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Sony Dcr Hc90 Minidv Handycam Camcorder

CL) U) SONY DCR-HC90 MINI DV CAM

The DCR-HC90 features a 3.3-megapixel Advanced CCD imager for heightened digital video and digital still photographic performance. MiniDV recording offers three times the color band width with significantly higher signal-to-noise ratio, so your video is systematically crystal clear. The SteadyShot picture-stabilization system uses motion sensors to observe and rectify any camera shake for smoother video quality.

Features of the Sony DCR-HC90

3.3-Megapixel (Gross) Advanced HAD CCD Imager 1/3-inch Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 2050K (effective) pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with special video (up to 530 lines of horizontal resolution) and still effigy performance. The Megapixel engineering enhances your digital videos and digital still photography performance.	The 2.7-inch display makes composing shots in 16:9 mode easy.
MiniDV Recording Offers up to 530 lines of horizontal resolution, three times the color bandwidth, and a significantly higher signal-to-noise proportionality to provide spectacular video performance.
10x Optical/120x Digital Zoom The optical zoom helps to fetch the action close up from far away. Digital Zoom Interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than with former types of digital zooms.	SteadyShot Picture-Stabilization System Picture-stabilization system that uses motion sensors to observe and compensate for camera shake without compromising picture quality, as a heap of other digital stabilization schemes do.
Analog to Digital Conversion with Pass-Through Convert and/or record any analog NTSC video source to digital video thru the analog inputs. Analog NTSC video may likewise be passed in real time through the digital Handycam Camcorder directly into a PC by way of the i.LINK interface for easy PC editing of your analog footage.	2.7-Inch-Wide Touch Panel SwivelScreen LCD Display (123K Pixels) The 2.7-inch-wide (16:9) LCD screen provides magnificent looking at clarity with bettered resolution. The high-resolution 123K-pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple observing angles, supplying sharp, elaborated images for monitoring or playback, and the widescreen format makes shooting in 16:9 mode and composing shots even easier.
On-Screen Zoom and Record Buttons For further and added control of the camcorder, the DCR-HC90 features Zoom and Record buttons on the frame of the LCD screen. This allows the user more flexibleness when keeping the camcorder, in particular in overhead or low-angle shots.	USB Streaming Stay connected to family and friends by broadcasting live video with audio over the Internet using the USB interface. You may even play back your bestloved recorded scene on the camcorder’s tape. It’s like having your own video-conferencing system.
Progressive Shutter System A mechanical shutter scheme provides progressive scan performance while using an interlaced scanning system. Digital still images will be sharp and clear with magnificent definition.	Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick Duo Media Capture still images at 2016×1512 (3.0-megapixel) solution directly on Memory Stick Duo media for easy transfer to PCs for e-mailing, printing, or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick devices.
i.LINK DV Interface A digital high-speed bidirectional interface which provides audio/video communicating amid two compatible devices. This connection allows for pure digital transfer amidst appliances equipped with an IEEE1394 interface, such as camcorders, digital VTRs, capture cards, and PCs.	Picture Package Software Easily coordinate still images and video and turn them into stunning music videos.
	One-Touch Wide-Angle Shooting Easily switch among 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios for shooting, with just the touch of a button
T* coating boosts light transmission through the lens, reducing glare and flare.	Professional-Quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lens Carl Zeiss lenses have an innovative optical multilayer coating that offers less glare and flare, with increased contrast. This results in bright effigy brilliance, true-to-life color saturation, and perfective renditions of subtle tones. The further and added T* coating on the lens further reduces undesirable glare and flare.
Program AE (Auto Exposure) Modes Program AE modes make recording easy even when filming in challenging situations. Choose from Portrait, Beach & Ski, Sports Lesson, Landscape, Spotlight, and Sunset & Moon modes.	Active Interface Shoe Provides a emplacement directly on the camcorder on which to add optional accessaries while supplying power and two-way communicating to those accessories.
Super NightShot Plus Infrared System With Sony’s Super NightShot Infrared System you may capture natural-looking video, even when shooting in low light. Record subjects up to 20 feet away using the built-in infrared system, but without the overall monochrome color mutual with earlier low-light recording systems.	Tele Macro Function Useful for shooting close up shots without having the camcorder casting a shadow on the subject. Images shot in the Tele Macro Mode will have the subject the right way focalized with the background unfocused so that the subject stands out.
Picture Effects Get originative when recording or playing back your videos with Sony’s Picture Effect Modes. Effects available in Camera mode: Negative Art, Sepia, Monotone, Solarize, Pastel, and Mosaic. Effects available in Playback mode: Negative Art, Sepia, Monotone, and Solarize.	Battery Information At the touch of a button, battery data is displayed on the LCD screen when charging or when the camcorder is turned off. The display will show how much the battery is charged in 10-percent increments and the recordable time left on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.
Manual Focus Allows the user to manually adjust the focus of the camcorder using the touch panel. Manual focusing likewise allows the user to control the focus in difficult situations in which either the surroundings or the subject does not grant the camcorder’s autofocus to carry out optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.	Easy Handycam Button Using a camcorder may be daunting for some, so with a press of the Easy Handycam button, most of the progressed features of the camcorder are “locked out,” leaving only the buttons necessary for recording operational.

What’s in the Box
Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam camcorder, AC-L200 power adapter/in-camera charger, NP-F NEW InfoLithium rechargeable battery, RMT-831 Remote Commander remote control, stereo AV cable, MSA-M16A Memory Stick Duo media, MSAC-M2 Memory Stick Duo adapter, USB cable, shoulder strap, CD-ROM with USB driver (PicturePackage software version 1.0 for Sony).

Canon Vixia Hf M400 Hd Camcorder With Dual

The Canon VIXIA HF M400 Flash Memory Camcorder features dual SDXC-compatible memory card slots in an ultra-sleek, compact and lightweight body, comfortableness and capability wrapped in one package. Canon’s leading imaging technologies, including a Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens and new HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor deliver high video resolution, outstanding low-light performance, and a wide dynamic range. Sophisticated features such as Smart Auto read the visual constituents of the scene you’re shooting and chooses the best settings. Touch & Track allows you to achieve sharp focus and precise exposure for any subject, merely by touching the 3.0 Touch Panel LCD. New features such as Cinema-Look Filters, Story Creator, and Touch Decoration provide an easy and fun way to shoot great video and add originative flair. And a new high-quality internal microphone allows your audio to match the breathtaking realism of your video. Flash Memory The VIXIA HF M400 allows you to record clear high definition video to two SDXC-compatible memory card slots. With Relay Recording, the camcorder mechanically switches video recording from one SD memory card to the other when the memory card becomes full. No need then to worry when it comes to running out of recording time for the duration of a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime shot. With SDXC memory card compatibility, you’ll have card storage capacity from more than 32GB up to 2TB and ultra-fast data transfer speeds. You?ll also have the flexibleness of directly inserting the removable SD memory cards from your VIXIA HF M400 into your computer or HDTV’s card reader to view your recorded footage immediately. Canon HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor Incorporating a proven technology in Canon’s professional level camcorders, HD CMOS Pro is a 1/3 native 1920×1080 effigy sensor which delivers outstanding video resolution, superb low-light performance and a wide dynamic range.  Unlike effigy sensors found in competitory buyer camcorders, HD CMOS Pro uses fewe…

You’ll also have the flexibleness of directly inserting the removable SD memory cards from your VIXIA HF M400 into your computer or HDTV’s card reader to view your recorded footage immediately.

Most helpful customer reviews

232 of 234 people found the following review helpful.
Very Impressed
By Simpleton Peck
Well, I have had this camcorder now for a week and tested it in many lighting situations and locations and I must say I’m very impressed. Outside filming my niece and dogs in the yard the videos are crisp viewed on my 40″ Sony HD LCD TV. I would give it a 5 out of 5. In my eyes, looks broadcast quality. Indoors with varying light was also impressive although I did notice a little graininess. I’d give low light a 4 star rating. Being as anal as I am, I did a little test. Take it for what it’s worth.

Now I am the most anal person you will probably meet and maybe set my expectations too high at times, but I started flipping through some of the HD channels on t.v. to do a little comparison and noticed too a bit of graininess if I stood right up to the television. Now I know nobody watches t.v from three inches away, I just wanted to compare what was being broadcasted to what I was able to film with this camera. I must say, this camera’s footage is nearly spot on in many instances (TNT in HD, FOX in HD, USA in HD) I’d like to believe I have a good signal from my cable provider into my television, so in overall video quality, I’d give this camera 5 stars.

So why not 5 stars overall for this camera? Well, maybe I’m used to my iphone’s touchscreen too much, but the touchscreen on the viewfinder drives me nuts. I might be old school (34 years old), but I really prefer actual buttons to navigate menus and such. I used to own a Canon Vixia HF100 and really enjoyed the navigation stick and buttons. I would say I have average sized hands, and find it a bit hard to get the right menu selection with my finger at times.

Now I did go with the 16gb version and have no regrets though I can’t ever see myself opting for using its internal storage. I like to be able to pop out my sd card and just watch my videos on my PS3 or computer for editing instantly. Don’t like the hassle of transferring images via usb. Also, wanted a black body as opposed to the silver one. Yes, I’m that picky. LOL. I like the fact it has two sd card slots, so storage should never be an issue.

I also like that canon took a chance on just making it lower megapixel for ideal HD recording. Let’s be honest, if you want to take pictures, use a real camera. I’d much rather have better video quality and sacrifice still photos. I know a lot of people complain about this, but it seems to make sense. You’re getting “larger” pixels for higher quality low light recording. It’s also nice that Canon included the HD CMOS Pro censor in this model. The same one found in the higher end G10, saving you quite a few bucks.

Overall, I’m very pleased with my purchase and feel Canon has put out a very competitive product with great results. I’ve already bought a lens hood and extended battery to compliment the camera. (Stock battery is too small and leaves a noticeable gap at the edge. A BP819 should fit the bill nicely. I hope this review was helpful. I know a lot of reviewers commented on its other features, so that is why I omitted some of the other points. Thanks for reading.

166 of 166 people found the following review helpful.
Best Mid-Range Camcorder – Excellent for Low Light
By Scuba Steve
Well, stating that this is the best mid-range camcorder is quite a claim, but to be fair, it’s not my assertion – that award was just bestowed on the M40 this week by CamcorderInfo.com …and by mid-range, they mean video cameras priced between $500 and $1000. What makes this camera an even better deal is that you can get all three versions (M400, M40, and M41) for under $500.

Keep in mind that most reviewers of camcorders look at specs and then make a subjective judgment about the quality of the video. The CamcorderInfo.com folks (with whom I am not affiliated) do extensive lab-based testing to measure, for example, color accuracy, noise, and low-light performance in controlled and consistent conditions. The fact that they rate this camera so highly is high praise indeed. They also have a great 11 page review on the M40 if you are interested.

So why did they like this camera so much? Put simply, its sensor. This camera’s sensor is larger and more optimized for HD video than the competition. Most of those other cameras use a quarter inch sensor, while this camera has one that is one-third of an inch size. When you calculate sensor area, that is a heck of a difference. Canon has also optimized the hardware and software to focus this sensor on HD resolution…so it does it well. Many other cameras not only have a smaller sensor, they integrate it so it can record HD *and* higher than HD resolution still pictures. Canon did not do so here. Yes, you can take still photos with the camera, but at full HD resolution only (1920×1080) – not larger. Canon appears to have decided to not sacrifice video quality to get a higher megapixel rating for still pictures. Hey, you are buying a *video* camera…right?

So what are they then doing with such a large sensor? Grabbing more light, suppressing visual noise, and getting better color accuracy. Even more impressive is that this camera has the exact same sensor as CamcorderInfo’s “price be darned” consumer camcorder of the year – Canon Vixia HF G10 ($1499). Yes, buy an M400, M40, or M41 and you will get a sensor that is in the best consumer video camera of the year.

So what do you sacrifice? Primarily, 60p. This camera shoots at 60i…with modes for 30p and 24p. Some other mid-range cameras shoot at 60p. Does that make them better? Well, that depends on your usage. If filming indoors is important to you (e.g., birthday parties, school plays, indoor sports), then 60p of dark video isn’t all that useful…and bright 60i video with accurate colors cannot be beat. Personally, I have filmed my daughter’s gymnastics in a moderately dark gym and even with the fast movement, the video was jaw-dropping.

You also give up the aforementioned high-resolution still pictures, but frankly, I think that’s a gimmick. The zoom is also limited to 10x…which is another concession Canon made to otherwise bring you a top notch video camera at this price. For me, 10x is overkill even from the cheap seats at my daughter’s events, but your mileage my vary.

Frankly, I think that this camera is getting discounted because many consumers purchase either based on price alone or by looking at specs. Specs like 60p jump off the page. The fact that this camera’s sensor is so superior to much of the competition is a far more subtle advantage…that perhaps may hurt the sales of this line. Well, hey, that’s good news for you. When I first started looking at the M41, it was $799. I just picked it up for $499…and an M40 for $449. Awesome stuff. Get a camera that beats the rest of the mid-range and its price is below the mid-range.

…

So what’s not to like?

1) The software. You get two packages – a video transfer utility and a video browser/editor that also includes a transfer capability. You can only choose to install one. I opted for the video browser/editor, which installed fine on Windows 7 Pro 64bit, but then would not work….and I am apparently not the lone ranger. Thus, I uninstalled and just installed the transfer utility…which just moves the files. It’s also not very configurable. Of course, you can also just connect the camera to your PC and drag the files off yourself, but that’s a bit more work…and the transfer utility does a good job of keeping track of what you have already copied off.

This software issue really disappointed me, but to be frank, the software included with most cameras is pretty bad. Sony sells a fantastic video editor – Sony Vegas (multiple editions), but does not bundle it with the Sony cameras that I considered. In fact, the software that they do bundle is apparently also not compatible with 64 bit OSes…so factor in that you will probably need to buy editing software if you want to play around with the video. Actually, the M400/40/41 line allows you to cut videos, introduce fades, and add titles in the camera, but I’d prefer to do it on my PC with more capable software. No worries, you have your choice of a wide range of very capable video editing packages for well under 100 beans…and most of them trump anything that would ever be bundled with a camera.

2) The battery…which is very small. In fact, it is significantly physically smaller than the recessed cavity into which it fits. I smell Canon’s marketing and sales departments at work with this decision. Oh well, the included battery works well for my use (i.e., 60 to 90 mins of filming), but I could easily see how someone else may feel compelled to get a second larger capacity battery.

3) The lens…which maxes at 10x, but some folks claim suffers from vignetting at greater than 5x when the aperture is wide open. It’s also not very wide. You can address some of these issues with an aftermarket wide angle lens (bulky) and by playing with F stops in manual mode when you are shooting against a monochromatic background, but Canon could have done better. That said, these issues don’t really bother me and the camera’s low-light capabilities are perfect for me…so I am in a forgiving mood.

4) The LCD screen…which is resistive (not capacitive), so it takes either a firm push or you must use a fingernail. On the positive side, you can use it while wearing gloves. Also a plus – it’s bright. Brighter than the LCD on the more expensive G10, albeit with fewer pixels.

5) The Menus…which are not very intuitive. I had to read the manual cover to cover to see what the camera could do…and now that I know, I’ll plod through menus looking for what I need. Amazing, because the menus on my Canon 40D are awesome.

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So, if I didn’t scare you away…and low-light is a big deal to you…which model should you get?

That depends. If you have plenty of high-speed SD cards, the M400 may be the ticket. It has no internal memory. Instead, it has two SD card slots and supports relay recording between the cards. Actually, all three models have two such slots…and support relay recording. The M40 adds 16 GB of internal memory and the M41 ups that to 32 GB and gives you a viewfinder, which is nice for sunny days.

I originally bought the M40 since I didn’t want to find myself in the stands and realize that I didn’t have an SD card in the camera, but then returned it and picked up the M41 since my wife seemed to miss having a viewfinder. That said, I hear many folks who have the viewfinder still end up using the LCD most of the time. Whatever you choose, you essentially get the same camera otherwise…with the awesome sensor from the HF G10.

On the other hand, if you shoot almost exclusively fast moving action in decent lighting conditions, you may be better served by a camera that supports 60p and/or suffers less from vignetting…but check the CamcorderInfo web site to see how each camera does shooting video rather than relying on specs alone.

So why 5 stars with these warts? Because I just don’t see any other option anywhere near this price that will give you such a fantastic low-light sensor and the resultant high-quality video. It’s the current mid-range low-light king…and I feel that it’s only fair to rate it based on the current competition in the price range. If low-light capabilities are not a priority for you, then I would drop the rating to 4 stars. If you were familiar with the term vignetting before this review and look for it in the corners of your pictures and videos, you probably would rate lower.

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BTW, if you *do* decide to buy either an M400, M40, or M41, do yourself a favor and switch the camera off AUTO mode. AUTO mode is locked to 1440×1080 at 7 Mbps…and this baby can do 1920×1080 at all the way up to 24 Mbps…but not in AUTO mode. Many other useful menu items are hidden in AUTO mode…like the one that changes the powered IS from “push and hold” to “toggle on/off”.

cheers,
Scuba

119 of 121 people found the following review helpful.
Best Low Light Consumer Camcorder, PERIOD!!!
By Icyman
Don’t listen to the negative comments. People always have something to complain about and their own preferences. However, this Camcorder has the lowest lux rating I’ve seen. I have the Canon HF M41. A viewfinder is a must have for me. I looked at more expensive camcorders. They all have their strong points, but for me, getting good footage in low light is the first priority. All those nice features the other brands have are great but not a must have. The low light of this camcorder is nothing short of Amazing. It has the same sensor as the XF105, a $4300 professional camcorder, . If someone tells you the difference is small and not a big deal, don’t believe them. How many times have you been disappointed with low light grainy recordings ? I bought a $39 shoe mounted light and works beautifully. This is my 5th camcorder. My first was the original Hi8 from sony. That one and the 3 that followed gave me grainy low light video. We all hate grainy video. Now I don’t have to deal with that anymore.

If you’re on a budget and the viewfinder isn’t a must have then consider the M400 or M41. The M400 has no built in memory. Personally, I would find myself ready to shoot and realize I have no SD card with me. Who took my SD card??? follow me…

One bonus to having the M4xx series over the G10 is the M4xx camcorders have a lower resolution LCD but it’s brighter than the G10. I have no problem with viewing the LCD in direct sunlight. Go to the avsforum website. Camcorder section under “other interest”. Look for the “Canon HF M4xx Owner’s Thread” or the G10…Owner’s Thread. good info and links to uploaded videos made with these camcorders.

Some of my video in low light situations actually looks brighter on screen then it did for real. and not grainy. I bought a $13 wide angle lens on amazon. It works well but don’t zoom with it.

Another important issue for people new to SD cards and speed requirements, A class 4 card is fast enough. Many people confuse MB with Mb. 1MB = 8Mb. this camcorder records up to 24Mbps which equals only 3MBps. I’ve seen many posts with people using the wrong terms. B=byte / b=bit.

I spent too much time researching this camcorder. Hopefully, My comments will help.

Enjoy!!!

See all 99 customer reviews…

Canon Vixia Hf M400 Hd Camcorder With Dual Picture

Canon Vixia Hf M400 Hd Camcorder With Dual Image

Canon Vixia Hf M400 Hd Camcorder With Dual Pic

Canon Vixia Hf M400 Hd Camcorder With Dual Image

Canon Vixia Hf M400 Hd Camcorder With Dual Photo

Canon Vixia Hf M400 Hd Camcorder With Dual Photo

Digital Video Recorder With 2 4 Lcd

The Best Sounding Stereo Recorder. Now Offers HD Video! The Q3HD from Zoom 160 combines breath taking 1080p HD video to their and brilliant stereo recording for an off the charts portable video recorder. It’s an HD world and the Q3HD makes it more comfortable than ever to invent high quality videos and have fun while doing it. Select 720p or 1080p for amazing clarity and detail no matter where or what you’re shooting. AC_FL_RunConten’Zoom Q3HD Portable Video and Audio High Definition With an upgraded lens and imaging sensor, the Q3HD captures specially clean video that is compressed with the high quality H.264 video

Q3HD – Handy Video Recorder Brilliant Stereo Recording… Now with HD Video. Zoom brought unrivaled stereo sound to your movies with the Q3 Handy Video Recorder. Now, with the Q3HD, there’s only one handheld camcorder that does it all in 1080p. The Q3HD Handy Video Recorder takes Zoom’s famous audio technology and combines it with HD video, permitting you to capture each moment with stunning clarity and resolution. It’s an HD World. With the Q3HD, it’s never been posing no difficulty or more fun to shoot outstanding videos. Select 720p or 1080p for amazing clarity and detail no matter where or what you’re shooting. It also includes two standard definition (SD) formats for those times when a littler file size is needed.   With a new lens and imaging sensor, the Q3HD captures particularly clean video that is compressed with the high quality H.264 video codec. It likewise has a more spectacular aperture, which lets more light into your movies. And with it is 4x digital zoom, the Q3HD gets you closer to the action. Turn it sideways… Zoom made on-the-go observing better than ever with the Q3HD. Simply turn the camera on it is side and press play. Watch your videos anyplace with it is “widescreen” color LCD screen and built-in reference speaker.

Most helpful customer reviews

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful.
Perfect for bands who want to record their live shows.
By Dennisnashville
Ok, first you have to know why this ‘camcorder’ was created. Samson (Zoom) specializes in equipment for musicians. The Q3hd started life as a field recorder. Thus the stereo mics placed in x/y positions. The audio quality was superb for recording dynamic sound like a live performance. Then they added a video recorder. The video wasn’t that good, so they upgraded the video to HD. Now, it’s perfect. If you set the video to 1080p and the audio to 48kHz/320kbps, turn on the ‘concert lighting’ feature, you will be blown away by the result! Most camcorders crap out on flashy lights and loud punchy sound. Not this puppy. It is what it was designed to do. It listens to the sound and automatically sets it’s record levels to the loudest sound it hears, so you never distort the audio. The bass is low and punchy, the mids are clean, and the highs are crisp and clear. We use it to record all our shows. And we LOVE it.

68 of 71 people found the following review helpful.
Great Audio; Fair Video
By J. Weber
(See addendum at the bottom for update)

The video sensor size of this unit is 1/3.2 inch. This is a miniscule sensor that can not possibly deliver high quality HD video.

To put it another way, if Blu-Ray video quality is a “10″, an $800 HD camcorder is a “7″, a cellphone is a “2″ and this unit is about a “4″ in video quality.

To put it yet another way, if you watch video from this unit on a computer and set the viewer to half size, the video looks great–sharp and detailed. Increasing the size to 100% doesn’t seem to add much. Most of the quality issues are loss of detail, especially noticable in faces. Like all sensors, in bright light, quality is much better than dim.

Audio is top notch. The stereo separation is perfect–not too wide or narrow. The unit has pretty flat EQ in recording audio–just slightly hot on the treble end giving a bit of brightness, but this is mild. It can record 24 bit audio, which is very useful for live recording as it preserves audio detail even if the sound gets quiet.

It also has an interesting feature where it can be set to automatically turn down the gain if there’s any clipping, but it is one way only–it won’t turn the gain back up again. So you aren’t getting artificial “automatic gain control” type changing of the gain, yet you avoid clipping. There is also the standard automatic gain control (constantly adjusting input gain to the volume level) which is useful for recording voice, interviews, classroom lectures, etc. Manual gain control is limited to either “high input” or “low input”–there is no input level control. Bottom line: the audio recording is a huge success, with very high quality stereo reproduction.

Battery life is about 2 hours of continuous recording, with the display on. Unfortunately there is no way to turn off the display, so it just stays on and uses up battery power. Hopefully this can be fixed in a firmware update.

So we end up with great audio, and fair video. For my application–recording my band’s gigs, this is all I need to see how we look live, and to hear excellent and detailed audio. There aren’t any other alternative products for great audio + video in this price range. You just have to realize that you get what you pay for in video quality.

TIPS AND TRICKS:
1) My unit was randomly stopping recordings until I updated the firmware, so suggest doing that off the Zoom website.

2) 1080p recording is noticeably better than 720p on this unit, so would definitely record at 1080p.

3) Be sure to set the battery type correctly to either alkaline or rechargeable, or the unit can shut off prematurely thinking the batteries are dead.

4) It’s almost impossible not to get fingerprints on the lens–be sure to clean it just before you start recording. There’s an excellent product called LensPen which is quick and very effective.

5) The “glass” on the user screen display on the back side is actually soft plastic and it scratches very easily.

6) The “concert lighting” setting desaturates the colors, while the “dark” setting pumps up the video gain.

A quick tip about the HandyShare software that comes with it. It is not a video editing suite by any means and is actually quite primitive. But it does a few things very well–you can trim video clips and it doesn’t re-encode them, so it retains the original video and audio quality. It can save the audio separately. It can also normalize audio (adjust it to full volume) without re-encoding the video. It does not join video segments, however.

OVERALL: Perfect for applications where audio quality is a higher priority than video quality. There aren’t any other units currently in this price range out there which can do that. If you want pristine audio AND video, you’ll need to spend much more, investing in a top quality camcorder with external microphones.

ADDENDUM: After a while I noticed a problem: with long recordings, the unit randomly stops recording. I tried multiple memory cards (including up to Class 10), new batteries, tried all settings. Not better with the latest Firmware 1.15. Finally I returned the unit for a replacement. The replacement unit had the same problem! I use this to record my band so need it to record at least 45 minutes. I would find the unit had often (but not always) turned itself off somewhere in the 45 minute set, so I’d keep losing the rest. Sadly, I have returned the 2nd replacement unit, and am now looking for another option. Hopefully a future firmware update can fix this. Until then, I have lowered my rating to 1 star.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Nothing Else Out There Like It
By Working Musician
It works exactly as advertised. The sound quality is uncompromising and the video is not bad if you are willing to take a few simple steps.
In natural light, the video is as good as any camera below the $600 range. By using the correct camera setting with the correct lighting, even the night videos come out fine.
For critics who claim the editing software is not good, I say they are either too lazy to read or they are possibly learning disabled. It is simple and effective for cutting your videos to length. It is excellent for normalizing the sound to broadcast levels, widening or tightening stereo fields and adding any needed effects.
The files are excellent quality .mov files (Quicktime) but there are any number of freeware programs out there to change it to a poor quality .avi or .mpeg file if that is what you want.

See all 25 customer reviews…

Digital Video Recorder With 2 4 Lcd Picture

Digital Video Recorder With 2 4 Lcd Picture

Digital Video Recorder With 2 4 Lcd Picture

Digital Video Recorder With 2 4 Lcd Image

Digital Video Recorder With 2 4 Lcd Image

Digital Video Recorder With 2 4 Lcd Photo

Hands Free Mini Dv Camcorder For Outdoor

The Midland XTC100VP2 is an easy to use general definition Action Camera with one switch operation. This micro size camera 1.75 H X 3.25 L X 1.12 W records at 30 frames per second with a solution of 640 X 480. Capture more of the action with the 140 degree wide angle lens. The XTC100VP2 SD card slot will accommodate up to a 32GB card (Not Included) with approximate recording times of 30 minutes per 2 GB. To download your video to computer, the XTC100 is as simple as Plug and Play. Attach the camera to a computer with the included mini USB cable and the download will begin, no further and added software needed. The XTC100VP2 is compatible with Windows (XP, Vista, 7), and MAC 10.4, 10.5, and 10.6. 4 Popular mounts are included, Helmet with 2 extra 3M Adhevise Pads, Handlebar, Helment Strap and Goggle. The XTC100VP2 operates on 2 “AAA” batteries which are included.

Also known as wearable video camcorders, these tiny (<3 oz.) but powerful cameras are designed to attach to helmets, goggles, handlebars and more, leaving the user's hand free to "put yourself in the action". With these cameras you may capture all the action while to a complete degree taking part in the outdoor activenesses or extreme action sports you love.

The one button on/off design of the XTC line is ingenious. A single flip of a single switch allows you to begin recording so it’s perfective for everything from sky diving to scuba diving.

With the buy of the XTC100 you receive accessaries that concede the camera to mount to multiple surfaces. Accessories include a universal mount, strap mount, goggle mount and handlebar mount. Midland’s growing line of accessaries includes a submersible case and windshield mount.

Features include

• 480p High Definition
• Wearable camera – capture POV
• Comes with 4 mounts: Universal, Strap, Goggle and Handlebar
• One switch on/off
• Uses up to 32GB Micro HD Card

Package includes:

• Midland XTC100 camera
• USB Cable
• 2 AAA Alkaline Batteries
• Goggle Mount
• Helmet Strap Mount
• Universal Mount (includes 2ea. 3M adhesive pads)
• Handlebar Mount

XTC100 Full Features

High Definition – 480
Filming Speed – 30 Frames Per Second (4:3 aspect ratio) – 640 x 480
Wearable Camera – Capture POV
4 mounts Included – Universal, Strap, Goggle and Handlebar
Records Sounds – AAC Audio
Long Record Time – Up to 5 hours
Lightweight – Weights less than 3 oz.
Easy to Use – One switch off/on
Customize Your Camera – Full line of optional accessories
Wide Screen Ratio – 4:3 aspect ratio
Wide Angle Captures the Action – 140º wide watching angle
Optional Storage – Uses up to 32GB Micro HD Card
Standard Recording Time – 15 min/1GB
Popular Format – AVI
Versatile Focus – 5-inch to infinity
Accurate Light Sensitivity – 3.0V/ Lux. Second
Easy Download – Uses a USB 2.0 transfer cable
Compatible Systems – Windows XP SP2+, Vista & 7, Mac OS X 10.4+

Optional Accessories
It’s easy to custommake the XTC100 to suit your specific needs.

• Submersible Case – XTA301
• Windshield Suction Cup Mount – XTA101
• Windshield and Handlebar mounts and DC adapter – XTAVP1
• Threaded Clip, Helmet, Goggle and Universal Mounts – XTAVP2
• Tree Mount, Threaded Clip, Visor and Bow Mounts – XTAVP3
• USB Cable, AC and DC Adaptors – XTAVP4

Most helpful customer reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
Great Cam! With issues….
By A. Noid
Let me start by saying that this cam makes great, clear video. It lasts beyond the rated 2hrs. using rechargeable batts. An 8gb card gives about 1:50 of record time, @ 2gb per 30 mins. A 16gb card would let you max out the batt. life.
I gave it 4 stars for a few small(sort of) issues. The mounting systems have limited adjustment, and very limited instructions. The H.bar mount sits very high, and has no provision for screw tightening, you pull it tight like a tie-wrap. The helmet and goggle strap mounts require bending a plastic tab, and pulling the base completely out of the mount to adjust the vert. angle, something near impossible to do if you’re already wearing it. You need eyes on to do it right, and not break it. The stick-on helmet mount has no side to side adjustment, so you better get it pointed right on the first try. It also has very limited tilt range, so it almost has to be where the goggle strap goes anyway. There’s no provision for top mounting, only side.
The cam itself works great, with caveats. If any air will move near the cam, the mic hole MUST be taped over, otherwise a horrible screeching will be heard. The problem with this is that the batt. cover includes one side of the mic hole, requiring replacing the tape each time. Sound level is still fine with mic taped, this thing hears EVERYTHING! One last thing; when mounted from the bottom, on the bike helmet mount, it’s near impossible to remove batt. cover without loosening the cam first. And I think it would benefit from a small sun shade, a bright sky can make the trails go almost black. I haven’t tried adding one yet, so I can’t be sure it will work.
I highly recommend this cam, but you’ll need to tweak things a bit depending what you use it for.

Also, I bought the Transend class 6 micro sd card with reader and it works great.
I bought the Kingston class 4 first, and it was either defective or fake, it did all kinds of crazy stuff, like making 30 files that were 10 secs. long during one ride. Also, pull the card out and use a reader. Downloading from the cam directly is frustratingly slow.

One last thing(really). This cam will start a new file every 30 mins., so it’s best if you cycle it off and on yourself before this, or you will lose a random 10-15 seconds while cam resets.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
For the $, best helmet cam
By ander498
This is very cheap compared to every other action camera out there. And what do you give up? Not a whole lot.

Cons:
It is not totally waterproof, but after a lot of ski days, it has no issues
The files it creates are huge – about 70mb/min

Pros:
Comes with lots of mounts, the goggle mount works great
Image quality is very very good. People hear “HD” and think that is what matters. Really, the lens, image processor, white balance, contrast etc etc matter more, and they are really good on this little guy.
Small and light. I have used the GoPro HD and its like skiing with a weight on one side of your head.
$77!! Its so much cheaper than your other options – which also charge for mounts.

This is a great little camera. Originally bought for my little bro for skiing, we have been both using it, and I will be getting another one for me shortly.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
meh, should have spent more on a better camera
By M. Fields
I use this with my dual sport motorcycle. First the helmet strap isn’t long enough to go around a helmet so I had to use the sticker mount. That worked fine. Next, the unit I got was an open box return and the usb port was messed up. They sent me a new one. No problem. Then I got to actually take it out and use it and here is what I found out.

Going faster than 10mph it picks up the wind noise so bad you have to mute the sound. Also picks up a horrible high pitch whistle. The video looks passable when you watch it at its native size but if you expand it to full screen on your computer or TV you can’t pick out any details. Everything is very pixelated. Which since it is I think 640X480 that is what you can expect.

Colors are washed out too. I kept saying to myself ” I can’t wait to get home and show the kids my video of how beautiful it is here” and then I get home and it is just crappy video quality. I am going to save up for a go-pro. You get what you pay for. I was cheap with this purchase and so I got a cheap camera with cheap video and horrible audio.

Would not buy again.

See all 20 customer reviews…

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1. 3.5x Professional High Definition Super Telephoto Zoom Lens

2. .40x Professional High Definition Fisheye Lens

3. Multi-Coated Glass Circular Polarizer Filter

4. Multi-Coated Glass UV Filter

5. Multi-Coated Glass FLD Filter

6. 62″ Titanium Anodized Tripod

7. Soft-tex Fiber Cloth

8. Screen Protectors

9. Cotton Swabs

10. Compact Travel Tripod

11. Memory Card Wallet

12. Lens Cleaning Fluid

The 12 Piece Choice Camcorder Accessory Kit is compatible with: Sony HDR FX1000 Camcorder

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The Liquid Image XSC Impact Series HD is a MX Goggle with an integrated True POV HD Video camera. The goggle holds a 136 degree (FOV) wide angle lens to capture all the action for all Off-road Sports. The Helmet Compatible hands free unit has a 5.0 MP camera mode and a video mode that records HD720P video at a rate up to 30 frames per second with audio. The Impact Series HD may hold a Micro SD/SDHC Card up to 32 GB. Product includes a 4GB Micro SDHC card and a Rechargeable Lithium Battery for 1.5-2 hrs in the HD Video Mode. With the use of a micro SD/SDHC card, the camera is capable of recording thousands of photos or hours of HD video and may be downloaded to a computer through the High Speed USB cable provided, or through a Micro SD/SDHC card.

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The New Action Camera From GSI Is The Ultimate Accessory For All Outdoor Sports that Require A Helmet. Attach the Camera Securely With The Included Strap, and Record It All In Real Time. Upload The Video File To Your Computer with The USB Cable, And Store those Memories For A Long, Long Time. Easy, Affordable and User Friendly, It Is a Great Alternative To Other Pricier Models Out There!

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
The Cam does the job
By A
This is not a high quality product, but you get what you pay for, and we wanted to get a cheaper model to try out. It takes pretty good color videos, about that of a 3-4 mega pixel camera. The operation is very simple, and it does pick up sound pretty well. If you move your head too fast it gets blurry. It is plastic and it isn’t water proof, but if you want a cheap starter head cam, that you won’t cry if it gets destroyed…. Here it is.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Get what you pay for
By Cornerstone Paranormal
The camera states it has an IR light, but that isn’t accurate. It has a red laser light for focus of the lens. The camera does see in darkness if you have an external IR light source (which thankfully we do). The instructions that come with the camera are 100% useless, you will simply have to play with it to figure it out (it comes direct from China and there are no worthy documents with the camera). Now with that said, our dog has been wearing the camera and it doesn’t do bad for $40some bucks, compared to paying over $100. The batteries don’t last too long, but in the end, you get what you pay for and as long as you know what you’re looking for and what to expect, this camera isn’t too bad. If you’re not the type that can easily figure out electronics, this isn’t the camera for you.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
NO INSTRUCTIONS…. NO WEB SITE!
By CarbIrish
Got this camera on Amazon…no customer service there, and I cannot find any instructions on how to download etc. I have googled and searched everywhere! anyone out there can help me….?

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1920×1080 – Full HD Video Recording 1920×1080 full high definition video solution at 30fps allows you to record memories in brilliant quality.  Capable of 1280×720 high definition at 30fps and 848×480 WVGA at 60fps, choosing your preferent recording format is as easy a touch of the LCD.

20X Extended Zoom Range Extended Zoom works together with 5X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom to get even closer to the action, while preserving it is high definition effigy quality.  The smooth auto-focus lens mechanically focuses on your intended subject in real time.

3.0” Touch-Screen LCD Display The 3.0” LCD display provides particular observing clarity while preserving it is dual function touch-screen interface.  The display rotates up to 270 degrees around for multiple looking at angles, as well as provides clear and elaborate images for pleasurable playback.  The easy to use touch panel allows for easy access to menus and features, and provides further and added functionality such as spot metering, focusing and automati exposure.

Superior 5MP HD CMOS Sensor Vivid and brilliant images are achieved by the innovative 5MP HD CMOS sensor.  Capable of shooting still images up to 16MP and full 1080p HD video in splendid quality.

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