Pro: Intuitive, very easy to use. Small size and easy to carry around. Plenty of storage space.

Con: the default color setting is a bit yellow, perhaps can be adjusted but do not have the time to do it yet.

We chose this camcorder over the others because there is enough memory to record an entire birthday party or ball game, and it was definitely better than our 3-year old dv cassette recorder - smaller, longer recording time and better picture, and easier to use. There are better products out there, but for those who want the most bang out of their buck for recording family events, this is a good choice.

I have owned this camera for about 4 months and have shot hours of video with it. It's a good little camera for it's price. The video quality is great at all telephoto distances (that I have found). The audio quality is good with exception of wind. My only two complaints about the camera are 1) it shakiness on zoom (even on a tripod); it has a stabilizer but it is not effective on close-ups, and 2)editing the video is all but impossible. The software that comes with it does not have any editing capability. It shoots in MPEG-2 format and I had to purchase a very expensive software editing package to be able to make edited movies. If you shoot raw footage - the camera is great. If you want to make Windows Movie Maker videos, it won't work. There are ways to get around this, but it takes quite a while.

I am a Mac user and the reviews initially for the Sony cameras and Macs were not to flattering. What really swung my vote to get one was iMovie 08. Finally the camera was compatible with a Mac using this software. The camera itself is amazing with great resolution and superb features. The touch screen is easy to use and the ability to zoom comes in very handy. Low light conditions are good if you don't mind a little grainy video. The IR light does a good job of picking things up that are close. I have used this to record family events as well as record meetings. I am extremely please with this camera and what it does. My only complaint is that my wife doesn't want to share it with me at times because she is having fun recording the kids with it. Oh well.

Sony has a great deal with this 60GB hard drive camcorder. Good features, easy to use with docking station included. One-touch DVD burn option available via docking station and included video processing software. Camera is light, has touchscreen LCD display and is easy to figure out. Downside: Good stereo sound, but microphone picks up wind noise quickly.

This was my first Sony product purchase and all I can say is that this video camera is first rate. The night-shot infrared is awesome to use and I'm pleased with how well constructed and rugged this unit is. It was smaller than I had imagined and I was very pleased with how it performed on my yearly motorcycle tour.

Not having to change tapes is a blessing. I hooked the camera to my laptop nightly and exported the movies to it using the Sony transfer software. Fairly simple process and the 60gb of recording time is enough for an entire vacation. The battery lasts for 90 minutes and I combined a 12vdc/120vac inverter with the charger in my car to keep it topped off nicely. I do think the battery prices are a bit much for new batteries, but if you shop around, there are good deals to be had.

All in all, I give it 5 stars and have already purchased a couple of other Sony products on the basis of the quality and ease of use their products are known for.

Great videocam - buy it!

received handycam very quickly and was happy with product. it was an early christmas gift for my husband and he loved it! it was the perfect size and had all the extras he was expecting.

Like many, I looked for a replacement for my old Sony 8mm (tape) Camcorder for quite a while. I'm a fan of both the Sony label and the convenience of a hard drive camcorder, so the Sony DCR-SR82 camcorder seemed like a good choice.

Overall, this unit is not bad, but it's not nearly as good as I expected. The sound quality "out of the box" is only fair. The one taking the movies comes thru loud and clear should they make any noise while filming, but often those in the shot can't be heard that well. And as many have stated, the low light filming is OK, but rather grainy and washed of color.

Finally, I think it's ridiculous that Sony forces us to carry that docking station around and doesn't include the wall mounted battery charger as part of the package. I wound up spending an additional $100 between the higher capacity (3 hr.) battery and the wall charger unit.

Overall, I don't regret this purchase, but I'm glad my most important home movies (i.e., when my kids were growing up) were captured on my old Sony 8mm camcorder which delivered higher quality picture and sound, overall.

I am very please with my video...I had spend weeks looking at sites for the best option, after a while I decided to buy this one...belive me you will not regret it is extremly EASY to use plus is more easy to down load what you tape...

My wife is also very excited about it, 'cause is easy to carry and easy to use. The OEM battery does not last more than 90 minutes, so if you are a heavy user you may want to buy the 6.5 spare battery, personaly I have not ever videorecorded more than 90 minutes...This guys at SONY realy are putting a lot of effort in making technology more friendly...

I bought the product during Black Friday. Saved plenty of time and money buying from the site. Approx $300 I saved buying from Amazon compared to any store on the infamous Black Friday. Anyways, I paid for regular shipping and it came within 4 days. I received an email saying the product would be delivered on a certain day and it was. No problems with the packaging or the items itself. So far I used it on a couple occassions and I am completly satisfied.

Item is good. But could not find any price difference though bought on Thanksgiving day.

I was very excited when I received this camcorders. It's the most convenient handicam I'd seen. very compact, and easy to manipulate. However, it just did not live up to my expectations or the hype I had heard. I noticed that the quality of the video, even in HQ setting is grainy and a bit washed off. To make things worse, in low light or indoor setting the video captured is very disappointing. You can see yellow and green spottings throughout the screen. Also, when you move the camara, the picture drags behind you. The voice quality is very poor. While you can hear the person taking video, you can barely hear the people you are trying to hear unless you are in a very quiet setting. I just didn't expect that one of the newest sony products out there would give me similar results as my panasonic camcorder that I had bought 10 years ago.. SORRY SONY, THIS ONE DID NOT LIVE UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS.

Pros: 60GB HDD, No Viewfinder, Touchscreen LCD, Feel, Image Stablization
Cons: Nasty Video Quality, Confusing Menus (compared to previous sony cameras) Only docking station has a USB port, bad low light, useless modes.

Video Editor: Sony Vegas 7.0 + DVD Platinum (AMAZING!)

I got this camera for Christmas, with hope. As a young, short film maker (14 yrs. old), I know more about cameras then the average joe. I have had many Sony products, and loved them. I've had two Sony camcorders -- I will never buy one again.

I previously owned a Sony DCR-HC26 -- a miniDV camera, and I loved it. Cons of it, changing tape, 320x240 video recording is unacceptable.

The Sony DCR SR-82 records in a larger video resolution, as it is mentioned in the specs for this camera on multiple websites. There have been many comments on its low-light performance, but figured I could work around it when i make my movies with proper lighting, etc. When I opened the box for this camera, i was so excited because i loved the 60GB HDD (hard drive)= BIG PLUS!!! I recorded the family from time to time, in dark lights, bright lights, and even my refridgerator (very bright).

I hooked up the software for the camera, and its ACCEPTABLE.

The video, in all lighting condtions (bright, low, super bright, high exposure, low exposure, etc) had a purple and green grain to them. Not little grain, huge spots. This is highly unacceptable, for it to be sold for the price it is.

When editing my movies, i had to stretch (automatically does it) the old MiniDV video. Even then the video quality STILL looked better then this cameras. I returned this camera today, and I am buying a Sanyo HD700 instead.

I'm sorry Sony, your cameras are unacceptable for the prices they are sold for.

I really wanted to like this camera, I really did, but I couldn't!

(PS-- this camera isn't good for family videos, etc., because no matter the lighting, its bad video quality. ALSO Windows Media Player 9 can't even support the Mpeg Codec (maybe just my computer), which is a real hassle. I had to watch the videos through the Sony software.

We bought the camera to take snow skiing. It functioned quite well as expected.
Pros- small, fit in pocket, quick start/stop, easy hook-up to PC. Burned DVD very easily using quick burn button on base.

Cons- The camera picked up interference from my cell phone while recording. I didn't notice this until we watched the re-play. Next time i will turn the cell phone off first.
There are elevation limits listed in the manual 9,300 ft. I think? This will affect you if going to the mountains to ski. It seemed to function well though until it got too cold. At that time it gave a warning that it was too cold and would not function until it warmed up.

Video quality- outdoors- excellent/ Indoors- good if sufficient light. Low light was grainy.

Summary- for the $$ good buy!

Sony DCR-SR82 1MP 60GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included)

Pretty good camera for the price. Video quality is pretty good, but still images are not of good quality. I'm not worried about that since it's meant for recording videos, not for taking pictures. It has very good zoom.

Pros:
-Hard disk drive. Very convenient to record and transfer to computer
-Good zoom. Love the optical zoom! Nice digital zoom too, but ofcourse there will be a loss of quality in digital zoom.
-Video quality is good, works better in bright light.
-Compact, easy to handle
-Pretty good battery life
-Night vision is impressive.

Cons:
-I feel that it pixelates while panning or while capturing motion
-Absence of eye piece

Touch screen display could be pro or con depending on the user.

Very nice Sony camcorder. Easy to use, lots of features, holds an incredible amount of video and pictures. The whole family loves it. I got one for my parents too. Zoom is great for out doors and wild life. Has night vision too. We are very happy with it and recomend it highly. You won't be embarassed to own one of these.

i bought this camcorder on 12/11/07 and i choose the standard shipping .
it was estimate to delever by 12/13/07 it was same time for the one day shipping but not the same cost. i received it by the date was estimate for the standard shipping cost i'm happy with the amazon service more than the camcorder.the sony sr82 camcorder is good too.but the factory include the battery with lowest level for highe quality and feature to record video for long time.but the battery doesn't help you to do that.
thanks.

I purchased this item in exchange for the sony dcr-42. I thought that the 82 would be better but actually it was not. The video images was scratchy and seemed botched at times. It would go in and out of focus causing the botched scenes. the camara part is ok. I really don't recommend it. sorry.

I purchased this videocam to record the birth of my first child. Unfortunately, when it arrived I had to return it. Straight out of the box, I encountered "buffer overflow" and "data error" messages after less than 3 minutes of recording. Reformatting the harddrive did not work, and Sony customer service was less than helpful. Eventually, I managed to return the camera and secure a working model - which I have used successfully.

However, in the dark corners of my mind I will forever worry that the same errors will crop up in the replacement unit. For peace of mind, look elsewhere.

This is an all-around great camcorder... great picture quality and very simple to use right out of the box. Turn it on and you're shooting video. The included software to upload video to computer and create DVDs is adequate; though the DVD creation piece could offer a bit more flexibility in creating the title page, menus, etc. - why not throw in Sony Vegas software? Anyway, that's the software... the camera is perfect. I especially love the touch-screen. The camera feels a bit small in a normal adult hand, but we've found we use it a lot more because it is so small (easy to have nearby)... so I guess that's actually a plus.

The DCR-SR82 is esay to handle and use. With a big harddisk it is very effordless to use and there is no worries about being out of tape. I love it.

I like this camcorder very much with the touch screen and easy to load to the PC and the sofware is great. A++

All in all, I think that this is a nice camera for the cost. We bought it to take on vacation, and it suited it's purpose. The software that comes with the camera is not great, and we will likely have to upgrade. Other than that, it is compact and takes nice video!

Hi,
This was my first cam and it is good. I expect better performance for the ZOOM and Night shut. But it is sufficient.

1. You need a tripod for a good shut. Especially, if you are zooming, it shakes too much.
2. It is good for night shut but could be better.
3. Buy with accessories. I could not do it because of the first seller. They sucked. But be sure to get a good kit, tripod, battery, screen protector.
4. I want to use for wedding, the battery was insufficient.
5. I will buy most probably a cord for shuts without battery. About $25.
6. The included kit was easy to use. You can easily install XP drivers and use the recorded videos. I did not used throughly but did not see any problem. Also, USB cable is standard one, which is a good thing.
7. It's hard disk is perfect. I am very happy about the record medium :)
8. It is hard to select from screen. Cant touch for the first time. I could not select what I want. Perhaps, I am too cautious about the cam when using.

Have fun with it. As I said this was my first cam, so I could not compare with the others.

I bought the SR42 1st, Which is Lower Resolution and the WideScreen Features are Not as Good. So I upgraded to the SR82 (The SR62 is the Same as the 82 but only 30 Gig). The SR42 isn't bad, you get alot of features for the price, if you can live with less than perfect video quality.

The Video on the SR42 was just slightly worse than my 10 Year Old Sony Tape HandyCam. I was using a 50" TV in my comparisons. So I got the sr82. The Video Resolution Upgrade is much better on the 62 and 82 models.

The Other thing I notice is the sr42 did not handle the Widescreen the Same way. When I recorded with the sr82 the Picture filled my Widescreen TV whereas the sr42 did not since 4:3 put Black Bars on the Side and 16:9 had bars on the Top and Bottom. It seems as if the sr42 is 4:3 Native and the Widescreen Mode was 2.35 to 1 Aspect Ratio which I did not Like for Home Videos. The sr62 and sr82 are Native 16:9 Widescreen. They can Also do 4:3 as well.

The ActiveShoe Interface allows for adding InfraRed or Microphone or Lighting Attachments.

The Touch Screen is Nice and Works well. It Rotates 270 degrees. So you can Flip it 180 degrees one way and fold it back towards the camera for doing playback or when connecting to the Computer.

I did notice that the Camera Defaults to SP Mode and Not HQ. So the Highest Resolution is not the default. Just a Heads up.

The Battery gets you at least an hour of Recording. There are Larger Capacity Batteries Available.

I use this Camera in 2 Difficult Recording Situations.
1) Recording my Band. Usually from Far away. Music Really Loud. Varying Lighting Conditions (Stage Lights). It works well but you must use Manual Focus.
2) Video Taping my Sons Hockey Team. Hockey Rinks are tough to get Still Pictures in as well. Subjects are moving Fast but Flash cannot be used due to the Glass along the boards. The Netting also plays havoc with Auto Focus. The Sony also worked well in this situation. I got good video using Auto, Snow and Sports Settings. I think the Auto may be the best except when the Metal Halide Lighting is too low in certain rinks it can cause varied brightness in the video.

Overall a great Camera at the Price. Cameras $100 more are probably better. But you get what you pay for. Decide How much you want to Pay and get the Best Camera in that Range. This one Seemed to be the Best one in my Range. Plus I have always had good luck with Sony Products Lasting for 10+ years. Something I cannot say for just about every other brand I have tried. How much did I save when another camera was $50 cheaper but I have to replace it in 4 years...

I had the worst experience shopping for SR82 at butterflyphoto thru Amazon. I always loved shopping at Amazon but this has been my worst experience. First butterflyphoto put this product as on sale for 570$. I was really waiting for an offer as the last time i got this handycam was in christmas and for $500 thru Amazon. So I quickly hit the checkout and purchased it. I recieved a shipped mail (thru fedex) from butterfly after a few days and on the same day I received the mail that the request had been cancelled. I went in Amazon my stuff section to find my order but it clearly had dissapeared. Initially the money was withdrawn but then they had cancelled the payment.

Now whats so worse when you got your money back you might think. The worst part was the item was shipped to my address and was cancelled half way thru and the only reason I can now find for this is that SR82 rates have increased twice fold.

Why should they provide a sale if its a false one. If they did not have the product I can understand. But it waas shipped and cancelled and so much for customer satisfaction.

This is my first review. Many good experiences do not provoke us to write about them but one bad one does.

I never review anything, but I felt I needed to make a review of this product. We purchased this camcorder just before Christmas. Normally Sony makes great electronic equipment, but this camera has been terrible from day one.

For a long time I thought "Well, maybe it needs perfect lighting" or "Maybe the boys were moving to fast", but then I realized that our ancient camcorder - also a Sony - NEVER had a problem with these issues.

This camera almost never focuses properly. It's off just enough that you rub your eyes thinking maybe its you, but its not. If you watch through the view finder, you can actually stand there and see the picture go in and out of focus - and I'm not even moving.

I like the video to disk thing, but it's not worth much if you go to video you little boy's school play and get home to find everything is out of focus.

It's up to you, but I for one would never spend anything on one of these cameras again.

This is my 3rd video camera and my first Sony and I absolutely love it! I have officially become a Sony Snob! It is worth every extra penny! I originally had a Panasonic then JVC and only wish I spent the extra money the first time for the Sony.

I am extremely picky with picture quality and could not be happier! For a personal/nonprofessional camera this is the best! My camera has been on 2 vacations all over the place in low light and bright light, even on a boat and I had NO problems with focus or color.

The touch screen is so easy to use and convenient. I love the setup and how easy it is to watch or delete a video.

I was sceptical about the night vision but think it is just as good as a regular light (I had one on my other camera). The picture is slightly grainy with the night vision which is to be expected in low light but I hands down prefer to not have everyone I am filming squinting from the bright light in their eyes.

I don't know what everyone is complaining about with charging the battery. I do not find this to be an issue- simply plug in the camera and the battery charges..... The battery seems to stay charged for 2-3 hours. I bought an extra one for $50 which works great.

I was not sure if I should purchase this model after reading the reviews of the picture quality compared to an HD model. THIS IS NOT AN HD CAMERA! Based on this, the picture is AWESOME! I could not be happier! This is the best quality I have had in a video camera by far in all areas.
I have not tried to take pictures since I have my own camera and don't think you can expect the best pictures from a video camera. This was not a factor for me.

In my opinion, this is the BEST HDD video camera for the money and I will never buy another brand!