Good entry-level choice
Pros:
Good price, good sound, good videos with enough light, easy to use.
Cons:
Needs firewire or USB accessory for computer use, not good as a camera.
The Bottom Line:
Not everyone needs an expensive video camera. If you just want the basics, this is an excellent buy.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
We also bought the ZR-600 for the arrival of our first child, and have not been disappointed.
First, the cons. Like all entry-level video cameras, it works best with a great deal of light, and much less well without it. While it has a camera function, neither this function nor the included software are very worthwhile. There are not many functions, and the digital memory holds very little memory. You will want to buy a USB or Firewire cable if you want to download videos to your computer for storage or sharing.
However, some rebuttals: If you want a good digital camera, buy one! Expecting the ZR-600 to take good pictures is like expecting an entry-level digital camera to take good videos. Moreover, you won't find too many entry-level video cameras that work well without light.
The pros: the camera is easy to use, picks up sound very well, takes very nice videos with proper light (especially outdoors), and, with the proper cables, works very well with whatever editing software you might own. The camera is easy to hold and operate with one hand, and zooming in and out is also easy. If you have a television with video/audio inputs in the front, it is very easy to plug the camera into the television and watch your videos (it even comes with a remote, if you're really lazy).
Within one hour of opening the box, we had already sent off some videos to expectant grandparents. For someone who wants a basic video camera that works well with little fuss, this is an excellent option.
