Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Overall this camcorder lives up to (and surpasses) all expectations. The same goes for Abe's. They were incredibly helpful and professional. Sounds like I'll be back to visit them for my next purchase.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Good solid product. Lots of features, I will likely never use them all, still nice to have. The only negative is the format, HD what do you do with the memory. I cant afford a blue ray burner. I guess I'll dump the data to a hard drive untill blue rays become affordable for the regular Joe.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

high tech but user friendly. Amazing features that makes my old camcorder seem very outdated. High quality videos that my family and I will be thrilled to view down the road

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Overall happy with this HD Multi-Tasker. Compact footprint makes it easy to take this bad boy along for the ride. High MP still camera incorporated into the camcorder theoretically makes it the ultimate multi-tasker, but I think that despite the pixels...the photos remain a bit on the weak side for serious snap-shooters! HD Video is nice, but hard to get onto a usable format with included software. Overall easy to set up and use.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I attempt to record competitive activities. The camera has great picture but an impossible instruction manual. It stops short of explaining how to retrive captured materials, set up for other uses.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

We owned a sony 8mm camcorder from around 2000. We loved that camera but wanted to upgrade to a dvd based or other for ease of transfer to pc. This 120Gb harddrive based camera completely fit our needs. With touch screen application, widescreen, and hi-def, we couldn't go wrong. Abe's of Maine also really impressed us. Not only was their pricing extremely competitive, but they called to follow-up before shipping order and offered most requested items that people purchasing this camera have also purchased. This helped us to purchase another battery and UV lense that we likely would have had to purchase at the local Best Buy for much higher cost after receiving the camera. Great Job by All!!!

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I did prefer the fade button on the unit rather than on the screen because of the movement of the camera when touching the screen.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Instructions for use inadequate. You can take forever trying to find and operate "all of those features". This includes even basic operations. I bought it and immediately left on a vacation. I could not figure out how to turn on the flash for stills! Also, switching from video to photo is awkward and inefficient.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

The camcorder is very easy to use and the the best picture quality I have seen. Worth every penny! Switching between HDD and memory stick is a peice of cake. Touch screen makes the menu easy to operate.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

So far I love using the camcorder to capture all those special moments of our 1 year old son. It really was a snap to use the basic features right out of the box. As has been mentioned in many other reviews, the battery life isn't long. Do yourself a favor and order the extended life battery right away.

I also purchased the .5x wide angle lens and 2x zoom lens as a package. I don't know that I'll need the zoom lens that much, but have already used the wide angle lens for recording holiday get together's with the family.

The only thing I am not happy with is the long transfer time when transferring the movies over to my MAC. Because iMovie 08 doesn't work in the same native format that the Sony records in, it has to convert it. It does so at about a 1:1 ratio. So 1 hour of footage takes close to an hour to transfer. I'm not sure if other software packages would be better in this respect or not, so I'll have to do some research there.

In closing, great camera, easy to use, short battery life and slow transfer of files to a MAC.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Easy to use,photo button could be better located. Wish Sony and the people who write these guides would spell out how to set up a particular option instead of saying "you can do this an do you can do that" I have had this camcorder about 2 months and am still "stumbling on to options" Not all of us who purchase these things are pros and can imediately operate all the options with out help.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

The Sony HDR-SR12 is great. The digital hard drive makes it very easy to view and erase images without having to "back up" like is necessary with tape cameras. The screen is large and the zoom capabilities are great. The manual is PDF based and not printed and it's not as convenient to use as a printed manual.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Great, solid camcorder. I use it for underwater video and shoots good HD video. Never used an HDD(used only mini DV format) camcorder being concerned with the video quality, but boy, oh boy, this camcorder shoots razor sharp images. Just get an HDMI cable and plug it into your HD TV set and you'll see what I'm talking about(make sure shoot at the highest resolution). The sound appears to be good, but one can plug in an external mic, if higher quality is desired(so far i used extensively the mic on the underwater housing) I only had it for two month, so I can't comment on durability yet, but appears well made. Easy to use, microphone input, a good feature. Need a spare battery, the one that comes with the camcorder doesn't last. Gave it a four star rating due to the not so good performance in low light, which is expected of a camcorder with 1 CCD (use of a video light will solve this issue). 3 CCD camcorders perform much better in low light, personally I would use a light. Definetly not a pro camcorder, but a very good one which will satisfy most of the amateur cosumer.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I like the combination or high quality stills with great video. Also, I like the fact that the non-operational controls are on the touch screen. This means a minimum of buttons on the camera. Speaking of buttons, Sony should re-position the zoom and stills controls for larger hands.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I bought the camera and left for my vacation next day. Read up on how to use it on the plane and was ready to go by the time I landed. I have an old Sony DVR-TRV310 and missed the bigger lens and 20x optical. But the High Def video and 10.2mp stills ran rings around my old camera. I love it. Got a great deal at Abes and plan on buying my next SLR from them.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

easy to use, great picture quality

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

The video quality is undoubtedly great. The only problem I'm having right now is to share the AVC HD content over the web. The Sony app comes with a MPEG-2 convertor and using that feature as of now.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

There's lots of storage, but not sure how I will archive. A Blu-ray burner would probably be a first choice. A Sony DVR with Harddrive & Blu-Ray recorder would also be great when available.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I bought this for shooting my daughters soccer games. I love the HD part of the camera. In the past moving the camera left and right to fast gave it a blurry affect. In other cameras zooming in and out to fast was a problem. So far I haven't had a problem.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

the video quality is great. the instructions were not that easy to understand.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

great high def quality and quick sync to other sony equipment. Light, small easy to use, great touch screen, easy downloading.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I received the camera the before our new year annual feast. I took about 1.5 hour of video and some still pictures. My brother also took about the same amount of video with Hitachi DVD camera and the result is day and night different. I glad I took this camcorder.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Easy to use, the screen viewer is a touchscreen making the camcorder easier to use. The Software is a little bit complicated but you can convert the movies you have recorded to mp4. Unbelievable picture.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

This camera is perfect for my purposes.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

No problems thus far just great video and great sound. Best if used to hook up with Mini HDMI to HDMI plug. Easier to operate than most reveiws state and a screen protector is a must. A bit annoying when using the card for photos and the hard drive for video....an annoying screen pops up but other than that easy of use 8 of 10.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I took this camcorder on a vacation to New York city. This was the first time I used it, right out of the box. It was pretty easy to get used to. I was getting good videos and still shots in no time. I had the camera setting in my lap while I was on a bus and it somehow fell on the hard floor. There was no problems with the camera after this incident, all worked well. When I got home I transffered all my vids and pics to the harddrive on my computer for use later. (I'll edit the video and make a slide show useing pinnacle software). Can't think of anything I don't like about this camera yet.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

easy to use

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

A few companies offered this product ~30$ cheaper but this company was the best price from a non-shady outfit with a good reputation.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

We purchased this camera for home use and are thrilled with it. The docking station makes it easy to charge and to playback footage on our HD TV. Just an absolute pleasure to use.

I would recommend the extended-life battery and considering buying a service contract for your camcorder since camcorders usually take quite a beating during regular use. This one is so easy to use and to keep charged that it pretty much comes along with us everywhere. Also, picture quality is fantastic.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

good product. easy to use

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I have had the Sony HDR-SR12 for almost a month now, and I can quite easily say it's the BEST camcorder I've ever owned! The HD quality is fantastic (fall foliage with sun shining down on colorful leaves, for example) and it is very well designed. The supplied battery is a little weak, but the optional replacement (FH-70) is the same exact size (which is nice; it's not big). My favorite feature is the Wide Angle Conversion Lens (VCL-HG0737C). Also, the AVCHD format works perfectly with my iMac and iMovie'08. I have had no software problems or issues editing or creating standard DVD's.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

This product has a lot of neat features.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Overall I am very happy with the operation of this camera.
Buy the Sony NP-FH100 battery right away.
This gives you 300+ minuets recording time.
The picture quality is awesome.
Operation is easy.

My first negative experience with this camera was that the auto focus would stick for 5 seconds. This happened most often in low light when switching from a hard target at 10’ to a soft target at 3’. After comparing it to an older handy cam side by side, I determined the camera to be defective. I had purchased this camera at a store so I took it back and exchanged it. Now the auto focus works well and in the exact same light and location. So if you are having problems with the auto focus, first contact Sony at the web address they provide. Than exchange the unit.

I see others complaining about editing software. I use Corel Video Studio Pro X2. This program only costs about a hundred dollars. It easily manages and burns the high def video to blue ray. It will also convert the video to almost any other format including DVD, Flash and more.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I chose Sony sr12 because it is also compatible w/mac after reading lots of review about jvc is not. Very good pic quality. Get a 14 hr battery and a wall charger which are not coming with it.
Touch screen may get dirty a little because of the finger prints but it is very easy to use.
Also thnx to Abes of Maine very fast service. I placed the order and got my cam in 3 days.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Great quality recording. Minimal instructions in the box. pdf and on-line instructions a bit quirky. If you keep experimenting with the features and documentation, you can figure it out. Once you do, it works great.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Great camera
S/W provided is basic

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

In all, it is a great camera with great picture quality. Storage and data transfer is easy and better than other media storage formats. Sony, as always, aims for quality. That said, there are a few things that would make me reconsider buying another one.The options and features are many, but their placement are not always intuitive and are hard to use with regular size hands, much less larger sized ones like mine. Some feature should be easy to find, such as white balance. Also, there is not an automated white balance feature and it is desperately needed. The Control Dial sounds like a great idea, but isn’t. the default is manual focus control. You push the button to allow manual focus then turn the knob to change the focus. Push again and it does not stay locked in that position you go back to auto focus and it will always refocus. It does, at least, always tell you the focal distance while I manual focus mode. The Control Dial can be changed to be used for other functions, don’t even think of changing it to another mode while recoding. You got to push and hold the button in, roll the knob to the desired function, push the button again to accept, the activate the function by pushing and roll the knob to where you want it. There’s just a lot of movement that will jerk the camera around. Now, here’s the biggest problem with the dial; if you have it in manual focus, change the function to another function without releasing the manual focus, your focus will never be able to refocus until you return and take it off manual focus. This one caused me about 2 hours of frustration and had me calling support trying not find out why it would not focus.The zoom control is not at all user friendly. In the past, your zoom on any camcorder was a forward to back toggle. Forward, you zoom in, back you zoom out. Now, the toggle is left to right. Since you have to PUSH to the left and PULL to the right, you would think that PUSH would be zoom in, right? It isn’t. Also, by making it so you must move the toggle side to side, there is unnecessary motion as you zoom. There is also a zoom control on the LCD viewing frame which is about the only way I can execute the zoom smoothly.Now, here is perhaps the biggest eye opener that put things in perspective for me. My first project I needed to have the camera in an awkward position that might get it wet or dropped into grease. I had not purchased the underwater housing unity and while at the store I saw this cheap HD camcorder by Aiptek. It was just [$] and I bought it since I was more comfortable putting it at risk than the expensive Sony camera. When I was sorting through the raw footage I realized that both camera had equally good picture quality. Both had good sound (actually the Aiptek sound might have been a little better) and outside of the storage space, the camera that one would think of as a toy HD camera was every bit as good as the Sony HDR-SR12.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

The quality and features are impressive, but there are minor nuisances. The viewfinder is useless because of the grainy super-low resolution. The auto focus is slow for a camera this expensive - especially at startup from standby. And, the software is poor - I would expect Sony to bundle Vegas Pro with this camera rather than a cheap derivative.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

The camerea is OK, but not great. At full optical zoom (not digital) the image becomes a bit blurry and the colors start tinting abit to blue. The image stabilization is not so great. Post processing is the worst of all negatives that this camera has. The AVCHD files will have to be converted to BlueRay format and that is very time consuming, and the software alone (not sold with the camera) is about 5-600$ ! Not fun. Yes, you may burn it as a AVCHD disk, which is high quality, but it will only play on a SONY blueray player, not easy to share ...

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

This is more than anyone needs for home video. I could have bought a less expensive model for what I needed the camera for, but then I would probably have to upgrade in another year. If you are a real video nut then this is great for you. This camera shouldn't be obsolete in the next year or two. I think that by the time I utilize this camera to it's fullest extent I'll really get to enjoy the camera to it's fullest extent!

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

i hate the MINI manual they give out.i hate reading a PDF file nor having to print it out. [$] and sony cant afford to print out an ENGLISH ONLY manual...sigh...

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Wonderful video, tapeless wonder,compact

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

Overall the camera is excellent.I initially viewed the images on a regular computer monitor. But, once I played in a blu-ray player and HD screen, the effects were amazing. Only glitch is that there are no good video editing software that you can buy cheap. Hence, I have to plan well ahead while shooting to avoid much editing later. Otherwise, it is great if you can get a separate battery which lasts longer.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

great video . body too big 4 my hands.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

This camera is just amazing. It has completely replaced our still-shot digital camera because it is roughly the same size but it does the video and pictures. We have had it for 5 months and you could not take it away from me or my wife. We use it for everything: family gatherings, sports, camping, at the pool, everything.

There are only 2 things about the camera that I will say bad about it. The first is the battery that comes with it. It won't last an hour without dying. I highly recommend buying a bigger battery but make sure it is a SONY. You lose a lot of functionality with the off brands. Second thing concerns the filters and the flash. The flash simply will not work if you have a filter on the lens. I even called SONY support about it and they just said "sorry". So, if you know you will be using the flash, take the filter off. The only way around this would be to modify the camera or the filter (there is a little button inside the lens housing).

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

I didn't click "durable" because I haven't dropped it, so I don't want to test that aspect. TONS-O-BUTTONS, I will learn all their functions, but till then, it shoots great video straight out of box, no adjusting settings. NO, I repeat, NO more tapes!!!! HDD is the BEST!

ONE con: DO NOT forget to bring your user CD with you on trips (copy it for backup) Sony uses some proprietary format and without the CD you're SOL! They WON'T let you download it, have to PAY for a new one, PAIN in the ### This is only if you want to transfer from cam to PC.

Comments about Sony HDR-SR12 120GB HDD Camcorder - Silver:

New software from Sony makes editing much easier: the Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platunum Pro Pack