SONY HDR-CX190/B Black 1/5.8" CMOS 2.7" (230K) LCD 25X Optical Zoom Full HD Camcorder SONY HDR-CX190/B Black 1/5.8" CMOS 2.7" (230K) LCD 25X Optical Zoom Full HD Camcorder

Pros: Records in nice definition, my parents can use it with the software suite to import and share videos and pictures.

Easy to use, easy to browse, organizes videos and pictures into folders automatically.

Turns on/off by flipping LCD screen open/close.

Comes with a built-in USB cord, so you can't misplace it.

This thing is nice, and small, and has an open/close lens cover, perfect for travel and sports (to some extent).

Cons: Problems with the initial software suite not working and not updating correctly. Be sure to just download version 2 from Sony's website.

If you like viewfinders, this is not for you. The only visual is by looking at the flip-out LCD screen.

Pros: Video quality: 9/10
Autofocus: 9/10

Just as it says, the video quality is great. It also has a wonderful live HDMI output, and a zoom-microphone function that allows you to hear what people are saying if you zoom in on somebody far away. The 25x optical zoom is also great.

Cons: Audio quality: 3/10
Sony's support: 0/10

The audio produces a white noise, even in completely silent environments. It makes the video almost unbearable to watch. I tried Sony's live chat support, they walked me through the basics of resetting but that didn't help.

I then proceeded to submit a service request, because maybe my camera is just defective. That was an awful experience. The link, when navigating on Chrome/Firefox just came up with a "Request Rejected" page, even when clicking it from the homepage. This ultimately prevented me from being able to claim my limited warranty in time before it expired.

Other Thoughts: I will not purchase from Sony again, it was an awful experience.

Pros: Best value for the dollar. Even though this is refurbished it is brand new to me! I did a lot of homework before buying this and I am overall very pleased. This will meet most of your needs. Yes there are better camcorders out there but you will have to pay double to triple to way out of the park more to get better features. The video quality is great. Has some decent low light capture. Overall if this is your first time buying a camcorder this one will be a keeper even as you upgrade down the line! I highly recommend! Just keep in mind you must buy an SD card separately and I recommend researching a good place to buy an inexpensive spare battery as well! Happy camcording!

Cons: None really. If you are expecting $3000 camcorder features then you will be slightly disappointed. It's autofocus is pretty intuitive but not perfect and some may find to be a little slow if expectations are unreasonable.

Other Thoughts: As noted in the pros just be ready to have already purchased an SD card.

Pros: Cheap

Cons: Went too cheap - Sad shape for a gift

Other Thoughts: I wanted to buy a nice Christmas gift for someone, but being of limited income, I had to buy refurbished, which is NOT normally a problem. I have never bought anything refurbished on newegg.com, and I did not think that a company with such a great reputation would send something so disappointing. I received the camcorder today. It was packed well enough, but the retail packaging is torn and beat up, the instructions are crumpled, and it gives an overall poor impression of what shape the camera itself may be in. I expect a few scratches on the equipment itself, but at least repackage it so it does not look like it was booted down a hill or tossed about by ogres. If so little care was taken to even just put the instructions in the box so they didn't crumple or rip the box, what should make me think the refurbishment itself was done in a competent manner? I cannot use this as a gift. Not in a million years. And to make matters worse (and this is my fault for not delving deeper into newegg.com policy) it is not returnable. Despicable. No, you did not tell me it would be in pristine packaging, but you have to compete with other companies that DO care enough about their customer’s first impressions to respectfully package their product attractively, so it was logically expected that this would be. BUT, you did not tell me it would be this bad. Newegg.com SHOULD have made it known somewhere in their description that the product I was buying could possibly look like it came out of a thrift store. I am sorely disappointed. It would have been better to repackage in a plain brown wrapper and say as much in the description. Then at least I would have known what I was getting. OH - and the website says there is a 90 day warranty on the product, while there is a note in the box that says there is only a 30 day warranty on the product. Aggravating, to say the least, in an already upsetting situation. Which am I to believe? Do you think I trust newegg.com now? I am really worried about the other Christmas gift I ordered. It has not arrived yet. Truly, my feeling are hurt.

Pros: The Sony HDR-CX190 is an excellent entry-level camera. It can record at 1080i which is nothing to scoff at, but the important thing people forget is it can record the quality in H.264 Format which video editing and uploaders just love. The camcorder accepts almost every memory card you could think of which is very versatile, it has a great battery life, lightweight, sleek design and compact for easy storage. Remember when you start up the camera to change the video settings to the best possible! As this and many cameras will be, on default, low settings for performance, battery, and memory. This is a camcorder that I highly recommend for a novice up to semi-professional camera users.

Cons: The main cons are as follows.

- No memory unit included with package.
- The hand strap is a bit tight on larger handed individuals.
- The preview screen can be deceiving as it is not HD, meaning the quality is better then it will be perceived off the preview.
- The zoom trigger is in a sort of awkward position for large hands.

Besides that, this is an excellent entry level camcorder if not the best you can find if you aren't willing to spend $250+ (which is what it sells for in a store)