: Digital Point and Shoot
- Resolution: 8.0 Megapixels
- Digital Zoom: 8x
- Optical Zoom: 3x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Screen: 3 inch LCD
- Movie Mode: Yes (records audio)
- Memory Type: SD, MultiMedia Card
- Built-in Memory: Yes, 32MB
- Warranty: 1 year
- Dimensions: 2.5 inches high, 3.9 inches wide, 0.9 inches deep, 0.4 lbs
- Shooting Types: Snow, Beach, Action, Sunset, Theatre, Close-up, Landscape, Anti shake, Panorama left, Portrait mode, Night portrait, Panorama right
- Self Timer: Yes, 10 second
- Flash: Built-in
- Connection: USB
A review of the HP Photosmart R847 finds that its a simple, easy to use camera. That being said, it doesn’t quite have all the options that some more advanced users may be looking for. Compared to other cameras in its price range and comparable features, the Photosmart R847 is just about average. The camera performance itself is impressive with its quick shooting ability but the picture quality isn’t as great as some of its competitor. Overall, the HP Photosmart R847 would be suitable for a novice photographer that is looking for a simple to operate digital point and shoot camera.
Find the HP Photosmart R847 at one of these online retailers:
Circuit City | Amazon.com | Buy.com | Best Buy | Target.com | Wal-Mart
Panasonic SDR-H18 (SDRH18) Review
October 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The Panasonic SDR-H18 (SDRH18) is a digital camcorder the records to a 30GB hard drive or optional SD memory cards. Hard drive camcorders are slowly growing to replace video cameras that record to tape or discs because of the simplicity of not having to deal with those types of recording media. They may have some additional costs initially but not paying for tapes or even more expensive mini discs may save you money in the long run. It is pretty simple to transfer to computer. The biggest downsides are limited storage space. You can always record to SD memory cards but these can quickly get expensive. The 30GB hard drive is big enough for most users but if you were unable to empty the hard drive, you may run out of room. You also are forced to store your empty your hard drive on to something unlike tapes and discs where you can permanently keep your video.
Panasonic SDR-H18 Features & Specifications Review
- Camcorder Type: Digital
- Recording Type: Hard Drive & SD memory
- LCD Screen Size: 2.7 inch
- Output: USB 2.0
- Optical Zoom: 32X
- Digital Zoom: 1000X
- Image Stabilizer: Yes
- Still Pictures: Yes
- Warranty: 1 year
- Dimensions: 2.9 inches high, 2.8 inches wide, 5 inches deep, 15.5 ounces
The Panasonic SDRH18 has some great features including its impressive zoom, recording capabilities and impressive video quality. The SDR-H18 is comfortable to hold and the image stabilization feature really helps you shoot a steady image. There are a few negatives although they are pretty minor. Some of the controls are hard to access with one hand and the USB port is tucked away behind the battery so its pretty hard to quickly access. Overall, the Panasonic SDRH18 is a great quality camera. You may want to compare it against JVC and Sony’s hard drive camcorders as they are similar quality.
Check prices for the Panasonic SDR-H18 at one of these online stores:
Circuit City | Best Buy | Amazon.com | Buy.com | Target.com | Wal-Mart