Customer Reviews
Nice camcorder - but not top of the line 
2008-06-23
I bought this camcorder after doing some research online and am pleased with the video quality and the ease of use. As one reviewer stated, I was hoping for the video quality to be perfect but it will never be unless I am willing to shell out $1500 for a top of the line camcorder.
All in all, the camcorder is small, easy to use, and can go everywhere with me. The camcorder does take night shots but they do come out a haunted greenish color - but in complete darkness I can still get video - what more can I ask for. The controls are simple and the instructions even easier. I hate computers but installing the software was simple and quick. I can download everything in about 2 minutes and burn right to a CD. The battery life is great - my battery lasts about 1:30 mins. Not having a viewfinder was strange, but have not had any trouble with it. I can see the video in the bright sun and in the darkness.
The camcorder does what it says it will do which is record video. If you really want a camcorder/camera - this might not be the tool for you. I would recommend this to someone who wants a nice camcorder that will not force you to buy tapes, DVDs, or memory cards. 20 hours of recording is plenty of time for most people and if you need more, transfer it to your computer and you are set to go again.Sony DCR-SR45 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom
As good as any of the other Camcorders in this price range. 
2008-06-23
The last time I bought a camcorder was in 1994, when my first Daughter was born. It was an 8mm Panasonic. Since then I have bought Point and Shoots and SRL Digitals that really impressed me. I was so used to the quality of my Canon Rebel, that I just assumed that a new cam corder would get me the same quality or close to it!
I put down my $408.00 (got a deal) on a new Sony DCR-SR45. I like the Carl Ziess lenses and thought this has got to give me good quality! I also was impressed that it was all on a hard drive..30gb drive is more than enough for my needs.
. The HandyCam SR45 fit right in my hand, it weighs less then my Canon Rebel(with the 50mm lens) and is pretty easy to use. I love the touch screen...but then it came time to test the camera out....
My first test was in my Home office...and it looked grainy. I checked the settings and it was set to "SP" so I set it to "HQ" and tried again....Still grainy.
I decided that maybe it is just too little light in my office, so I waited until the next day to try it outside. I did...it looked fine through the 2.7 inch view screen, but porting it to my Computer, I just thought the quality should be a lot better...I mean...its 2008 and this did not seem to be a better quality than my old Panasonic Tape camcorder.
I was upset. I called Sony and they had me do a reset and try again....Still looked about the same....The telephoto was impressive, but the regular video was not up to my standard. The photo stills are just a joke...don;t think this is going to replace your point and shoot on vacation...it is just not able to at ALL...pretend that function does not exist.
So I was all set to send this back to the seller..I had it bundled up and the RMA on the box.. But I decided to go shopping once again and compare this model to others in the price range (I am not about to spend $1000 for a camcorder that I use only on Holidays, trips and Graduations)..So I looked at the quality of the video in the $340-$600 price range and came to the realization that this Camcorder is really on par with the others.
It was my own perception of what it should have been that was wrong.
So I went home and compared my two point and shoots that do Video Clips (Kodak and Nikon)and my old Camcorder and realized that this the quality of this camcorder is better!
I still give it a 3 star, because
1) Photo Still Images are just a joke!
2) The software stinks.
3) I am being picky, But I would have liked it if the lens cover closes automatically when the camera is shut off. I forget and leave the lens open....its just asking for trouble!
4) Battery that comes with the camcorder lasts about 45 minutes.
I would suggest getting a 6.5 hour extra battery...use that as the primary and use the one they gave you as a backup.
Very compact camcorder 2008-05-13
I just needed a very compact camcorder to get rid of my bulky Hi8 SONY camcorder. I love this camcorder. It is easy to use. Only problem is that it does not have a view finder and you might need it at times to save battery or shoot at a sunny place.
not happy at all 
2008-05-10
I got this a couple of weeks ago, I'm not sure how good the quality of the recording is but the camera feature, which is one of the big reasons I got it, was horrible. The picture quality was extremely grainy. I wanted to be able to have one device to both take pictures and videos, but that didn't work out. I'm returning this today.
Great Camera, Great Price 
2008-05-09
I bought this camera 2 weeks ago and I must say, it's really neat. The quality of the camera while recording at first was a little less than I expected it to be, but that's because I had the recording mode in LP (medium quality) so I put it at the highest (HQ) and everything looked fine.
Honestly, the best things about this camera is that it's very small, can fit in the palm of your hand with ease.
The next thing is the Night Vision mode, this is the best, I was able to record in TOTAL DARKNESS inside my house (w/ all lights off) and I could still see things!
Last major noticeable thing is the fact that you don't have to keep changing discs every 30 minutes to record new video. You can record straight to the Hard Disk for up to 9 hours at the highest quality!
Listen, if you're looking for a good quality, small compact video camera for under $500, get this. It's a really good camera and a really good deal. Thanks, Sony!
Cool-sleek handycam! 2008-07-21
Best yet camcorder--excellent hard drive, zoom and pc transfer...and compact...only setback...low pixel on still pics. However, still a great buy!
software!!! 
2008-07-17
i'll make this short. why does Sony insist that you use their software to download these video files? it makes transferring an absolute HEADACHE. i work off several different machines and forget about giving others my video. it's a nightmare; am tempted to trash this thing.
Sony DCR-SR45 Handycam 2008-07-15
I had put the purchase of this device off for over a year because it is such a big investment and I did a lot of research prior to the purchase. I made the plunge prior to the family roadtrip and I haven't regreted it once. The camera arrived two days before we left and I never had to take the time to figure it all out. The kids did it for me and showed me on the road. I am amazed at the simplicity and easy of carrying! I love the size. We used it hard for ten days of touring California and it never missed a beat. I purchased the additional battery which was recommended and we charged both batteries each night. Battery power was never an issue. Downloading the video was easy as well.
If I had to mention one con, it would be that the power switch was a little difficult to turn. Other than that I am extremely satisfied with the product and highly recommend it.
Good for price, but grainy still pics 2008-07-11
This is a great little camera for the price, but be forewarned: it will not replace your digital still camera. The maximum setting for stills is 640 x 480. This is one of the lowest settings on my Canon A540. The SR45 is about half the price of my old 8mm, so I wish now that I had spent $100-$200 more for the SR65 or SR85 which both have higher quality settings. Even so, there are many great features: easy to learn and use, no more tapes, easy to transfer pics/videos to a laptop or DVD, the "Quick On" button remembers your current settings and powers down into a standby mode. Beware: there is no viewfinder, so recording in bright light is almost impossible.
could be better 2008-06-29
The Sony DCR-SR46 could be better.
Only 3 types language you can choice......
Hard to find the menu you want to.
I'm return it today.
