Customer Reviews
THE MORE I DEAL WITH THIS THE ANGRIER I GET!!! 
2007-07-19
THE MORE I DEAL WITH THIS THE ANGRIER I GET!!!
I bought the VRD-MC3 and the DCR-SR40 because of the way you advertised how you could directly record from one to the other.
Not seeing the coded fine print footnote that DOES NOT STATE DIRECTLY THAT ' you can NOT record directly from the DCR-SR40 to the VRD-MC3 on a duel layer DVD"
That is stupid!
Why would anyone build a video system with a 30 GB drive, then say it is compatible with a burner that they make and then make the largest medium that burner can burn NOT compatible with the video direct record system?
When are you going to fix it?
I have always thought Sony was "top of the line" but i have been severely disappointed with the last 4 Sony products I have purchased and I think I'm gonna start doing something about it.
NO THANK YOU!
Bruce A. Clark
OUTSTANDING 
2007-06-11
I bought this camera through Amazon as soon as it was released by Sony last year. I've lugged it all over western Europe as well as right here at home in the good 'ol USA and all I can say is it has performed FLAWLESSLY! One of the huge advantages it has over some of the other brands is the fact that it HAS A VIEWFINDER! Doesn't sound like a big deal but shooting in reflective bright daylight can render the screen pretty near useless; not the camera's fault. Just the nature of the screen. The touch-screen controls are simple to use and arranged logically. Definately buy a higher capacity battery than the one supplied; you'll be needing it!
Great Choice! 
2007-06-01
The DCR-SR100 is an easy to use camcorder without the worry of carrying around tapes or DVD's. The 30GB capacity is more than enough for the average vacation and if you carry a laptop you can always clean out the HD to the laptop. The sound and video quality are great (watch out for those background comments, the camera will pick them up!) and the touch screen is adequate and easy to get used to.My only complaints are the short battery life with the standard battery and the lack of a built in light. There is a light that functions as a flash in camera mode, but filming in low light situations is not recommended unless you use the nightshot feature which films with IR not in color. I highly recommend upgrading to a larger capacity battery to reduce recharging breaks although the camera does recharge in less than 2 hours.
Just hate it 2007-04-23
Unless your already proficient in video editing, DO NOT BUY this camcorder. You must know how to edit and change the format of the files, otherwise you cannot put it on youtube or myspace. You can't pause the video without started a new one. The clips do not seam together unless you edit them to do so. I read the reviews but assumed I would be able to figure out the software that came with the camera. It's completely useless junk. You have to spend the money on something more advanced to see your video clips on anything but your computer.
Also, unless your taping in very bright light the video is too dark to see. It does have "Nightshot" but that shows your video in green grainy worthless shots.
I really regret spending the money on this camera.
worst camacorder on the market 
2007-04-07
Picture is OK. However it stops work after 10 hours shooting. Returned to Sony service center and was charged for $149 labor fee.
Great Video Camera - 3.5 rating 2008-04-23
I bought this video camera because I desired a neat, tidy way of storing digital videos. It is very good for that. And I also used it to copy a VHS onto DVD. Didn't know I'd appreciate that capability as much as I do. The microphone is exceptional and the video quality even in low-lighting is pretty good. I struggle getting great stills with it though - the delay between clicking the button and actual capture is too long for my liking. Maybe there is a setting to address that - I'm still learning my camera. I also find that with my hand under the safety strap, using the buttons is awkward and not comfortable. Red-eye has been a chronic problem for me. There is a way to prevent it, but you have to remember to set the setting for it first - and I never do until it's too late. Great product over all. Software does the job but not with any sophistication.
Great Camera 2008-01-10
This is a great camera, I have had it a couple of years now and it has been great. Battery life is outstanding, sturdy build and great options. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is (a) it does not have a manual focus button on the case (its buried in menus) and (b) it does not have a memory card slot. I believe the new models have addressed both of these issues.
The best camcorder available! 2007-09-22
What attracted my wife and I to this is the large, 30GB hard drive. She takes *tons* of movies daily of our twin babies, and we still only have to clear the hard drive about once every three months.
Also, since it uses a hard drive, I love the speed and versatility you get when transferring movies. The included software allows you to burn everything to DVD with literally just a press of a button...it even compensates for when your movies span multiple DVDs. Perhaps the best part here is that you are not bound to buying custom/proprietary mini DVDs or tapes to take your movies...only to spend even more money copying those to a DVD, VHS tape, etc., just to be able to view them or make a backup.
A little tip...when you back up your movies, ALWAYS back up to multiple places, and preferably multiple media. (Because if you are a new dad, the LAST thing you want to do is lose the pictures/movies of a new mom's babies!!)
For example, I have an external USB hard drive that I plug into my computer to make a backup of everything on the camcorder. After that, I use the one-button feature to burn to DVD. (I generally don't back up directly to my computer, since that will just clog up the hard drive rather quickly.) Then, to keep the DVDs organized, I use the Casio CW-100 CD Label Printer...very quick and easy to use.
This "multi-factor" backup approach will give you a comfortable safety net, so that if your kids want to be cute and hold a really strong magnet to your backup hard drive (essentially erasing it), you still have your DVDs. And if they want to see what happens when they hold a lighter to the DVDs, you still have your hard drive backup. :-)
One thing that isn't the greatest is that the camcorder runs ONLY on its battery. Plugging it in just charges the battery, as opposed to charging the battery in parallel with powering the camcorder. (So basically, if your battery is dead, you have to wait until it is charged enough to use again.)
Furthermore, there is no charger for the battery (at least none that comes with it)...it has to be attached to the camcorder to charge...so you can't just buy another battery to have easy, continuous use.
But even with these minor deficiencies, this is still the best camcorder on the market. It is certainly one of the pricier ones, but it is worth every penny since in the end, it saves you money from all the other junk you'd otherwise have to buy.
Bad installation instructions - No Sound 2007-09-03
Took me 3 1/2 hours to get software installed (instructions are BAD - had to fiddle around for a LONG time to finally get software installed). Once installed, I copied movies to computer hard drive. Guess what? No sound. Burned to DVD - put in DVD player - NO SOUND. This camera has sorely disappointed. Its virtually useless.
Editing nightmare 2007-07-19
Resolution is very good, sound is acceptable, you don't have to carry tapes, etc. BUT, editing your movies is a nightmare! The software provided is almost useless, I have tried with Ulead's MovieFactory 6 Plus and with Windows Movie Maker with no results, and finally I could do some editing with Adobe's Premiere 3.0, but the final product is somehow jerky, as if the speeds of the PC and that of the DVD player were different,no matter what I do, and the most you can get is a 30 minute or so movie; beyond that you will need a super PC to do it. Should I have known these facts I would have purchased a mini DV model.
