Product Description

SONY DCRVX2100 -- Sony's digital camcorders have been used in theatrically released motion pictures, and the VX2100 ups the ante again, offering higher resolution, wider color bandwidth, and lower noise than ever before Includes - AC adapter, NP-F330 Lithium battery, wireless remote, stereo AV cable, Memory Stick(R) USB reader, & 8MB Memory Stick(R) Dimensions - 6-3/8H x 4-3/4W x 15-1/2D; weighs 3 pounds 6 ounces

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3822 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Sony
• Model: DCRVX2001
• Dimensions: 15.50" h x 6.50" w x 4.75" l, 3.50 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• Digital MiniDV Handycam camcorder with a 58mm aspherical lens and 380,000-pixel CCD
• 12x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 48x) with Super SteadyShot image stabilizer
• 2.5-inch rotating LCD and color viewfinder
• Manual controls for shutter and exposure, Stamina Power Management, and intelligent accessory shoe
• NP-F330 InfoLithium Rechargeable Battery

From the Manufacturer
Take Control of Sound and Vision with the DCR-VX2100, offering the brightest video results of all Sony MiniDV models. With its new Advanced HAD progressive scan CCD technology, illumination is improved dramatically, delivering superior low-light performance without the use of infrared technology. By increasing the CCD's sensitivity to light, clearer, brighter video with more lifelike color can be captured, even when recording in dimly lit environments.

Its 58mm aspherical lens and duel-position neutral density filter minimize distortion from standard spherical lenses and compensate for varying lighting situations such as studio lights or direct sunlight. Additionally, the VX2100 includes a built-in lens cap to protect the enhanced optics package, manual audio control and PCM Digital Stereo Audio in 12 and 16-bit modes, a manual focus and manual zoom ring, built-in color bar generator, 16:9 wide screen recording capability, intelligent accessory shoe, both 12x optical and 48x digital zoom, advanced optical SteadyShot picture stabilization and up to seven hours1 of operation with the optional NP-F960 InfoLithium battery.

Sony DCR-VX2100 Highlights

MiniDV recording
Offers up to 530 lines of horizontal resolution, 3x color bandwidth (vs. VHS) and significantly higher S/N ratio, to provide stunning video performance.

Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick Media
Capture digital still images at 640 x 480 resolution, directly onto Memory Stick media for easy transfer to PCs for emailing, printing, or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick devices.

2.5-inch Precision Hybrid SwivelScreen LCD display
Provides excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution. The 211K pixel LCD display makes images sharp and detailed during playback or when monitoring recording. The Hybrid Reflective- Transmissive LCD screen provides accurate viewing in sunlight or bright light, virtually eliminating the "wash-out" common with traditional LCD screens.

Manual exposure dial
Create your own special look by controlling the camera’s exposure amount manually, allowing in less or more light for creative control.

Stamina Power Management System (Up to 9 hours using optional NP-F960 battery)
The Sony DCR-VX2100 can record for up to 9 hours or play back for up to 13 hours (with LCD screen off) on a single charge with the optional Sony NP-F960 camcorder battery.

i.LINK DV interface (IEEE1394)
A high speed bi-directional digital video/audio communication between two devices equipped with an IEEE1394 interface, including camcorders, digital VCRs, and PCs.

Accurate color reproduction from the 3CCD imaging system

3CCD imaging system
Each 1/3-inch CCD has 380,000 pixels for brilliant digital picture-quality.

530 lines of horizontal video resolution
Advanced HAD Megapixel CCD technology, combined with high-quality optics provide outstanding video performance with up to 530 horizontal lines of resolution.

Advanced HAD CCD technology
Enhanced CCD design allows more light to reach the imager which reduces video noise to improve signal-to-noise ratio by up to 6db (2x better than a standard CCD). Particularly effective when shooting in dark situations.

12x optical/48x digital zoom
The optical zoom helps to bring the action up close from far away. In addition, the digital zoom interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms.

Aspherical ground glass 58mm lens
Larger diameter allows more light to strike the Advanced HAD CCD imagers for greater detail and clarity, while the aspherical lens reduces optical distortion, and provide better corner-to-corner focus.

Manual zoom ring
Allows user operated manual zoom speed for more flexibility and control.

Precision color viewfinder (180K pixels)
Increased pixel count provides more detail and clarity of video subjects.

Manual shutter speed
Gives you optimum control over the shutter speed based upon shooting environment or desired effect.

The AccuPower battery meter

InfoLithium battery with AccuPower meter system
Charge the battery at any time because unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) batteries Sony’s rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries are not subjected to a life shortening-memory effect. Sony’s exclusive AccuPower meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, in the viewfinder or the LCD screen.

Super SteadyShot optical stabilization system
An advanced version of Sony's SteadyShot system that minimizes even high frequency shake and vibration using motion sensors and an optical active prism stabilizationsystem, for better performance even in difficult shooting situations.

Intelligent Accessory Shoe
Provides power, on/off and special operational commands to a variety of Sony Intelligent Accessories via an 8-pin interface. This enables easy synchronized operation between the Handycam camcorder and such accessories as video lights, infrared lights and microphones without additional batteries or cables.

Progressive Shutter system
Mechanical shutter system that provides Progressive Scan performance while utilizing an interlace scanning system. Digital still images will be sharp and clear with excellent definition.

Progressive scanning, which is found in high-end digital televisions and DVD players, helps eliminate irregularities common to video cameras such as flickering images and blurred edges. It also effectively eliminates digital artifacts such as jagged edges and "stair-stepping" effects. Sony's Progressive Shutter System accomplishes this by using a mechanical shutter to compensate for motion blur.

With the Progressive Shutter System, your still pictures will be sharper and clearer with better definition than standard, interlaced video stills. Your fast-moving subjects will be virtually free of flickering, blurring, and other motion-related digital artifacts.

Customer Reviews

The Sony!
I don't know how this hasn't been reviewed yet - this is simply the "prosumer" camcorder to have. After reading up on this camera, the Canons (GL2, XL1s), and the "Panny" (aka, the DVX100a), it seems this manages to, put simply:

- Beat the GL2
- Tie with the XL1s
- Beat the DVX100a

To go more in depth, let's start with the GL2. While this is one heck of an affordable, broadcast-quality machine, it mainly loses to the VX2100 in terms of low-light conditions. This is really where the Sony shines - low-light shooting. A popular breakdown of the VX2100 vs. the GL2 is that the VX2100 works better in low light, and the GL2 has a more powerful zoom. That pretty much is what it comes down to. The GL2 has a "frame mode," in which you get 30 frames/second non-interlaced video. The idea behind this is to equate to the popular, on-demand 24p, to get that "film look." Such a look is only important if you plan on doing actual movies, and unfortunately, the GL2's frame mode simply isn't that great. Aside from that, when you later edit your shots, there's tons of programs and plug-ins which will do the same thing - but better.

Now, the XL1s. I know I've used the word "simply" a lot in this review, and that's primarily because I want to make the comparisons simple. When one goes to taste a Coke and a Pepsi, it would be useless to make a pro and con list to decide which tastes better... to you. Instead, you just pick the one you like, and continue drinking - and you probably wouldn't mind the other brand next time (ok, maybe not all of you). Anyways, the point being all of these cameras will give you an excellent picture, and they'll all do a bunch of extra things. If you're a serious, professional videographer, then it is recommended you compare long specifications lists to see which better meet your needs. On the other hand, if you're like me and just want something that will shoot family and non-planned out footage, these will all do great. And when you go to shoot a movie, wedding, documentary or whatever it is you're doing professionally, these cameras will continue to impress you.

Ok, about that XL1s. This camera has been used in movies - 28 Days Later, TV shows - pretty much the entire MTV line-up, commercials - that Jerry Seinfeld American Express one, etc. Needless to say, this is a very impressive camera. Not only is it significantly larger than the others, but its most sought after feature is the fact that the lenses are interchangeable. What's not frequently mentioned is the fact that these lenses cost upwards of $600/pop. Of course, the XL1s has some more professional features to justify the price jump from the GL2 - those of which you can read about on those spec sheets I mentioned earlier.

And finally, onto the "Panny," or the Panasonic DVX100a. This camera has a whole several-thousand member online discussion forum for it. That should tell you how much people love this camcorder. I think it's nice, myself. Don't know how much I love it. I know what everyone loves about it is the fact that it does 24p perfectly - that's the aforementioned "film effect" feature. The problem is, when you compare its other features to the VX2100, the Sony is the better camcorder. And don't forget you can still get a "film effect" when you go to edit your video.

So, all in all, these are the camcorders which are all in somewhat of a similar price range. I know I've considered all four of these, which is why I wanted to share what I found for that other guy who wants to know the same thing. You probably still want to check out some other places for reviews, which is highly recommended. Like I said, I spent 4 weeks doing what you're doing now, and I ended up with the VX2100. Take that for what it's worth.

See ya in the funny pages!

Excellent camera geared towards the action sports/ adventure filmmaker
This camera has been in my eye for roughly 3 years now and now that it is finally in my possession, I could not be more pleased. As the previous owner of a Canon Optura 300, I had been craving a more professional camera for a very long time. My Canon, while being possibly one of the best 1-chip camera I have ever used, was far too small for what I needed to accomplish with it. I craved for more manual control, an easier layout, a more stable camera, and full and in-depth control over white balance and focus. The VX2100 fulfilled all these requirements spectacularly. I use this camera primarily for filming skateboarding and snowboarding videos and short films and it is seemingly tailor made to suit the needs of those who documents these sports. Here is a short synopsis of what makes each of the features on this camera so fantastic.

Layout: This camera has a great layout. From the zoom and focusing ring near the front of the camera to the record button and zoom rocker on the handle, to the dedicated Audio and White Balance buttons on the back, everything is easy to find, well labeled, and intuitive in its placement.

Manual Control: This camera has some of the most indepth manual features of nearly any prosumer camera on the market today. As I stated before, this camera is mostly button instead of menu driven, it saves so much time when you're at a spot and you only have about 5 minutes to get the shot, you just hit the dedicated white balance button and !voila!, vibrant and accurate color reproduction at the touch of a button. The focus and zoom both give the right amount of resistance when turning, making it easy to get the exact focus and zoom that you want. The color shift feature is also very useful, allowing you to change the camera's settings so the CCDs pick up all the colors perfectly (the VX2100 is notorious for having a colder, more bluish picture compared to the VX1000). The integrated Neutral Density filter is quite useful on those really bright days when glare is overwhelmingly present and distracting. Overall, this camera is incredibly in depth in the sheer choices you can make to tweak the picture just right.

Maneuverability: This camera is just the right size when it comes to handheld filming. Most of the weight of the camera is towards the front, but is perfectly balanced from the top handle. The camera is also not too long, allowing you to get closer to the subject when using a fisheye and allowing you to manipulate the camera in tight quarters.

Overall, this prosumer camcorder is another winner for Sony and should be seriously considered by anyone who is either an aspiring filmmaker, or is looking to buy a top class camcorder. An excellent buy!

Competition for the XL1S!
This camera is fierce competition for Canon's XL1S. It has the features you need, the Sony name, and flawless transfer. WARNING!: This is NOT for the amateur home videoer. The parameters are begging to be tweaked - just for fun. Settle for a Handycam if you're just filming Billy's soccer game. This one right here is made to be USED. Good for media students, career filmers/editors, and anyone who wants to REALLY have some interesting fun...Sony doesn't disappoint on this one.