Customer Reviews
Everything I was wishing for!! 
2007-03-14
This is my first camcorder ever and I wanted to do it right. Buying the Sony 505 was a great choice. The large 3 inch touch screen is really nice and all of the controls are extremely easy to use. Within minutes I was recording my kids playing. I also love the fact that you can record on DVDs as well as a memory card. You really get what you pay for when it comes to this camcorder. Well worth it!!
great camcorder! 2007-03-09
we looked at every differnet camera out there and this seemed the best for what we wanted. its small and lightweight, very easy to use and i think the digital pictures came out pretty well. pretty decent clarity. we really didn't have to bring our digital camera with us. this seems to be an all in one camera. the discs were also easy to use and format. we used cnet to check out alot and actually ordered off amazon with next day shipping and it was still cheaper than best buy. ordered at 8 pm and had it next day at noon. overall- great camera!
Best DVD camcorder you can find 2007-02-11
I love this DVD505 very easey to take photo and i got the sony DVD record VRD-MC3 you dont need a TV are computer just Direct to the 505 all DV but ram it sales about 249.00 at circuit city very good set up jim
family camera 
2007-02-05
great camera nice picture quality suggest you purchase an extra battery for entended use
Camcorder 2007-01-12
Very easy to use. Menuing is extremely intuitive. Don't forget to order spare disks, 30 mins goes by quick.
Sony Camcorder 2008-03-16
I gave the camcorder as a gift to my son who just loves it, he videotaped me too, I loved the quality of the tape on the big TV. I would recommend it to a friend.
Sony could do better 
2007-08-05
Definitely agree with other posts that the DCR-DVD505 is one of the best cameras around. However, if you are like me and would like to use a computer create feature length DVDs from those little discs you need to be a little computer savvy.
Sony could have done better to help, but is apparently not quite a software company like Apple...
If you have Windows Vista, forget it...your handycam driver will simply not work. Need to download a much more reduced feature-set driver from Sony (the import takes hours). Even if you have Windows XP, make sure that your flash version is circa ancient...i.e. version 6 or before otherwise even the XP driver. Here is my "protocol":
Step 1: Downgrade Flash to Version 6
-------------------------------------
1. First Uninstall the current Flash (using uninstall_flash_player.exe)
2. Next simply run fp_6.0.21_activex.exe
(Need to get both from Adobe site...just google for the exe files)
Step 2: Get all MPEGs from camera
----------------------------------
1. Connect Camera to Power Source.
2. Connect Camera to Computer.
3. Turn on the camera (just like getting to stand-by mode when shooting)
4. Press the right arrow "Play" key on screen.
5. Select Computer (disc).
6. You will see "Preparing" on camera.
7. Cancel any native Windows pop-up Prompts
8. Launch Picture Package (if did not start already).
9 From Picture Package Menu, select Viewing and Handling Pictures
9. Click on DVD tab after selecting Video Handling (in "DVD Viewer")
10. Click on DVD Handycam on left hand side menu.
11. Select Movies.
12. Confirm the folder choices, if prompted.
13. Select ALL clips and click on Copy to hard disk.
14. Wait until copying is done.
15. Finally! Now you have all the content in mpeg format to do what you wish with.
Step 3: Use the various mpegs to generate movies
------------------------------------------------
(Using NERO, Pinnacle etc)
1. Basically, using burn menu, join all the mpegs
in any sequence to capture the DVD menu chapters.
DO NOT use any third party stuff like movie joiner etc.
2. Now set the menu titles, background music etc.
3. Burn.
4. Create a DVD/jacket cover.
5. Done.
High Quality Camcorder 2007-05-07
I haven't utilized all of the features yet, but what I have has produced both high quality pics as well as video.
easy to use for mom of 3 2007-04-01
This camcorder is super easy to use. We set it to take wide screen movies (16:9), so when we are done recording, we simply remove the disk and place it right into the dvd player to watch it on TV. My kids love the instant viewing of their movies. This camcorder will also allow you to take still pictures captured on a memory stick. This function saves you from carrying a camera and a camcorder. We have only had this camcorder for one month, but we took it on vacation and have been very happy with it.
Nice camera, terrible shipping service 2007-03-16
The camera is very nice, the still images quality is very high.
The software is not so good, it can not get a normal DVD for support the videos.
I paid a two days service because I needed my camera, but after two days I did not receive the package, I contacted UPS office and I had to go to UPS offices three times, and in third I got my package, Terrible service.
