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Samsung SC-D372 (SCD372) Review

Review Team — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:37:00 +0000

The SC-D372 is Samsung’s lowest priced camcorder on the market today. The Samsung SCD372 is a miniDV video camera that is pretty simple to use. It is among one of the cheapest budget camcorders and one of the most compact. It has a handy 2.7 inch LCD flip out LCD screen that makes shooting video simple. A review of the Samsung SCD-372 find that its low, low price is one of its best features. You won’t find many other name brand camcorders for $175.

Samsung SC-D372 Features & Specifications Review

Recording Format: miniDV
Screen: 2.7 inch LCD
Optical Zoom: 34x
Digital Zoom: 1200x
Built-in Light: Yes
Image Stabilization: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
Digital Still Camera: No
Special Effects: Ball, Sepia, Emboss, Mirror, Mosaic, Pastel, Black & White
Dimensions: 2.2 inches wide, 4.7 inches deep, 3.7 inches high, 12 ounces

The Samsung SCD372 has adequate features for its price range but is missing some of the popular features of some higher priced video cameras like the ability to take digital still pictures. Many people are finding that miniDVD and hard drive camcorders are also simpler to transfer video as well. Overall, the SC-D372 is one of the cheapest cameras available so its options are somewhat limited. If you are looking for a very basic, simple to use camcorder, the Samsung SC-D372 is an option to consider.

Find the Samsung SC-D372 at one of these online retailers:

Sony Handycam DCR-HC48 (DCRHC48) Review

Review Team — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:11:07 +0000

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:

Panasonic SDR-H18 (SDRH18) Review

Review Team — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:31:16 +0000

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:

Canon ZR800 Review

Review Team — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:43:31 +0000

In the budget line of camcorders, Mini DV is one of the most popular options. Among the Mini DV manufacturers, Canon continues to be one of the strongest options. The Canon ZR800 is a very popular Mini DV camera because it comes with all the basics at a very reasonable price. It doesn’t quite have every bell and whistle but it has all the necessities with a quality picture, which is what really matters in the long run. The ZR800 is a very compact video camera that fits right in your palm comfortably. With some impressive features as well as quality, the Canon ZR800 is a great deal at around $250.

Canon ZR800 Features & Specifications Review

Dimensions: 3.6 inches high, 2.2 inches wide, 4.7 inches deep, 13.2 ounces
Format: Mini DV
Digital Zoom: 1000x
Optical Zoom: 35x
LCD Size: 2.7 inch
Image Stabilization: Yes
Video Light: Yes
Manual Focus: Yes
Records Audio: Yes
Viewfinder: Color
Remote: No
Warranty: 1 year

As you can see the Canon ZR800 is packed with the essential features. One pretty common feature that is not included is the ability to take still pictures. Although this is nice on some cameras, many people find that the quality of video camera still pictures is not great enough to leave your regular digital camera at home. Overall, the Canon ZR800 is a great entry level video camera at a very attractive price.

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