Camcorder Reviews

Probably one of the underrated companies in the market, JVC is another producer of good quality camcorders that are still above par, even though not as great as their counterparts from the stronger and the more celebrated manufacturers in the market like Sony, Canon and Samsung. Although it is a bit of a cliche that that the products from these manufacturers are extremely good and at the same time widely accepted, we here consider very good products from even those companies that are not quite under the same lime light. One such product is the Everio GZ-HD40 Full HD Digital Camcorder from JVC. Here is a detailed analysis that gives you the gross information of this new much underrated camcorder.

Design:

Modest as well as Stylish:
The JVC Everio GZ HD40 is one of the most portable professional camcorders you will find in the market. With a very black polished outer surface, the cam looks shiny and pretty stylish. It looks like most of the trademark designs of the other camcorders in the market and you will not find many varieties when it comes to the design part of these camcorders; they all look pretty much the same. As the design part deals with numbers, we are going to give you some numbers that define the JVC Everio GZ HD 40. It measures about 2.9 inches wide, 4.8 inches deep and 2.7 inches high, making it a very comfortable camcorder to hold in one hand. Carrying it will never be a problem since it weighs as low as 16 oz. Now, these significant little numbers mean that the JVC Everio HD GZ 40 has got in it almost everything regarding the design part and it will be one of the best suited camcorders for almost all types of users.

Display:
Display is also another most important feature of a camcorder nowadays because it has become essential to view the subjects in detail before they are actually filmed or captured so that everything looks neat and orderly. The JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Hard Drive Camcorder comes with a very good display mechanism, which clearly shows you that it is a very professional camcorder. The 2.8 inch TFT active matrix LCD colour screen gives you a very good picture of what you are filming. The swivel mode is also integrated for better performance and this means that the screen can be twisted to more degrees than ever before so that you can enjoy fancy filming. The subjects can be shot from almost all the angles possible and this especially makes the videos look crazier and fancier than ever before.

Features:

The professional camcorders are especially meant for superior performance and exceptional quality and hence most of the manufacturers do not concentrate much on their features and design. For better or worse, JVC has provided minimal features and gave secondary importance to them since it seemed like their main motto is to make their products world beating and competitive to the best and the most famous camcorders in the market from the ones like Sony and Canon. Here is a bird’s eye view of all the main features of the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 camcorder.

HI-Def Shooting:
The JVC Everio GZ-HD40 allows high definition video shooting on it. Giving you a 1080i video output, the camcorder is one of the high quality ones you will find in the market today. It has got various types of shooting modes that allow you to change the settings and set the camcorder to record videos in your own style, but still without losing the excellent quality of them. DPOF support , PRINT Image Matching , Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording are the additional features that help the camcorder to record high definition videos. The 1080i video output means that you can play these videos on your HD TV later and awe at the camcorder’s ability to capture wonderful pictures.

Lens:
Just now we have discussed about the wonderful high quality pictures you can get from the JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Professional Camcorder. This feat is possible owing only to the presence of a fantastic lens system that is possessed by the cam. Since lens is the most important part of a camcorder, it ought to be very good. The CMOS sensor enabled lens system of this camcorder is really one of the better systems you will find. Let us see some of the important features of this lens; Lens Type:  Zoom lens – 4.5 mm – 45 mm – F/1.8-2.2, Focal Length: 4.5 mm – 45 mm, Lens Aperture F/1.8-2.2, Optical Zoom:  10 x, Lens system: type Zoom lens,  Min focal length: 4.5 mm, Max focal length: 45 mm, Filter Size: 43 mm, Zoom Adjustment: Motorized drive. Hence these numbers are enough to stand as a proof of how good the lens system of the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 is.

Memory:
Memory is very important for any camcorder since you need to store all the pictures captured by you. Look at the memory features of the JVC GZ HD 40 camcorder and you will find jaw dropping memory on the inside. The camcorder has got a whopping 120 GB built in internal hard drive that automatically stores everything that is captured by the camera. This is a very good thing to do since most of the camcorders, even the professional ones, come with only a slot for an external memory unit, like an SD card. But, these cards have limited memory and hence they cannot store more videos. But having such a big space for your pictures in the form of a hard disk drive means that you can never afford to worry about the storage of your videos and hence shoot with complete freedom.

Software Package:
You are blessed with some of the best software in the market, when it comes to the JVC Everio. Since it is quoted as a professional camcorder, you will find a lot of photo and video editing software packages. The various software apps provided along with the kit are: Cyberlink PowerDVD, Drivers & Utilities, CyberLink BD Solution, CyberLink Power Cinema, CyberLink Power Director, CyberLink Power Producer, and JVC Digital Photo Navigator. While some of these come as built in features, the rest of them are provided to you in the form of software CDs and they are provided in the kit along with the camcorder at the time of purchasing. They can also be installed on your computers so that the videos and photos are copied on to your hard disk and they can be edited later.

Performance:

Since this Everio GZ-HD40 HD camcorder is considered to be a very professional one, it needs to perform well in order to stay in the race due to the other high definition camcorders in the market that bear the names of the stalwarts of the electronic goods like Sony and its ilk. Hence, due to this healthy competition, you will find that the camcorders from the potentially inferior companies like JVC, are improving day by day in the aspect of their performance. When you look at a camcorder or for that matter almost any electronic device, the three things that really matter when it comes to its performance are its video, audio and connectivity performances and their potential to be good at these three aforementioned aspects.

Video Performance:
As we have already discussed under the display and lens topics, the videos look stunning on the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 camcorder. Even though this is not a pretty famous company, it has still tried and used the best technology available at this point in time in the market. The very professional and costly lens that is used by this new camcorder from JVC allows you to capture stunning videos in almost all the conditions. Even though the cam is not great when it has to perform under poor lighting conditions, it can still be considered as a formidable one since the technology used here looks pretty impressive. Hence, you can really count on the videos delivered by this very good camcorder.

Audio Performance:
If the audio does not match the picture quality, then the videos look very dull and the camcorder will not be able to suffice all your needs. We have already seen that the videos are of very high quality from the JVC Everio GZ HD 40. It means that these videos need a very good audio back up and looks like they have got it. You have the two speakers and a built in stereo mic that records the sounds in stereo mode, hence giving you very good audio quality. This means that the videos look very good if not perfect, when they are played on your TV screen and you will not find any lapses in the audio quality.

Connectivity:
Connectivity is also as important as the other two performance aspects of a camcorder. The JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Compact Professional Camcorder has got so many connectivity options for a camcorder of this type. Even though it looks small and stylish, it still has got something to deliver through its ports that are dedicated to connect your camcorder to the external electronic devices. When you look at the ports that are available on this camcorder, you will find that there are these ports include HDMI output, USB, Composite video/audio output, Component video output, Microphone, DC power input, Headphones and Docking station. There is also an expansion slot for you to place a micro SD card and hence provide external memory to your camcorder in order to store the videos that are captured.

Hence, precisely, you can conclude that there is nothing inferior of this camcorder when it comes to performance. You will hence be pleasantly surprised at the way the camcorder operates and shoots pictures with stunning quality.

Battery:

The battery life of a camcorder is as important as any other main feature on it. Anybody on earth wants a camcorder that allows you to shoot more and more without worrying you regarding its battery life. It seems like the battery of this camcorder is a highly rated one. The JVC BN-VF815 Li-ion rechargeable battery gives you a very good battery life, which allows you to shoot for more than one and a half hour; 97 minutes and 39 seconds to be more precise, as informed by the various tests that were conducted before reviewing the product. This battery life may vary from the aforementioned time that depends upon the settings, zoom level and other sundry effects. But, overall, you have got a very good battery with you and this means that more often than not, you do not need a second one.

Warranty:

The JVC Everio GZ HD 40 comes with a parts and labour warranty for a period of one year from the original date of purchase, just like most of the camcorders in the market do.

Verdict:

Considering everything that is discussed in the above paragraphs, you can conclude that the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 is one of the best camcorders available in the market today. It appears to be a little costly but then, since it is tagged as a very professional camcorder, one can expect the price range to be very high. But nevertheless, you get full value for your money and all the features and performance aspects that are seen above, require latest high end technology that demands a very good value for the camcorder. Hence, you can really afford to buy this one of you are a pro. But if you are one of those novices and shoot for fun type of people, then it is very advisable that you go can think of going with a cheaper but still good quality camcorders in the market. That will not only save your money, but will also allow you to choose from a more variety of options.

Check other JVC Camcorders Reviews, Latest HD Camcorders Reviews, Specs in this website.

JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Digital Video Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	JVC
Model Name	Everio GZ HD 40
Camcorder type	Professional Camcorder
Dimensions (W x H x D)	2.9 x 4.8 x 2.7 inches
Weight	16 oz.
Display	2.8″ LCD Screen
VIDEO FEATURES
Formats Supported	1080i
Optical Zoom	10 x
Compression of still image	JPEG
Image Size	2432 x 1368
Instant Shooting	Yes
Minimum Luminosity	3 Lux
AUDIO FEATURES
Audio System	Stereo
Built in Microphone	Stereo, zoom microphone
Specific features	Built in Speaker
CAMERA FEATURES
Image Device: Size	1 / 3″ CCD
Snap Shot	Yes
Switching	Yes, picture to video and vice versa
Photo Burst Mode	No
Digital Still Resolution	2.68 megapixels
Features
Specific features	Image Stabilisation, Shooting Modes, 2 Channel Audio Control
Others
Sensor	CMOS
Recording	24 Mbps
Memory	120GB hard internal disk drive
Zoom Ratio (Digital)	200 x
PORTS AND CONNECTIVITY	Audio Output, Digital  Video Output, S-Video Output
Battery Life	97 minutes approx.
Warranty	One year

The Flip brand is almost synonymous with pocket internet camcorders as TomTom is with GPS satellite navigators. However, just as TomTom has been usurped by some of the other  manufacturers like Garmin, Flip too has plenty of competition in its hands. Pure Digital Technologies pioneered mobile style pocket video cameras, and its Mino is still the smallest and the most pocketable mini camcorders that we have come across; and that has not changed with its latest HD version. It is identical physically and just as lovable.

Design:

Pocketable:
The Flip Mini HD looks virtually identical to its non-HD predecessor. We appreciate the pocket friendly design and both models are super compact and weigh a mere 94 grams.  It sports a cute, small 38mm (1.5”) transflective LCD display that allows you to view what is on the screen even in bright daylight. While most of the previous Flips came in a choice of colours, and the original Mino could be either black or white; the Mino HD comes in with only options of Black and Silver. But, as they often say in the fashion world, at least black and silver are shades that never ever goes out of style. There is just one indication of the increased capabilities of the model and that is just a subtle Mini HD logo in the rear.

Buttons and Ports:
The USB connector of Mino HD flips straight up, rather than on the side, and for a smaller footprint, that should fit better in a crowded USB environment. There are responsive touch sensitive navigation buttons that are embedded into a shiny, flush surface on the rear. Though we really liked the buttons, we ended up occasionally touching the wrong ones by accident. There is a tripod mount that sits on the centre of the camcorder’s bottom, which will be particularly handy for securing it to a car or bike for action shots. As expected, there is no accessory shoe, microphone input or headphone jack; the target market would never use them anyway.

Connectivity:
Not surprisingly, the port for the AV output features Mino’s same Lilliput jack; in fact, it is smaller than the standard 2.5mm jack. Here is the disappointing news, while Flip includes a cable for connecting to a TV, the AV jack outputs only standard definition video. When compared with the Zi6’s output that supports HD and being shipped with a cable, it allows you to connect to the component video jacks on your television. Having said that, the video that you get out of the MinoHD’s composite connection looks much sharper than that of what you get out of the standard definition Mino and Ultra. Along with this cable, you also get a carrying pouch that doubles as a cloth to wipe down the Mino HD.

Installation:
Just like its predecessors, the Mino HD Pocket Camcorder is designed to be very simple to use, and it does so in an admirable way. As before, a full-sized USB plug pops out of the device at the flick of a switch – from which the brand name ‘Flip’ is derived. The entire bundled software suite resides on-board, and installation starts automatically when you plug the Mino HD in for the first time. So, in theory, you can upload your videos from any PC. Unlike some of its predecessors, the Mino HD offers virtually no setting to fiddle with, apart from date and time. After a reboot, you are greeted by a fairly capable app, FlipShare.

Features:

Ease of use:
All that you get to do with your Flip is, shoot in one resolution, and that is just it. Flip does not have any option to drop to a lower video resolution in order to store more video, but really, why do you want to do something like that? The Flip Mino HD Compact Digital Camcorder is all about pushing the red button to start and stop recording and just hitting the playback button to what you have recorded. That is pretty much it! In fact, after initially setting time and date, there is almost nothing else to control on the Mino HD other than starting and stopping recording. There are plus and minus buttons to operate the 2x digital zoom, but annoyingly these only become active when you are already shooting. So, you will not be able set up the zoom on a shot in advance. Not that we would recommend using the digital zoom anyway, as it clearly degrades image quality.

Upgrades:
In order to accommodate bigger and high resolution video files, the Flip Mino HD is equipped with double the usual memory, that is, 4GB. With this 4GB, you will be able to store 60 minutes of 1280 x 720 pixels resolution video. As in the case of the previous Flips, there is no card slot for upgrade, so an hour will be your limit. Here kicks in the comparison: Creative’s Vado HD comes with twice the memory, as well as offering lesser data rates and resolutions.

The original Mino shot VGA video at 640 x 480 pixels and as we just said, the latest model has increased the resolution to 1280 x 720 pixels, with the same progressively scanned 30 frames per second. The Mini HD 4GB Memory Camcorder has received an upgrade from Flip Video’s Pure Digital Video Engine 2.5 processor, to version 3.0. The HD model also incorporates a bigger 1/4.5 inch HD CMOS sensor. This is a fairly healthy size, with positive implications for low light shooting, although Flip does not quote the CMOS resolution. In addition to this, it has improved the low light sensitivity and makes use of a 9Mbps encoding rate, as opposed to the Mino’s 4Mbps one. Hence, the capacity is still quoted at approximately an hour of footage. Last but not the least, the Mino HD sports the H.264 video compression scheme instead of the Advanced Profile MPEG-4 AVI.

From Flip to PC:
The highlight selling point of Flip Video’s camcorders is, how easy it is to get the shot videos off the device and distribute them, and the Mino HD is no exception. All you have to do is, simply flip out the USB connector and plug it into your Mac or Windows machine and pops open FlipShare, which is company’s newly redesigned software. It is a much cleaner interface than before, but the features are broadly the same. You will be able to playback one clip, string a few of them together, pull out a single frame out of the video, and even share your clips with the selected viewers through email or web. When you share videos through mail, instead of attaching a large file or even the small 20 second clips that can result in 25MB file, the recipients are sent a link to your compressed video. Though it does not look anything like your raw video footage, it is not bad and Flip Video has made some serious efforts to preserve some of the sharpness and HD qualities of the video.

Loading on net:
Since this is a pocket Internet camcorder, however, the ease with which you can put your video online is a major selling point, and here Flip just about maintains its crown. Apart from the fact that it can take several minutes to process a video, sharing a file is extremely simple. All that you have to do is, click on the ‘Share Video’ button in the software interface and it takes you to the screen that asks you to select the video clip. You will be then allowed to share the selected clip through email, share a greeting by sending a private video card and share the clip online. In order to publish directly to the social networking sites like YouTube, AOL and MySpace, you will have to create an account for each and log in. Once that is done, you are allowed to automatically upload the videos to the web for private and public viewing with just the click of a button. In case you are allied to some other video sharing website, the same button allows you to prepare the video for uploading. But, in this case, you have to do the uploading the processed file from a folder on your desktop, manually.

FlipShare:
Overall, FlipShare has got a very clean look and seems very easy to use. There are even modest editing facilities. As well as trimming the in and out points of each clip, you can arrange them together to create a longer work, and then add titles and music. Unfortunately, the video trimming feature is buried and it no longer possesses the Movie Mix feature.  Previously, you will be able to select the clips that you liked, click a button and, a few minutes later, the software will give you a movie that is complete with transitions, special effects and even some background music of your choice. However, by sacrificing Muvee, that was powered by the Movie Mix feature, the Mino HD Pocket Internet Camcorder has gained the Mac and iMovie compatibility. With this, you will be able to trim your clips, string them together and add titles and music, but not with the press of a single button. You can even prepare a video for burning to DVD, although the actual disc writing will need to be performed by a third-party app. If you are not a video editing enthusiast, FlipShare could be all the software you ever want.

Performance:

Coming to the part of performance, Mino HD’s predecessor Mino’s video was pretty sharp, with fairly accurate, vibrant colours. But it did not scale well to keep it sharp, you had to watch the video in a small box on your computer screen. As far as the MinoHD is concerned, you can play a full-screen clip with no significant degradation. You will not be confusing the video for that of a ‘real’ HD camcorder, but the video quality is pretty impressive for a camcorder this tiny.

Although we never expect camcorders in this class to compete with mainstream models in terms of image quality, we have been mildly surprised at how well most of them perform. The Mino HD continues this trend. Video that is shot in both bright and low light looked good, not great. But, the video is not nearly as noisy in low light as we have seen from some of the other camcorders of this ilk. Most impressive is how the Mino HD copes with low light as the Mino HD shot footage you might actually be able to use, unlike many cheap camcorders. Toshiba’s Camileo P30, for example, failed dismally in this respect. The audio was also very decent and is certainly an improvement over that of Mino’s.

However, there are a few disappointments too. You do not get image stabilisation, there are clear signs of compression artefacts and bright areas easily blow out, but colours are reasonably faithful in good lighting, and there is an acceptable amount of detail. The Mino HD does a much better job when held steadily, this just means, you might just want to invest in a mini tripod. The camcorder also suffers from some focus issues, like choosing the ground and not the animal that scampers across it, and you also cannot get too close to your subjects, or they will be just out of focus. You might also notice that the videos do not always play smooth precision of true HD video; there is some slight jitter on an eight core Mac with nothing else running.

Battery:

The same non-removable, rechargeable lithium ion battery used in Mino is the one that powers Mino HD too. But, note that, here it shoots only for 2 hrs, compared to the standard Mino HD’s 4 hrs or so, and as you can guess, this difference is mainly because of the fact this Mino is a High Definition camcorder.|

Verdict:

Flip still has the biggest name in the pocket Internet camcorder market, and with Cisco recently acquiring the company it will have the marketing muscle to maintain its brand. The Mino HD certainly marks another step forward for Flip Video and even the mini camcorders in general. Of course, the device is not without caveats, and they include a relatively high price tag, no memory expansion slot and a short lived, non removable battery. So, the big question here is, if the MinoHD is better than the Kodak Zi6; and the good news is, it is. Although some might prefer the larger Zi6 with a larger LCD display, we feel that the main point, the Video quality of the Mino HD is slightly better and its smaller footprint will appeal to people who are looking for a camcorder that makes barely a bulge in your pocket.

Check other Pocket Camcorder Models, Flip Camcorder Reviews in this website.

Flip Mino HD  Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Pure Digital
Model Name	Flip Mino HD
Camcorder Type	Digital mini video camcorder
Dimensions (W x H x D)	51 x 99 x 15 mm
Weight	94 g
Screen type	LCD – TFT active matrix
Screen size	1.5″ (diagonal)
Resolution	176 x 132
Sensor	1/4.5″ HD CMOS Sensor 2.2 µm pixels
Interface	Touch-sensitive capacitive buttons
Power-up Time	Less than 4 seconds
Integrated memory	4GB
Camcorder internal storage type	Flash memory
Memory card support	None
Shooting modes	Normal movie mode
White balance and exposure modes	Automatic
Lens Type	Fixed Focus (1.5m to infinity)
Aperture	f/2.4 (fast lens for great results in low-light environments)
Zoom	Smooth multi-step 2x digital
Recording Time	1 hr
Video resolution	1280 x 720
Light Sensitivity	Ultra low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec) with automatic low light detection
Set date/time function	Yes
PC connection	Built-in flip-out USB arm
Online sharing	Unlimited private video emails or video greeting cards. Direct Upload to MySpace™ and YouTube™
Video Trimming	Video trim – set start and end points. Create movies with multiple video clips – add titles, music and credits.
Video Performance	Flip Video Engine 3.0
Frame Rate	30 frames per second
Average Bitrate	9.0Mbps (auto-adaptive algorithm)
Video Format	H.264 video compression, AAC audio compression, MP4 file format
White Balance & Exposure	Automatic white balance and black level calibration Automatic exposure control with dynamic exposure compensation
Battery type	Internal Lithium-Ion
Battery Life	Up to 2 hrs of use between charges
Charge Time	Via computer USB port – approx 3 hrs Via Power Adapter – approx 2 hrs
Box contents	Composite TV cable, wrist strap, soft protective case, quickstart guide
Warranty	1 year

Looking back at your life, you might have wondered how many albums it would have taken if ever you had a camera and captured the best moments of your life. Better late than never, as from now onwards, you can capture such felicitous moments of life. Sony is one of the prime producers of electronic goods in the world. At the same time, it is also occupies the front row seat when it comes to annoying people by releasing so many good products. One has to break his head to select which one of the lot is suitable to him. But we are here to clear the cloud for you and guide you towards a good and appropriate selection. The MHS-PM1 is one of the stylish and attractive camcorders in the market and one of the best products from Sony. It is released at a very reasonable rate, so that everyone could have a shot at it. Lots more features and aspects regarding this new camcorder are in store for you. So stay glued to your seats and keep on reading as we unveil this promising new camcorder.

Design:

Cool and Stylish:
As said earlier, there are so many options to choose from when it comes to the products of Sony, even regarding the design of the product. The MHS PM1 Pocket Size Camcorder is one of those camcorders that look very stylish and also it has got a very cool look. It actually looks like an ordinary mobile phone, with its orientation being vertical unlike the conventional camcorders whose orientation is more horizontal. The camera is also placed at the top of the back side of the MHS PM1, so that shooting becomes easy even when the cam is held in one hand. On the front side of the cam lies all the buttons that hold the control for the most important of all the features on the MHS PM1. Coming to the dimensions of this handycam, it measure about (H x W x D) 24 x 103 x 55mm and weighs about 120 grams. This means that the camcorder is very sleek and comfortable to be held in one hand and also to slide it into your pocket. It is just about perfectly designed so that it is not too big or too small.

Big Display:
The 1.8 inch screen is really good as well as big enough for displaying the subjects that you are about to shoot on your cam. It has good displaying characteristics that make it easy for you to view it, and it also swivels up to 270 degrees so that it is easy to shoot any kind of scene is many styles and angles. It also makes things easy for you to shoot yourself and still keep looking at the screen. More often than not, this might help you a lot, because, sometimes self shooting gives out funny videos if there is no possibility to look at the screen. Since the orientation of the screen is also in portrait style, it allows you to take portrait pictures with great deal of ease.

Features:

Most of Sony’s camcorders come in with a great deal of features and the MHS PM1 is not an exception by any means. They all are intended to make life easy for the users and hence, are extremely user friendly. Every option readily gives all that is intended by you. Now, the MHS PM1 certainly has the edge over its counterparts in the market because when you compare it with other camcorders, it has got more number of useful features that catch the attention of the eye.

Camera:
The first thing you will want to be good on a camcorder is its camera and the MHS PM1 has got a brilliant one. The new 5 mega pixel camera of this cam uses a special technology in grabbing the light from the subjects properly. Auto focusing is also one of the special features of this camera as it focuses on to the subjects and moreover on the faces of the subjects and then alter the picture quality accordingly. This means that the faces of the people in the frame are given the first preference, unlike many other cameras, which distribute their potential to the whole picture in the frame so that everything in the picture has the same clarity and intensity.

CMOS Sensor:
Most of the digital cameras are now featuring this particular sensor. The main function of this special sensor is to convert the light into digital signals so that the photos and videos are obtained digitally and hence, with minimal loss in information. Sony has gone one step ahead here by using a more refurbished version of the sensor that has in it the latest technology. Hence, your pictures will be clearer than ever. Such a sensible sensor is really helpful if you want to have the best image quality.

Sharemark:
This Sharemark is a trademark feature of the Sony MHS PM1 and it allows instant tagging of people in the photo so that it will be easier for instant uploading to different websites on the internet. There is a sharemark button on the menu of the device and by selecting that, you will see a few options that help you tag the different subjects in the photo. Video clips can also be tagged and you can then upload them on to the internet easily and instantly. This is a very unique feature as you can see and no other camera or camcorder in the market, including those from Sony, come with this feature.

HD 1080:
This feature has become a part and parcel of today’s cameras and camcorders. Since most of the houses in the world now have the HD LCD TVs, this feature may help such people. You can select the HD shoot mode and shoot videos in HD format. You can get high definition pictures, up to 1080p resolution so that they look very candid and also movie like, when you play them on the screens of our HD TVs. Shoot the videos with the camcorder on a stand and you will wonder whether it is a normal video or a movie. Such is the ability of the MHS-PM1 Digital Video Camcorder to take high quality pictures at all times of the day, no matter how the conditions are.

Image Stabilisation:
Optical Image stabilisation has to be one of those features that have improved video capturing a lot. Since most of the cameras and camcorders are so very sleek and compact nowadays, it will certainly be a lot difficult in holding it properly. This ultimately results in bad pictures which contain a lot of blur and shaking effect. To eliminate this, the solution, which is known as the optical image stabilisation, had been introduced. So, no need to worry about picture clarity now.

PMB:
The PMB or the Picture Motion Browser is a kind of software that helps you edit your pictures and videos, and then it converts them into formats that are suitable for uploading on to the internet, like mp4. After you have captured the videos, you can insert the memory card into the SD card slot of your computer and the PMB software automatically loads the videos and makes them ready for editing. You can cut the videos, add special effects and also add background music according to your wish and then save them as separate files on your computer. Then, when you connect to the internet, you can simply select those files and then upload on to the internet. In a few simple steps, your videos will feature on YouTube. That is how easy it gets with the MHS PM1.

HD Recording:
The Sony MHS PM1 is one of the best cams in the market if you have a great desire for high definition video recording from your camcorder. Sony has always been introducing the latest video technologies into the market with each of its new camcorder. Most of Sony’s camcorders have the ability to record high definition videos. This High Definition Technology always gives you very crisp pictures and also with the highest quality ever. The HD videos taken by the MHS PM1 resemble those movies you see in the theatres.

The MHS PM1 takes pictures with a very high resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is the best one you can expect from a camcorder of this type. It is also good to watch these videos on your HD TV that supports the 1080p viewing. It also allows you to record the videos in the latest mp4 format, which is also known as the H.264 format. This new format, helps you compress the videos taken by you and hence makes the files very small and hence it will be easy for you to upload them onto your computer and then on the internet. The mp4 format has the rare capacity to be compatible with most of the websites on the internet such as YouTube, Flickr and Photo Bucket.

USB 2.0 interface:
In order to save and also to share your pictures and videos with your family and friends, you need to connect your camcorder to the PC. It will then be also easy to upload these pictures and videos on to the internet. Hence, Sony has provided the facility for you to connect your cam through USB. With the help of a USB cable, which is provided along with the kit, you can sync your cam with your computer and transfer the files from one to the other. This is a common but an important feature since the USB 2.0 port is a pretty common thing which almost all the computers in the world today feature in them. The 2.0 version is also very fast compared to its precursor, which means that syncing your pictures is faster than ever, with the MHS PM1.

Tripod Mount:
For shooting still and wonderfully stable videos, you need to hold the camera in a frozen position and also not move it or shake it. This is not possible to do with the hands. Hence, a tripod mount is provide by Sony along with the camcorder so that if you want to capture still videos and pictures, just like those you will see on TV and the cinemas, you need to mount your camcorder on to the tripod stand, which comprises three small rods that keep the camera very still. If this arrangement is kept on a rigid platform, then your pictures will be so epic and that too without any sign of blur or shakiness. Hence, Sony has provided this tripod mount. This time round, the rods of the stand are also made slightly stronger since they were a bit weak in the past and broke off easily especially of you place the stand on a very rough surface.

Multi AV Terminal:
A Multi-AV terminal, with included cable, is provided and it allows you to connect your MHS PM1 camera to many other devices like your PC or for that matter, even your television, for the sake of easy and quick playback. You need to connect the cable to the terminal that you will find at the bottom of the camcorder, and then to your TV. Then, you can control the options on your TV screen, select the videos and pictures that you want to play and then they will be played on the big screen. This is a pretty cool feature provided by Sony since after all, you want to watch the movies that are shot by yourself.

Memory:
With the MHS-PM1 HD Snapshot Camcorder, you can record videos and still images directly to a memory card, in this case, the Memory Stick PRO Duo™ media which is sold separately in stores. This is meant for the easy transfer of files to your compatible PC or Mac. This is a simple process and you can insert the memory card into the card reader of your computer and then view, edit and share the pictures easily. This memory card can also be used for sending e-mail, printing, or even sharing the pictures on the MHS PM1, with any other Memory Stick PRO Duo™ compatible device with you. These memory cards are sold separately in the market and they range from 1 GB to 16 GB of memory. For normal usage, you can buy the 4 GB one and for frequent usage, you can buy the 16 GB one. Only this type of cards is compatible with the camcorder and it may or may not be compatible with the other types of cards.

Easy Switching:
With the introduction of the Easy Switching feature on the MHS PM1 Flash Memory Camcorder, you can now enjoy the luxury of having individual buttons for both Movie and still shooting. This allows you to simultaneously switch between the two modes, i.e., from video recording mode to the still photo capture mode, and that too with the simple toggling of a button, called the switch button. This feature may help in two ways; it helps you to take pictures separately even while shooting videos, and another thing is, you can take snapshots of the recording or even recorded videos. Hence, this is another useful feature from Sony that you will find on the MHS PM1.

MP4:
MP4 is one of the most popular multimedia formats that can easily compress the size of your audio and video. Hence, they help you in making your media files very small, small enough to be easily transferred to your PC or Mac. Another important ability of this format of videos is that it is also highly compatible with almost all the websites of the Web, like YouTube and Photo Bucket, so that you can simply upload your media on to the internet and also save a lot of time. No need of converters now that you will otherwise have to make use of if you want to upload videos on to the internet.
Hence, as you can see, this is a very huge package of features provided by Sony, on the MHS PM1. Although most of them are there in the previous models from Sony, some others are newly introduced and are already a hit in the market.

Performance:

The performance aspects of any camera are very important in deciding the usability of it. Over the years, Sony has produced very qualitative products and the camcorders are no exception for that.

Video:
As we have already seen under the features section, with the help of a very good lens and good features in combination with nice options that can alter the shooting modes according the conditions outside, the MHS PM1 is one of the best performing camcorders Sony has ever produced. There is also no other camcorder in the market that comes with so many video options and settings. Hence, considering all these and also the quality of pictures that the camcorder produces, you can easily tell that this one is a very good performing camcorder, when it comes to the videos.

Audio:
For any good camcorder, there must be solid audio hardware, since good videos always need good audio backup. Sony has always taken care of the audio performance of its cameras and camcorders and this time also, it has given its best in doing the same. Now, coming to the audio features of the MHS PM1, the details are as follows- Recording Format : Mono and Microphone : Built-in Mono Microphone. Although there is no stereo mode for the speakers, unlike many other precursors of the MHS PM1, you still receive very good sounds with fine voice clarity, making the audio support the videos of the MHS PM1 very well.

Connectivity:
In addition to the already discussed USB 2.0 feature, the MHS PM1 also comprises a few other connectivity features that make the camcorder a very good connecting device. The different connectivity ports that you will find on the MHS PM1 include Terminal Audio/Video, Component Video, Multi A/V Analogue Audio/Video. Hence, connecting your camcorder to any other compatible electronic device has never been this easy.

So, clearly, Sony has tried to give its best in providing you a very qualitative camcorder and also for a very good bargain.

Battery and Power Consumption:

The Sony MHS PM1 comes with a very special battery that can give you a longer battery life. A specially made battery of type Info Lithium in association with Accu Power™ Meter System of type NP-BK1, gives you a long standing battery that helps you shoot for hours together. The battery is also removable and rechargeable, which means that you can always have a spare battery with you just in case of emergency. The battery can also be charged and the details regarding it are: Power Requirement: 3.6V for the battery pack; 4.2V for the AC Adaptor. Power Consumption in full operation mode is about 2.0W, which is really good for a camcorder. It also charges very quickly. So, you can save your time as well as money.

Warranty:

Sony offers a parts and labour warranty for a period of one year from the original date of purchase of the MHS PM1.

Verdict:

Considering all the above details of the Sony MHS PM1 camcorder, it can be said that it is one of the best in the market and it is also priced so well that it is very affordable and if you are looking for a good camcorder along with a cute design and lots of features, then you can go for the Sony MHS PM1. Of course, this is not the end of it as there are scores of top class camcorders in the market especially from Sony. So, just in case this is not the right one you are looking for or even if you are willing to pay even higher, there are lots of other high definition camcorders, some of them even better than this one, waiting for you. Hence, you can afford to have a brief look at their reviews as well on this very website itself.

Check other Sony Handycam Reviews, Best Pocket Camcorders in this website.

Sony MHS-PM1 Compact Size Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Sony
Model Name	MHS PM1
Form Factor	Candy Bar
Dimensions (W x H x D)	103 x 55 x 24mm
Weight	120 grams
Display	1.8” TFT LCD Screen
VIDEO FEATURES
Formats Supported	MP4
Image Size	1440 x 1080
Instant Shooting	Yes
Minimum Luminosity	3 Lux
AUDIO FEATURES
Audio System	Mono
Built in Microphone	Yes
Specific features	Built in Speaker
CAMERA FEATURES
Sensor pixels	5038K
Snap Shot	Yes
Switching	Yes, picture to video and vice versa
Photo Burst Mode	Yes
Webcam Function	No
Features
Specific features	Image Stabilisation, Shooting Modes, USB 2.0, Memory Card
Others
Sensor	CMOS
Photo mode	Yes
Face detection	Yes
Zoom Ratio (Digital)	4 x
PORTS AND CONNECTIVITY	Audio Output, Video Output, USB Output
Battery Life	One Hour per each battery
Warranty	One year

Camcorders are one of those gadgets that have gained a lot of attention over the last couple of decades. In fact, when it comes to the pocket camcorders, they are the most used gadgets after the mobile phones. Since there are numerous camcorders out in the market, we see to it that you will be guided towards the right choice. This particular mini camcorder from Disgo is a pretty cheap and at the same time useful camcorder which suffices your needs of capturing videos. Have a deeper look at this funny little camcorder.

Teeny Meeny Design:

The design part of the camcorder is one of the big pluses to it. A sleek body and a candy bar form factor makes it look extremely cute. Measuring (H x W x D) 103 x 50 x 21 mm and weighing about 68 grams, it rather looks like a blend of a music player and a modern mobile phone. There are operational keys at the bottom on the fascia below the display, just like on your iPod. The camera is also at the rear side of the camcorder just like on the mobile phones. Both these factors contribute towards a smooth experience while capturing the videos. With smooth edges and a shiny outward appearance, it is simply attention grabbing. The model is available in black, pink and blue shades. It also looks smaller than normal, thereby justifying its very name. Hence, with no exceptions, the Disgo Fun Mini digital camcorder looks pretty cute in your hands.

TFT Display:

As we have already seen, there is a 1.5 inch TFT screen on the front side. Although this display is neither as big as the others nor is it great, it is good enough to show you all the pictures that were taken and the videos that were captured. But it is definitely not a great player of videos. If at all the videos are to be seen, then the camcorder must be synced to the computer.

Connectivity:

The Disgo Fun Digital Video camcorder can be connected to the computer by using the USB 1.1 cable that is provided. This just like connecting a USB device and it is an easy process. The system requirements for the camcorder are: An operating system which is one of Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, 2000 and ME. Hence, the Microsoft Windows 7 and Apple Mac are not supported as of now, so such users should be careful while purchasing. But we hope that the new versions will be released soon. There is also an AV cable along with the USB cable so that the video can be watched on the television screen just by plugging in the cable. But, the HDMI cable is not provided and there is also no slot for one if at all you already have, so this means that you cannot directly view the videos on the HD TVs. But you can watch on them by burning the videos into a DVD.

Features:

The Camera:
The camera of the Disgo Fun is a reasonably good one. It has got a CMOS sensor of 300K pixels, which is good sign. The CMOS sensor is a special one that tries to glorify the subjects in the frame and thereby giving you good quality pictures. The pictures are also taken with a resolution of 1280 x 960 pixels, so you will get a widescreen type video which will be great to look at on the HD TV. There is also a photo mode that allows you to take photos while shooting videos. All the features that accompany the camera usually are also featured here, but the main drawback of this camera is that it gives very grain pictures when under poor or artificial light conditions.

Image Stabilisation:
It will not be an exaggeration if said that nowadays there is no camera or camcorder without this feature. You may be wondering what this image stabilisation is. It is a special technology that helps you get well balanced pictures, while nullifying the effect of camera shake. So there will be no blurring or tailing when you take pictures that are moving. This image stabilisation technology gives a bit of a breather to the camera because it itself is not a very reliable one. So, one thing of which you are assured is that your pictures will be stabilised even though they may not be crystal clear. That is some good value for the money.

Memory:
The Disgo Fun camcorder comes with an internal memory of 1 GB. Usually, this might be enough for about 60 minutes of video recording considering the picture resolution and the aspect ratio of the camcorder. But you always want more from your camcorder. So, buying an additional memory card is always advisable, and that too, a memory card of 4 GB or higher in order to have a lot of space for your videos.

Software:
The Disgo Fun is also provided with some software that helps you in syncing it to the computer and also to edit and save videos which are captured, on the computer. VP-EYE 6.0 Plus is one of them that converts the videos in the memory cards and make them compatible to the computer and helps you in editing the videos. It also helps you burn these videos into DVDs so that they can be viewed later on the TV screen. The software comes in a CD ROM that is inside the container box.

Hence, even though the features are not very new and also none of them is startlingly attractive like the ones you see on the highly rated camcorders, this is a very good attempt by Disgo in providing some useful features and options that enable the user to shoot comfortably.

Performance:

The very look of the Disgo Fun Mini Camcorder is like a toy, but it is not a toy by any means. But on the other hand, it would be very kind if we say that the Disgo Fun performs well in all conditions. Basically, you cannot afford to expect more from a camcorder that is as cheap as this one. It has a reasonable camera that comes along with good design. The camera of this camcorder can be compared to that of a good mobile phone. In other words, the pictures are good but are not great. The camera works excellently under very good lighting conditions and you get very nice pictures. But when you go for shooting indoors, you will clearly see the difference. Under poor or even for that matter, under moderate light conditions, the camera struggles to get good pictures. But, on the whole, the camera is not that good for those who do wish to shoot very often.

But even then, you cannot rate the camcorder low, because it performs better than the cameras of many mobile phones and that too at such a very low budget. Hence, considering the cost of the camera, the performance is very commendable. But if you still want a better performing camcorder, then this is not the place for you. You can check out other good camcorders which are a bit costlier.

Battery:

Another good thing regarding the Disgo Fun Compact, Light Weight Camcorder is that there are three Li ion batteries provided by default. This means that you do not need to buy a spare battery in order to have more battery life. You can carry these batteries along with you wherever you go to make sure that you can shoot happily without worrying about the battery life. The three AAA batteries provided have a battery life of about an hour each. So, you get three hours of shooting on the whole. This is another plus to the Disgo Fun.

Warranty:

There is a parts and labour warranty for a period of two years from the original date of purchase. Two years is pretty long time for warranty. The camcorder will be repaired or replaced by a new piece, conforming to the conditions opined by the company. The warranty service will not be provided in case of physical damage. All the remaining details regarding the conditions and regulations that apply during the warranty period are mentioned in the warranty card that is given at the time of purchase. This card must be carefully preserved and it has to be reproduced at the service centre when you wish to avail the warranty service.

Verdict:

After all that we have seen above, it can be concluded that this is a pretty cheap but also at the same time, a good camcorder. We have to appreciate the efforts of Disgo in providing such an affordable camcorder. Good, sleek and attractive design, reasonable features and very good battery life are the pluses while the performance is lacking a bit. Although this is not a recommendable camcorder, it is a useful purchase especially for the young and the novice users. Students can afford to buy this with their pocket money. If your main aim is to take pictures for fun or if you are a student and photography is your hobby, then this camcorder will do good to you. But if you really want to go big and purchase an excellent camcorder without any compromise in the picture quality and features, then you always have wonderful camcorders in the market.

Check other Mini Camcorder Reviews, Mini DV Camcorder Models in this website.

Disgo Fun Mini Video Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Disgo
Model Name	Disgo Fun Mini
Form Factor	Candy Bar
Dimensions (W x H x D)	103 x 50 x 21 mm
Weight	68 grams
Display	1.5″ TFT LCD Screen
Colours Available	Black, Pink and Blue
VIDEO FEATURES
Formats Supported	Standard Definition
Image Size	1280 x 960
Instant Shooting	No
Minimum Luminosity	3 Lux
AUDIO FEATURES
Audio System	Stereo
Built in Microphone	Yes
Specific features	Built in Speaker
CAMERA FEATURES
Image Sensor	CMOS 300K Pixels
Video Frame Rate	VGA: 18fps (default) QVGA: 25fps
Video Resolution	HI: 640*480 (VGA) LO: 320*240 (QVGA)
Sensor pixels	300K
Lens	8x digital zoom
Snap Shot	Yes
Switching	Yes, picture to video and vice versa
Photo Burst Mode	No
Webcam Function	No
FEATURES
USB	USB 1.1/2.0
File Format	JPEG/AVI
Operating System	Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 2000 Windows ME
White Balance	Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Fluorescent / Tungsten
Exposure	+2.0 ~ -2.0
Specific features	Image Stabilisation, Shooting Modes, USB 1.1, 2.0, Memory Card
OSD Language	English
OTHERS
Photo mode	Yes
Face detection	No
Zoom Ratio (Optical)	8 x
PORTS AND CONNECTIVITY	Audio Output, Video Output, USB Output
Power Source	3 x AAA batteries (included)
Battery Life	60 minutes recording time in QVGA or 70 minutes playback
Warranty	Two years

Canon has been delighting you always with a wide range of cameras and that too, with excellent quality. All of its products are of stunning design and quality. Its camcorders have a great demand in the market and they have always remained on the top right from their advent into the camcorder market. All the camcorders that were released until now are a big hit. Meanwhile, Canon has released its new and once again a stunning camcorder, the Canon Legria HF200. It is embedded with the latest electronic technology and is expected to cross all roadblocks when it comes to the sales. Let us go through the different facets of this fabulous looking camcorder and see if we can afford to pick it as one of the best ever from Canon.

Design:

Sleek and comfy:
The Legria HF200 Digital Camcorder is quite small and comfortable to handle. Even though there are numerous camcorders in the market that are very small and cute, this should definitely be one of the best designs ever from Canon. The reason for that is the camcorder is so cute to look at and when you take it into your hands you will know that the cam can be perfectly held in one hand. Measuring just about 62 x 70 x 124mm and weighing 340g, this has to be pretty comfortable for you to hold in one hand. Normally with such small cams, there is no need to take the help of the second hand. Also at some times this may lead to shaking of the camera and you may get a blurred image. There is a big lens on the front side and the display is on the side of it. All the control buttons of great importance are also grouped together very well and they are hence easily accessible. Considering these and a few other sundry aspects, it can well be said that Canon has given its best in producing one of its finest designs ever.

Display:
This is also an integral part of the camcorder and more often than not, this aspect may well become the decision maker. The Legria HF200 has a 2.7 inch TFT LCD screen that enables viewing the subjects before they are actually filmed or captured. The screen is quite big for a small camcorder like the Legria HF200 itself. The screen can also be rotated on its axis so that it is comfortable to view the screen when filming in different angles. Particularly, like all camcorders, it is easy to film yourself of you can swivel the screen towards yourself. The screen has all the details of the video and it shows you things like time left, date and time and other information. The screen also can show the information in various languages so that it will be comfortable for local shooters. You can set the language for yourself or the default will be English.

Features:

One of the landmarks of Canon, of late, has been the features section.  Along with good looks, the Legria HF200 High Definition Camcorder also has a variety of features that are so cool and they also greatly improve the popularity of the camcorder.

Face Detection:
Although the Face Detection feature is pretty well known, it is also one of the very common features that are found on just about every camcorder. This is the new technology that allows the lens of the camera to focus more on the faces of the subjects in the picture and then alters the shooting or capturing conditions so as to optimise the quality and clarity of the faces. Even though the overall picture is of great quality, the faces are concentrated more. Hence this feature is one of the most important ones regarding the Legria HF200.

Memory Card Recording:
This is not something new, although it is very useful. You can shoot excellent and High Definition videos and then store them into SDHC type memory cards. These cards are sold separately in the stores. Even though few other cards may be compatible with the Legria HF200 HD Video Camcorder, only the SDHC is officially authenticated as compatible. To be more precise, you better buy that one or you may or may not face problems in the future. A piece of advice that can be given here is that the memory of the card should be at least 2 GB in order to store more HD videos. 4GB or higher are always welcome though.

Instant Shooting:
The Canon Legria HF200 is capable of starting within a second, when you just open the LCD screen. This is called the quick start option and is helpful when instant shooting is needed. Whenever you see something interesting, you can immediately open the lid and then shoot it almost immediately. With a second, you can switch the camcorder on and then shoot videos by just immediately pressing the record button. This feature is quite common nowadays but the Legria HF200 does it quicker than many. While even the best of the cameras nowadays are taking more than a few seconds to start, the Legria HF200 takes merely one second to open up and be ready for full range shooting. Everything happens in seconds.

Creative Options:
There are a few creative options that can creatively alter the settings and options in order to get the pictures that match your tastes and likings. The Legria HF200 has separate options that help you cope up with different conditions and ultimately get the best output. It automatically alters the video and picture modes when in dim light conditions and thus the image or video quality is not reduced very much. The 25 p video mode allows video shooting at 25 frames per second and thereby giving you pictures that match the cinemas. The colour contrast of the Legria HF200 is also quite good, in fact better than any of the other Canon camcorders. There is a special feature, known as the x.v.colour feature, which alters few settings and make the pictures look great on the HD TVs, when the videos are played on them.

Shooting Modes:
There are a few shooting modes so that you can choose the appropriate one depending upon the situation. The Video Snapshot option allows you to snapshot photos from the videos that were taken. Another option is the short record option. With this feature, a short recording of the videos is done every time the record button is presses. All such videos are stored in the memory and they all can be mixed later manually or automatically. You can also add different soundtracks to these videos and they are like the background music. So, you get a customised video mix and this will be a pretty interesting feature that you will ever see. With the music track utility that is provided, you can store music files on to the memory card so that they can be used as background scores for the videos. There is no need of a computer in order to edit all these videos. You can do it all on the camcorder itself.

Software:
A software bundle is provided by Canon, along with the Legria HF200 3.3 Mega Pixel Camcorder. This allows you install them on your computer and use them. The first one is the PIXELA edit software. With this special software, you can edit and crop your photos as you like, edit and provide some effects to your videos and then save them. Later on, you can connect to the internet from your computer and then upload these files on to the internet in order to shame them with the world. The second one is the DW 100 DVD burner that is presented by Canon itself. This one easily burns your DVDs and you can make your own collection of your pictures and videos and later watch on the HD television sets. Thus, both these features are pretty good and helpful. They enhance the utility of the Legria HF200.

These features are really helpful to you in shooting well. Some of them may seem pretty new to some of the novice users but nothing is very difficult. Once you start using the Legria HF200, it will be fun and you will also get used to it soon.

Performance:

Any camcorder has to score good marks in this area, the aspect of performance. Every camcorder has to pass the acid tests that are conducted by experts. Regarding this aspect, the Legria HF200 does not seem to have even the smallest of problems. All its parts are functioning very well and it will be one of the best camcorders that Canon has ever unleashed. Let us come to the point and discuss the various performance aspects of the camcorder.

Camera:
Stunning is the word that you can use to describe the camera of the Legria HF200. Make no mistake; this is one of the best cameras ever in the history of the digital era. It has in it everything that one would expect from a top quality camera. Going into the details of this camera, it has a 3.3 MP lens that gives you excellent pictures all the time. The combination of this lens and the CMOS sensor is just about perfect for any camera. Along with the Full HD CMOS sensor, the 15x optical zoom feature, the Canon HD video lens, 24 Mbps fast video recording, and also the super fast DIGIC DV III processor that gives you Full HD quality video output, leaving an impression of a HD movie. If the settings are set to high, the camera unleashes its full potential.
There is also face detection feature which is already discussed earlier. The camera has such a great ability to recognise up to 35 faces of people inside the photo frame so that you can tag almost everyone that is there in the picture. The super range optical image stabilisation has taken the camera to new heights and you will barely see the effects of shaking and blurring. Hence your shots are never ruined by the shaking of your hands. With such a good camera and its features, you can easily bet on the Legria HF200 to give you stunning HD pictures.

Video Technology:
This area of the camcorder has been improved so much by Canon. The latest of video technology is being used in all the camcorders of Canon and the Legria HF200 is not at all exception by any means. There are also multiple options that make the video shooting better. You can take still pictures of 3.3 MP. Along with this, you also have what is called the Dual Shot mode that allows you to take both pictures and videos at a time. While you are shooting videos of 2 MP, you can always almost readily take pictures at your will, without ever changing the mode. Just by switching between the shooting modes, you can almost instantaneously take quick pictures while the video is recorded in parallel. The photo burst mode allows you to shoot about 25 pictures per second. That is the reason it is called a burst of photos. You can select the best of the randomly clicked photos and save them. Added to all of these wonderful features, the performance part has been top notch. The overall video execution is almost stunning.

Audio Technology:
With the microphone input inside the camcorder, you can attach an external mic in order to record good sounds so as to complement the videos. The microphone input that is there inside allows you to attach an external mic in order to record the audio signals with more clarity. With this, the monitor-audio levels are perfectly maintained. This means that the sounds are produced as they were when the videos are played on the TVs. The direction and the intensity of the sounds are recorded with good accuracy. Hence you can notice the immense development in the audio technology of the camcorders from Canon. On the whole, you get good audio that complements the videos on the Legria HF200.

Thus, you can clearly see that Canon has focussed its attention primarily on the performance aspects of its camcorders. There is not at all a single problem regarding the performance of the Legria HF200 that bothers you. You can happily shoot either indoors or outdoors and almost in all conditions and then get great video output along with great audio.

Battery:

The Legria HF200 come with one of the latest battery technologies. It has the BP 827 type of lithium ion battery that offers you longer battery life. Remember that the more are the options and features switched on in the camcorder, the lesser is the battery life. Hence it is always better to leave the option to the cam itself to choose the shooting conditions and change the settings itself. If customisation is so needed, then it is better that there is a spare battery with you. Having a spare battery with you does you a world of good and especially when you plan to shoot outdoors. This is necessary for any camcorder, not just the Legria HF200.

Warranty:

Canon offers parts and labour warranty for a period of twelve months from the original date of purchase.

Verdict:

You have already made a very good decision if you have gone in favour of the Canon Legria HF200. If you still have not, then you can happily choose this one because you do not find a camcorder that is much better than the Legria HF200, that easily. It has everything in it to make it a five star rated camcorder. Great design, exciting features and wonderful performance, all of them are instrumental in making the camcorder a great hit. Except for the fact that the cam is costlier than normal, there has been no negative aspect regarding the Legria HF200. Even though this is one of the cheapest camcorders from Canon after it has revised its dimensions for the digital cameras, it is still considerably costly. Thus, if you think you do not need to pay too much for a camcorder, then you can look at other camcorders that are almost equivalent with this one, especially from Sony and Toshiba.

Check other Canon Camcorder Reviews, Ratings in this website.

Canon Legria HF200 Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Canon
Model Name	Legria HF200
Camcorder type	HD Camcorder
Dimensions (W x H x D)	62 x 70 x 124 mm
Weight	340 grams
Display	2.7″ LCD Screen
VIDEO FEATURES
Formats Supported	Standard Definition
Still image resolution	3.3 mega pixels
Compression of still image	JPEG
Image Size	1488 x 1128
Instant Shooting	Yes
Minimum Luminosity	3 Lux
AUDIO FEATURES
Audio System	Stereo
Built in Microphone	Stereo, zoom microphone
Specific features	Built in Speaker
CAMERA FEATURES
Image Device: Size	1 / 4″ CCD
Snap Shot	Yes
Switching	Yes, picture to video and vice versa
Photo Burst Mode	25 pictures per frame
Digital Still Resolution	8 megapixels
Features
Specific features	Image Stabilisation, Shooting Modes, 2 Channel Audio Control
Others
Sensor	CMOS
Recording	24 Mbps
Face detection	Yes, up to 35 per frame
Zoom Ratio (Optical)	15 x
Processor	DIGIC DV III
PORTS AND CONNECTIVITY	Audio Output, Digital Video Output, S-Video Output, USB Output
Battery Life	One Hour
Warranty	One year