Customer Reviews for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
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Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Model: DCR-SR45
SKU: 8668998
UPC: 027242728226
This camcorder provides you with a 30GB hard drive that makes it easy to store videos and photos without needing extra tapes or discs. It also allows you to capture still images onto a Memory Stick PRO Duo card (not included).
Average Customer Rating:
4.2
out of 5
(69 Reviews) 69
Rating Snapshot 69 reviews
5 stars
30
4 stars
29
3 stars
6
2 stars
2
1 star
2
88% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
61 out of
69)
Customer Reviews for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Review 1 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Very nice, compact, Easy to use
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Yash2
from Lowell, MA
on 12/30/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Its great camera for great price. It has all the features which you generally use a lot. Doesnt have some least required features, like remote. I never used for my other Samsung. Being hybrid, gives you lot of flexibility. It easilty fit in my bag which I used for a film camera Wow.
What's great about it: Compact, Cute , Great Picture and reliablity of Sony name
What's not so great: Touch Screen, you might damage pushing by nail, 30GB only, Compared to HD
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 2 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Love it!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: amber0823
from Indiana
on 12/26/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
After reading the reviews we got this camcorder for Christmas and we are so glad we did. The picture is great and it is so user friendly. The software program is great and so easy to use!
What's great about it: Easy to use, good price
What's not so great: n/a
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 3 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
great camcorder for a geat price
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from Las Vegas, NV
on 12/26/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
I really wanted a HD camcorder but when i saw the price on this for its value i made this my choice and so far everything is great.. The zoom is amazing. Touchscreen is easy to operate.
What's great about it: Compact size, Best zoom capability, alot of value for price
What's not so great: No Remote
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 4 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
good
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: jman33
from newyork
on 12/25/2008
Value for Price
4.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
it is the best camcorder i have ever had i expected it to be more ifficult to work but iy was very simple
What's great about it: touch screen
What's not so great: everything is great
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 5 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
great camera
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from cambridge
on 12/18/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
i just got this camera and it's great.
it's a good price.
i think it's perfect for someone's first camera
it's a good price.
i think it's perfect for someone's first camera
What's great about it: its easy to use
What's not so great: cant think of any
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 6 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Great camcorder to buy
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: wizardy
from lake elsinore,ca
on 12/17/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
after having too many bad luck with my samsung dvd camcorder. i purchased this one from Sony.
it is a very light, easy to use camcorder.
transferring video to computer is extremely easy.
i love it.
it is a very light, easy to use camcorder.
transferring video to computer is extremely easy.
i love it.
What's great about it: Extremely copact and easy to use
What's not so great: no light and remote
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 7 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Everything I Expected
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: aiello1218
from Chicagp
on 12/13/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
First I want to start out with basic info about me. I buy a good quality product that lasts a long time even though it may get out dated. Second, I dont have an HD TV. I am a Mac user. I used a VHS-C camera before this for ovefr 8 years.
I bought this camera after alot of research. I am through with tapes and didn't want mini DVDs. Hard drives are the way to go for the AVERAGE camera guy. I was worried briefly about this product because of the reviews. I have had no problems with it and enjoy it very much. The video is better that I had with my VHS-C by far. I don't have an HDTV so I dont know about how it looks on there. It looked fine on my normal TV, not plasma or LCD. I am a life long Sony camera buyer. I love their products, the quality and ease of use. Like all Sony products I didn't need to read the manual ti figure it out. I bought the package with the extra battery, case, and tripod.
PROS: Ease of use. Very small and light weight. It does have image stabilizer you just cant turn it on and off right when filming. You have to set it up before hand. It does fade, again you have to set it up before hand not jus thit a button while filming. Worked with my Mac. I have iMovie 08. Called Sony direct and they stated it will only work with iMovie 08 not 07 or HD. Again, average guy using it for average things like birthdays parties and kids programs at school.
Cons: I don't know how excited I am about the tough screen. Have a friend who has had one for about three years and has no problems with his. Also, a Sony. The digital stills are absolutely terrible. My 6 year old cybershot with 3mp takes better pics. Again, its for recording not pics.
I would recommend this to the average guy in the average family doing average camcorder things. Remember, we are not professional video people. If you want it to be HD on your HDTV, get an HD camera. I found it to be the best product out there for the price. Hope this review helped.
What's great about it: Ease of use
What's not so great: Reading other peoples reviews
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
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Review 8 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Great Camera for the price
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: BAnderson
from Maryville, TN
on 12/07/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
I previously owned the JVC MG 330 HDD camera. I returned it to buy this Sony. The picture quality is MUCH higher on this camera, The play back on my 42 inch LCD TV looks great, considering that this is not a HD camera. The clarity of the picture as the camera zooms in is superior to the JVC as well. I would recommend this camera to anyone that is look for a great budget camcorder. I have compared this camcorder to all competitors under $400 and this is the best in my opinion.
What's great about it: clear video picture, touch screen, fair still pictures
What's not so great: placement of zoom button
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
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Review 9 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
GREAT CAM AND GOOD NIGHT VISION
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Royalwithcheese
from Birmingham, Al
on 12/06/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
I bought this cam cause it has great night vision capabilities. I did however have to purchase a larger ir light for a better brodcast of ir. I had to glue a hot shoe to the top of the cam for the light or could have used a bracket/handle I purchased online. The cam works great at night. Its easy to you for general use. I will buy a cam with an external mic next time. tends to pic up the users breathing and talking more than the subjects
What's great about it: GREAT FOR NIGHT VISION
What's not so great: NEEDS A BETTER IR LIGHT
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
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Review 10 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Still testing the camera
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Paula281
from Houston, TX
on 11/12/2008
Value for Price
3.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
4.0
We have not had a chance to test this camera completely. We have a family trip planned for Thanksgiving and will give it a good test during the trip.
What's great about it: Dumb proof
What's not so great: Still testing; but nothing bad so far
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 11 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Okay for entry level
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: room237
from Cincinnati, OH
on 11/04/2008
Value for Price
4.0
Picture Quality
2.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
3.0
It's okay for entry level use. The audio has been pretty good so far, but you can hear the hard drive access in your recordings when in a quieter setting. The photo feature quality is about the same as an older cell phone camera. Menu system is fairly easy to use once you get used to it. It would be great to have some image stabilization on board, but for the price, you can afford a tripod to go with it. Hand-held shots are difficult to keep steady unless you are a brain surgeon. :D
What's great about it: Easy to use, light weight, compact, plenty of room for video
What's not so great: video quality is so-so, photo quality is unusable, no stabilization feature
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-1point
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Review 12 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Best Camera Ever
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Joe105
from Edina, MN
on 11/03/2008
Value for Price
4.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
On of the good things is that it was cheap, and has good picture quallity.
Some of the not so good features is that it doesn't have a 2.7 screen, and a remote.
Some of the not so good features is that it doesn't have a 2.7 screen, and a remote.
What's great about it: Easy to set up, good price
What's not so great: Not 2.7in screen, scratches easily
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 13 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Outstanding Camcorder
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: rg5775
from Renton, WA.
on 10/21/2008
Right out of the box (after charging the battery of course) the camcorder was very intuitive to use. The screen display made all of the functions available, as well as the well placed buttons. It is easy to hold, and allows for basically one finger to control the various functions. The camcorder works excellent in low-light conditions, and has great battery life. And best of all---it was on sale!
What's great about it: Very user friendly
What's not so great: None
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 14 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Great camera
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: BillD3
on 10/20/2008
We've had this camera for a while. I purchased it to record my daughters play at school. Its a great budget camera. Its light weight and easy to use. Even in low light situations.
There are only 2 complaints that i have about it. The first one is it lacks an onboard recording light. The second is it would be nice if it could be used as a web cam.
I would recommend this camera to anyone wanting a digital video camera.
There are only 2 complaints that i have about it. The first one is it lacks an onboard recording light. The second is it would be nice if it could be used as a web cam.
I would recommend this camera to anyone wanting a digital video camera.
What's great about it: light, easy to use, good lcd display,
What's not so great: no light
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 15 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Decent camera
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: LaSarah
from WI
on 10/20/2008
This is a pretty nice camera for the price. I'm not real fond of the fact that the menu is a touchscreen. As I'm sure eventually the screen will go which will eliminate its use-fullness. The video quality is pretty nice and if you have a nice video editing program like Pinnacle it is really nice. If your looking for great pictures I recommend just buying a cheap digital camera because this really isn't the best for pictures.
What's great about it: Nightshot, 30 GB Drive, Video Quality
What's not so great: Touchscreen, Picture quality
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 16 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Very good Camcorder!
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Anonymous
on 10/13/2008
We bought the camcorder last month (September) and the quality of its recording is very good!! Bear in mind it's a USD400-dollar camcorder, so don't expect it to do all the job for you!
Buy the extra battery for the one within lasts not more than 1,5 hour tops!! Tripod is a must and, DON'T expect to replace your still camera, as its definition is not higher than 0,7 pixels.
A nice thing is to be able to use the Sony's HDD to transfer files from one computer to another!! In this case up to 30Gb!! Plus the Smart Drive (we don't use any!)
Make sure you read the full manual before start cursing the nice camera!! There are many features in the full manual within the DVD that are simply NOT mentioned in the regular printed manual.
Buy the extra battery for the one within lasts not more than 1,5 hour tops!! Tripod is a must and, DON'T expect to replace your still camera, as its definition is not higher than 0,7 pixels.
A nice thing is to be able to use the Sony's HDD to transfer files from one computer to another!! In this case up to 30Gb!! Plus the Smart Drive (we don't use any!)
Make sure you read the full manual before start cursing the nice camera!! There are many features in the full manual within the DVD that are simply NOT mentioned in the regular printed manual.
Also, buy the case, if you don't get one of those package-deals, it will save you a lot of trouble.
My wife and I are very satisfied and so is the family!!
My wife and I are very satisfied and so is the family!!
What's great about it: Cost-benefit
What's not so great: None.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
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Review 17 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Good entry level HDD camcorder
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: oricou
on 10/09/2008
Value for Price
4.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
3.0
Camcorder is a good entry level HDD camcorder. Easy to hook up and download. Menu system in camera takes a little while to figure out.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 18 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
way better
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: rungmc
from salt lake city, UT
on 10/03/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
this camera is awsome, it has an amazing video quality and the sill pictures are fantasic and substancially better than most other camcorders. The software on the unit is great. It's small and light weight and still pack an amazing punch.
What's great about it: amazing video quality, fantasic stills, great software
What's not so great: nothing really.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 19 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Great Purchase
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: watchmaniac26
from Queens, NY
on 10/03/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
I previously owned a Hi-8 Sony that I had for about 7 years and loved it so I saw no reason to switch to another brand. The Hi-8 still works great so I gave it to my aunt, but i decided to upgrade. After much research i decided to go with this one and I love it. Its easy to use and takes great quality video for about 7 hours which is more than enough for me, then you simply upload to your computer and burn. Doesnt get much easier than that. If you want a reliable and excellent product you can always trust, go with the SONY brand.
What's great about it: Compact, no more tapes and/or DVDs, built in HDD
What's not so great: takes pretty bad stills
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 20 for Sony Handycam Camcorder with 30GB Hard Disk Drive - Black/Silver
Good Buy
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: woody2
from Orwell, ohio
on 10/01/2008
Value for Price
4.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
4.0
I like the camera overall but wish it had a view finder. The directions that come with it are hard to understand. I use it for capturing my son's sporting events with no problems. I wonder if I should have put time in researching other cameras but I am not disappointed.
What's great about it: Compact, good picture
What's not so great: Very poor directions, low life battery
I would recommend this to a friend!
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