Sony HDR-CX190 High Definition Handycam 5.3 MP Camcorder

I did not previously own any Sony digital imaging products. I'm a Casio digital camera loyalist; I've got a few Samsumg and Canon cameras (and as a novelty the Fuji W3 3D camera).

I bought this camcorder with the hope that it would be both a good camcorder and a good camera.

It is both.

You can bring this camcorder along when you want to use a camcorder but also want to get some good photos on the fly.

Both the photos and the video are high quality. (Unlike other camcorders that fall far short with photo quality.) You get camera-quality photos (as you do if you have a higher-end smartphone).

The controls are straightforward.

You can upload data and recharge the battery through the built-in USB cable (which neatly tucks into the strap-handle when not in use -- genius!). You also get an AC adapter/charger in the box.

This is a very good budget camcorder and I recommend it.

The caveat is that it is by no means solid in build quality. It is well-built. But it is plastic. One drop and it is game over, I fear/expect.

The battery life is not stellar but it is sufficient. I made it through a day of 840+ photos and 20-30 minutes of video-recording on a single charge with the original battery. I bought a high-capacity battery (4200 mAh) for future use. The high-capacity battery adds notable bulk/size but not in complete disproportion.

 purchased this specifically for a trip to Anaheim, the happy place! I was most concerned about battery life as many camera's had reviews of poor battery life span. I purchased additional batteries for under 40.00 bucks. I also purchased 2 32Gb memory cards and only ended up using one of them. I set the camera lower on the quality setting and still got execlent video. Very satisfied with the video and function of the camera. However, the still photo even though it states 5+ megapixel is not high in quality. If you just want to capture memories it is somewhat good but not in comparison to the 8megapixel still camera I have which I also took with me. The camera is very light weight and with the extended life battery never had to worry about it on the quality setting I chose. If you set it higher I think it lowers the memory time to like 2.5 hrs but the batter last longer. I would still buy this again as it serves the purpose of capturing the video and for the price is good enough!

This is very good product. If you are looking for entry level HD camcorder for basic needs, go for it, This has a good battery life and simple user interface

My first Sony flash based camcorder. Took a few sample videos and play it back on my pc and it looked very choppy (both in 17mbps and 24mbps). I can't tell the difference between 17mbps and 24mbps. I think my pc is slow (core i3-2100 with 16gb of ram) for playing back the m2ts files. I burn them onto an AVCHD on DVD disc and it looks fine. I think my older HD cam, Canon HV10 from 5/years ago looks bit better. BTW, The camcorder is very light, almost like a fake toy.

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