Hitachi DZHS300A DVD-HDD 8GB Hybrid Digital Camcorder (25x Opt, 1200x Dig, 2.7

Reviewed by: a_l_a

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Simple access to basic functions, hybrid DVD/HD feature, good optical zoom.

Weaknesses: Poor image quality in dark environment and in still mode. No way to copy raw movie file to your PC directly.

Overall Evaluation: Camera was easy to use right out-of-the-box. Basic operations do not require opening the manual. Some advanced feature are buried deep in the menu and could be pain to access at recording time. Ability to record on hard drive (HD) and burn on a mini DVD "in the field" is handy, but cannot be accomplished on battery power. Thus "in the field" is not working unless you are at least closew to the car with a power inverter! Picture quality in low light (commonly indoors) is very poor. Outdoor filming, on the other hand, produces pretty good colors. HD recording cannot be copied directly to your PC and requires enclosed software, which forces you to go through disk authoring! What if you need just a raw movie file