Sony Handycam DCR - DVD403

If you are reading this, chances are you are trying to decide what camcorder you should buy. Specifically, if you were like me a few weeks ago, you were unsure whether to go for the miniDV tape format, or miniDVD format.


Previous early models that used the miniDVD format were not great. The picture quality was marginal, compatibility with different miniDVD manufacturers was spotty, and there were other issues.

The DVD403 from Sony is really the first miniDVD camcorder to really solve all the problems with the format. I have had mine for about 6 months now and have used it extensively under a variety of conditions and have been thoroughly impressed.Start up time is minimal--there is no lag and no different from my old tape-based camera. There is no motor noise unlike many tape cameras. The form factor is great, the camera is small and light.

The most obvious selling point is the fact that you can shoot video, finalize the disk in the camera, and stick it in your DVD player and watch it right away. You can even put the miniDVD back in the camera and record more video afterwards! Thats great!

The real surprise to me was the video quality. The picture is excellent and the sound superb. Being able to record in 16:9 widescreen is a big advantage for me since I own 2 widescreen TVs, and even for those of you that still own the old-school 4:3 TVs, the widescreen format will dominate all TV sets in the future so think ahead to future years when you are going to be watching these videos and this is a no-brainer for most people.

The camera is easy to use, very user-friendly, and has a bright widescreen monitor. I was really pleased with the quality of the still photos--I have been waiting for a camcorder that would eliminate the need for me to carry around my digital still camera, and this is it-- It's awesome and the way all camcorders should be.

The built in flash is excellent for stills as well. Battery life is more than needed.

The software is not superb but it is adequate and allows you to edit your video after downloading it to your computer--you can cut out parts you don't want, copy your miniDVDs for others, make music videos/slideshows, etc. It takes a while to figure it out but once you do it's easy. If you are heavily into major editing of videos like making movies you will want to stay with the miniDV format since it is somewhat more friendly for intense editing, but for the average guy who is taking video of his family and simply wants to do basic editing like making fun movies for the family or cutting out bad parts of a video, miniDVD is perfect.

Cons
You can only record for 21 minutes in high quality mode. But for $1 I really don't mind having to switch DVDs every 20 minutes of video. For most people, 20 minutes is a LONG video and will last you a long time depending on how much you shoot. Depending on what you are shooting you can use the lower quality modes that allow you to fit 1 hr into one disk instead of just 20 minutes, but the picture quality will suffer a little. its up to you.

Overall this is a great option if your looking to record home video it will get the job done, if your a professional I think you would probably need something more advanced.
thanks for listening.

Chris in Va