Sony DCR-DVD203 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/12x Optical Zoom review:
5 stars (Lightweight and compact. Great value. ) - This is a great DVD camcorder. Best of all is its size. It is barely larger than my digital camera and weighs almost nothing. For those who don't know yet, this DVD camcorder (and most recent ones) doesn't use regular DVDs but smaller ones instead, so the camcorder is not as bulky as one would think.

Getting started was very easy. I literally watched my first DVD on TV one hour after opening the box. The internal software automagically creates a menu with chapters and all (all of it can be customized of course). Commands and options are all very straightforward and very few settings need to be changed in order to get started. Also, there is a fantastic zoom for a camcorder of this size.

Only downside is the battery time. The battery will die after about an hour. I still give it 5 stars because anyway I am not of those who film landscapes or entire shows/parties from end to end. I usually only use a camcorder to film relatively short events or everyday-life snapshots of kids and family, and this camcorder is just perfect for that.
4 stars (Great Value for Home Video) - This is my first camcorder and the only reason I bought it was because my first child was due in June. The reason I went with Sony was because several of my friends own one. I liked the size and picture quality of the mini DV but I didn't like the fact that you had to hook up a lot of cables and fast forward or rewind to look for your shots. My friend owns one of the first generation Sony DVD camcorders and he showed me some video and I thought it was pretty good even at 60 min and he said he has never had a problem with it so I decided on this the model 203 which was newer and in widescreen.



Pro: Wide screen, sound is not bad, ease of use ( I have been experimenting with it straight out of the box, haven't even read the manual yet and you can pretty much figure out all the features), and size.



Con: I own a 47inch widescreen TV and even on the Highest Quality recording the picture looks a little grainy and colors weren't that great, but play it on a regular tube TV and the picture is great so I guess it loses a little resolution on the bigger screen. I will have to try it on my brother in law's 50inch plasma. This is the reason I gave it only 4 stars.



I haven't tried the editing features yet but most likely I will get aftermarket software. I purchased thru amazon which was one of the better values but not the cheapest. The cheaper site, which I won't name got a lot of poor reviews and complaints so I stuck to amazon for no tax and free shipping.
4 stars (I like it but need time to learn how to use it properly) - I started recording video right out of the box. The camera's features are pretty good but the video was a little grainy or too bright and it skipped some. I need to spend some more time learning how to use the camera properly.2 disks worth of movies were unwatchable because I didn't use the back light. After a few day's of tinkering I found the "easy cam" button.It seems to record much better now.

It's not a "right out of the box" camera but I still like it and think I will like to more once I take the time to learn how to use it properly.

I would like it better if I bought it at the amazon price but I was overseas and needed a camera fast. I paid twice amazon price so I guess I have higher expectations.

Sony DCR-DVD203 DVD Handycam Camcorder w-12x Optical Zoom is the Electronics version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around  Too Low ToUSD.