Sony DCR-DVD610 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom
records high-quality MPEG-2 video * records to mini DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+RWs, and DVD+R DLs (Dual Layer) * one single-layer disc holds 20 minutes at HQ setting; 30 minutes at SP setting; 60 minutes at LP setting * digital photo mode * widescreen 2-11/16" touchpanel LCD *
Sony DCR-DVD610 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom Accessories
 Sony 3" Rewritable DVD+RW for Camcorders - 3pk
Sony ACC-DVDH2 Accessory Starter Kit for Handycam, DVD, Camcorders
Sony LCSVA30 Soft Camcorder Carrying Case for DVD & MiniDV Camcorders
Sony NPFH70 H Series Actiforce Hybrid InfoLithium Battery for most Sony Camcorders
Memorex Mini DVD+RW 10 Pack
Sony BCTRP Battery Charger for DCR-HC, DCR-DVD, HDR-HC3, HC5, HC7, HDR-UX5 & UX7 Camcorders
Sony 4 GB Memory Stick PRO DUO ( MSX-M4GS ) (Retail Package)
Sony MSMT4G 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2) Media
Sony 5Dmr30L1H 1.4 Gb Camcorder 8Cm Write Once Dvd-R (5 Pk)
Sony 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (MSX-M2GS) (Retail Package)
Sony DCR-DVD610 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom Reviews
Great camcorder. No cons yet. Also Sony products are dependable. I used reviews on Amazon to decide my purchase. Easy to use, small enough to carry in coat pocket vs bag, very light.
The biggest drawback of this camcorder is that it uses Sony 3" Rewritable DVD+RW. These are the days of hard drive based camcorders where most competitors use a 40/60 GB hard drive which gives around 1000+ minutes of video. Unfortunately Sony decided to use them in their high end camcorders. Now who will use a camcorder with just 30 minutes of one time recording capacity. So after every 30 minutes you need to change the DVR. And it has only 30 minutes storage capacity.
It didn't work properly. So be careful if you think you would rely on the Hybrid function on this camera,you may be disappointed.
I still have a problem with memorystick. I returned and got a replacement and still didn't solve. The resolution is a bit low but I didn't expect much for this price.
I just have it for a month. I also found out that it's not compatible with the high speed memory stick. So far it does what supposes to do.
I would also have liked the ability to plug in a remote microphone to avoid ambient noise and get the speaker's voice more clearly. I tried to use the LP feature because what I used it for did not require a high degree of definition. Over all, however, very satisfied. Sony DCR-DVD610 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical ZoomVery good optics and ease of recording. In fact, it lasted only about 60 minutes with no start or stop after the first start and the last stop. The owner's manual says it will record 120 minutes on a disc if there is not a lot of start and stop. I still have a lot to learn about how to use the camera, but so far I like it.
But what a huge disappointment the canon cameras were. I tried to go fiddle with the settings, but I could never get the colors to look natural. These sort of marketting schemes are sometimes why I get irritated with Sony. But it goes away in a few seconds.
But nevertheless, the product is good. The screen looked sharp, the menu system was ok, everything seemed just about fine. I purchased this camcorder a few days ago for my dad, I must say I am quite impressed with it. Ppl might think its an error or that other brand discs are unusable. Not sure if this was because of the media. To make things worse, there was noise all over the place, indoor light wasnt great, but the dark carpet had light green and red spots all over on the LCD.
I compared the Canon DC310/320, Panasonic VDR50, and the Sony 610/710. Indoor focussing speed is not very good, but it gets there. Format takes 6-8 seconds (which is quite fantastic IMO). One annoying thing with this camera is the pop up message that shows up with you insert a non-sony disc. The zoom action was quick. But the colors seemed a tad unnatural, and slightly over saturated. I tried the Memorex DVD-RW format disc and it worked fine.
The battery that comes with the camera is the F__50 that manages about 90 minutes of recording time. This can be very misleading since its pretty much just blatant advertising on sony's part saying "Use Sony Media". Outdoors video is fantastic, I couldnt see many compression artifacts, details were there, I could make out the leaves on the tree clearly, the colors werent bleeding (A major issue with a previous samsung dvd camcorder i tried). The one aspect where Canon trumps is that it has optical image stabilization, not found on the sony. I didnt get to see both on a television screen so I cant tell you how much of a difference there is, but on the LCD screen I couldnt tell the difference, which is why I settled for the 610. Quick movements can lead the video to just get out of focus. The Panasonic looked much sleeker than the Canon, had a nice feel to it, felt a tad heavier as well though, some might find it a bit heavy for its size. Nightshot plus is useful only when there is very little light, otherwise it over exposes like crazy.
If you want a marginal improvement in video quality, the 710 offers a slightly boosted pixel count. Another thing is the clever marketting of battery life on the box stating "9 hrs" in a big font and below that in ultra tiny fonts it says "Using F__100 battery, with LCD off). They look cheap, the plastic is cheap, the buttons are flimsy, the buttons next to the screen were tiny and the on screen info was not clear at all. If you are looking for a DVD camcorder in the 300$ range, this is the one to get. The Sony has a very appealing design, the materials look of high quality, the fit and finish is excellent. I will try other discs and see if I see any improvement. The camera gains up and down really quickly based on the lighting conditions. Even if you have bulbs or stuff indoors, you can manage without nightshot plus.
I went to the store biased in favour of the Canon based on the specifications alone. The LCD was sharper, the colors were natural although a tad dull looking (never a bad thing, you can always add saturation later depending on your subject). Canon's design department needs to wake up, I have tried quite a few canon entry level/mid range products in the recent past and have come up very disappointing with design and build quality. Finalizing the disc took more than 6 minutes. Power up is quick, the touch screen is very responsive and so much easier to use compared to the dot sized rocker switch on the Canon. This is a huge help when you go closer to the telephoto end of things, its impossible to keep the sony still at telephoto.
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