Sony HDRCX130 Handycam Camcorder (Black)

I received my Sony HDR-CX130 today and was shocked to find that IT HAS NO MICROPHONE INPUT of ANY KIND!

I alerted Sony and they thanked me for bringing to their attention this error on their technical specifications listed (and promptly linked me to a page that allegedly says it's not their fault if errors are made on their advertising.. that link did not work either, btw bwaha).

So, no, NO 3.5 mini jack or ANY mic/audio input whatsoever.

Also, every auto-focus mode is EXTREMELY SLOW, and the "manual" controls are next to impossible to adjust due to the DESIGN. I have been practicing for HOURS and STILL haven't gotten the hang of using any of the "manual" controls. It's basically, "set everything to automatic and HOPE for the best" which is not too convenient for any point-and-shoot.

On the bright side, the "touch the screen to focus on that area" DOES seem to work rather well 50% of the time, and I am pretty sure THAT is the way I will be focusing

The touchscreen however does respond accurately (even with my huge fingers) and menus are fairly easy to get to (even though it always exits as soon as you make any selection instead of taking you back to the menu). The touchscreen is a GIANT LEAP FORWARD in control when compared to that horrendous small "joystick" on earlier consumer camcorders like my old Canon.

Optical stabilization is AMAZING!!

And that Tele-macro feature is brilliant, if everything is extremely STILL!

SO those are the biggest pros/cons so far. I still haven't actually recorded anything today so I don't know how the image quality holds, but it APPEARS to be great.

I just thought i'd warn any potential buyers of the NO-MIC-INPUT (which was one of 3 absolutely-necessary aspects I needed, which basically means I wasted my money on this particular camcorder) and also warn of the near-impossible "manual controls" along with the snail-slow auto-focusing.

I got mine at best buy about 2 months ago (wanted to really get to know it before I wrote a review)

Where I'm coming from:

I am an amateur skateboard filmer who has professional taste (some of my friends do it for a living, and I can't be outdone, lol). I had a budget of around $500 for a new HD camcorder that I could attach conversion lenses too (primarily wide/fisheye)

I'll make a long story short:

WHat's Great:

-I finally realized that the cameras "Wide/telephoto Conversion lens" setting actually allows you to use auto settings with a fisheye (which has historically always been a manual setting only kind of lens) and my clips are in focus, and the exposure is perfect every time. This is HUGE because any camera without a viewfinder is going to be impossible to get all the manual settings perfect, ecspecially in the sun.

-High color setting is gorgeous, particularly when filming bold, bright colors

-High frame rate setting is awesome, slow motion looks perfect.

-Easy to find any cheap, off brand accessories, cuz Sony's stuff is way over priced(on amazon you can find a cheap extra battery, lens, lens hood, etc...)

-Overall Size makes it easy to store, and travel with.

What's not great, and infact kinda sucks

-A really good computer is almost a must if you want to watch or edit your HD vids without needing an amazing amount of patience.

-Shooting in Standard Def produces a dramatically reduced quality (and I don't mean the resolution, I mean the overall quality is terrible (I have a point and shoot sony Digital camera that shoots SD 720 video, and it blows this camera's StanDef away, even though its 5 years older)

-SHooting in Standard, or low quality HD will give a "ghosting" effect (basically means it looks like crap when played in slow motion) so with fast moving subjects I'm usually forced to use the 60fps setting...which looks amazing but produces enormous computer files.

-It's compact size is ideal for travel, but not for steadiness, and with the steadycam function turned off (for fisheye) its hard to keep the thing from shaking without using an additional handle or shoe-mount (but those are cheap, and pretty useful anyways)

-I run a 64 bit windows 7 system, and therefore can not use the supplied disc, which I normally wouldn't even use except for the Full user manual is on that disc, and the downloadable version still wont work on my computer (Sony knows/admits this, yet no solution yet?!)

The cons are more plentiful, but the pros outweigh them in my opinion. So, anyways, for what I paid, I am very happy with this camera. I held it to extremely, probably too high standards and didnt find enough reasons to return it for another. (its now $100 cheaper!!!) My friends who have VX cameras (which are kinda the pro versions of Handycams) not only agree that my clips look great, but also seldomly use their cameras anymore, just b/c the size, weight, and ease of transport is so much easier with my CX 130.

Even without using a lens, the camera works/looks great....Just make sure you shoot in HD and make sure your computer can handle HD.

Buy Sony HDRCX130 Handycam Camcorder (Black) Now

"The HDR-CX130 features an LED light that can assist in low-light situations giving you more flexibility when capturing your video." So says the last item under "Product Description." This is one of the key features I

was looking for. I just bought the CX130, and lo and behold, there is no LED light!

Read Best Reviews of Sony HDRCX130 Handycam Camcorder (Black) Here

Pros = 1) Good price and 2) takes pretty good high definition footage. 3) Memory sticks are pretty handy and easier to deal with than Hi-8 tapes like my older Sony standard definition camcorder used.

Cons = 1) As others have already stated...the LCD screen is pretty hard to see in outdoor sun conditions. Recently tried to capture the USAF Thunderbirds in flight and found it to be quite the challenge. The camera really would have been much better if it had thru-the-lens viewfinder in addition to the LCD. 2) Also, the auto-focus is a bit slow. The camera does allow for manual focus, but the feature is through the menu list and is push-button rather than a twist of the lens. Not very practical for most situations.

Overall, a good camera for the money unless you're prepared to shuck some big bucks out!

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I previously had a Sony Digital 8mm camera from 10 years ago and decided it was time to get a high def camcorder. I purchased this one and is quite pleased with it.

The things that I like about it are:

1. Image stabilization technology it really does help you if you're not using some sort of tripod/monopod system

2. Turns on as soon as you open the video screen and turns off when you close it

3. Uses regular SD memory cards. 32GB holds about 14 hours of high-def video

4. Nice touch screen menu interface

The camera is simple to use and does the job. Battery life seems decent (about 2 hours on the included battery). No issues with the camera. Would recommend it to anyone is not a pro like me.