Sony DCR-HC62 1MP MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3PRFAYV4K81ZL A big part of the reason I bought this camera was for its smooth interval recording (time-lapse) feature. Strangely, Sony's higher end high definition camera HDR-SR5 does not have this feature. I have been quite satisfied with this feature's flexibility and user-friendliness. For some reason, the smooth interval recording has a 12 hour time limit, so if you want to do time lapses longer than 12 hours you have to stop the recording a couple times a day and re-start it and it will go for another 12 hours.

For regular video usage it's a good camera. The 2000x digital zoom, if you haven't guessed, is comically useless (not that I expected anything more). The tele-macro capabilities are pretty impressive.

As others have mentioned, it does not come with a firewire (IEEE 1394) cable that is required if you want to download video to your computer. I knew that before buying it and picked up a standard 4-Pin/6-Pin FireWire cable from Amazon through a third party seller (Phoenixgold) for under $[...] plus shipping, so not a big deal. I could see how that would have been annoying had I been unaware that this cable was not included.

P.S.
The "audio sample in an outdoor environment" clip was shot with an Opteka .43x fisheye converter not included with the camera. Also, the audio was significanly compressed after I uploaded the video so it's not quite what you would hear straight out of the camera.

Edit:
I added a low-light performance test video to youtube (search for "Sony DCR-HC62 low light test"). There is also a higher quality version of that video at http:// albums.phanfare.com/4434655/2011492#imageID=43138119.

It's a excelent camera, as I read in last review you need the iLink cable to copy the video to the computer, and I order one at the same time I order the camera; and Amazon it's great, even I order with the super saving shipping, they ship the order the next day and arrive me 4 days after.

The video quality is great as is the audio. I use this camcorder for blogging and drum videos and it has not disappointed. Importing footage via firewire (sold separately for 10 bucks on Amazon) is seamless via Windows Vista.

Other than a minimal battery life that comes with the camcorder, it's great.

Cheers

I have had an awful experience with this camcorder worse yet with Sony Custome Service. I shot multiple tapes of irreplacable content and discovered that the transport was defective and that the mic pics up a constant rumble. Sony customer service was completely unresponsive and refused to replace the camera but insisted a service call of indeterminate length was what was in order. They had me appeal to their "Executive Review Board". Their answer was a curt "Service take it or leave it" I won't ever buy another Sony product. I urge you to do the same. P.S. The cameras performance wasn't anything special either.

I dont understand why Sony did not include the firewire/iLink cable with this as without it you cannot transfer video to a computer. I had to shop separately for the cable once i discovered this. that's painful..