Rating: 
Summary: Great value, more features than anyone could use.
Review: Pro's:
- Mini-DV format is ubiquitous and produces excellent images.
- Large swivel-screen and color viewfinder.
- Can also take 1 mega pixel still images and low-res MPEG's on memory stick.
- Crazy, useless, nonetheless cool features like Super Night Shot, various fades, several picture effects, digital effects, time-lapse, digital zoom, etc.
- Great design considerations including button placement, the overall feel (shape, weight, balance), and menu options.
- Can take higher resolution stills directly onto tape (vs. onto memory stick).
- A lot of DIY features like manual focus, exposure setting, white balance, etc.
- USB streaming means it can be used as a web cam (overkill, but nice for eliminating extra devices).
- Camcorder can be used as a bridge for transferring analog films directly onto a computer or onto DV tape (i.e., it has input capability).
- Several connection options including: standard RCA, S-video, headphones, USB, Firewire, external mic.
- Excellent battery life and information.Con's
- One design problem comes from the bottom-loading tape, but honestly where else could they have put it?
- Only 1 CCD, but that's what you get in the sub $1500 category.
- Still images are 1 mega pixel, but hey, the fact that there are any stills is a bonus on a camcorder.
- Battery charges on camcorder. I highly recommend this product: the value, features, and quality are all outstanding. I recommend doing certain things right out of the box to maximize the camcorder's capabilities. First, do not install the Sony issued software, it's worse than useless, it's anti-productive (just short of destructive). For stills and MPEG's you can simply use Windows' standard programs. The camcorder/memory stick shows up as a drive in My Computer when attached via firewire. For video editing you need something more robust anyway, so go with something like Pinnacle Studio 8 (lower end) or Adobe Premiere (the other end). Next, Turn off the digital zoom, it tends to make the picture pixilated. Raise the audio to 16 bit. Set still images and MPEG's to the highest settings simply because even at that level they aren't too good. Always keep steadyshot on. Finally, I have yet to get one, but a wide-angle lens seems desirable because the auteur ends up backing so far away from the subject being filmed. Here are a couple more recommendations for people that will be editing film on a computer. Firewire is a must, not just for the high transfer rates, but for the control you have through the computer. It allows you to preview your work without the long capture sessions. I use Pinnacle Studio for editing, it's great (i.e., easy and cheap). When filming, don't use: fades, picture effects, digital effects, or digital zoom, these will all just get in the way when you start editing. Make sure the lighting is good, if not use the exposure wheel. I like the letterbox feature, it just looks cool. There are different kinds of Mini-DV tapes, the tapes with built-in memory are expensive but invaluable while editing (the time code allows you to preview film without capturing it in the editing software). These tapes are about three times the price of a regular tape, but obviously can be reused (make your movie, edit it, output it to DVD or regular Mini-DV tapes, then record over the original raw material).
Rating: 
Summary: U pay more for less u get
Review: The product works pretty good. When video or images are to be recorded on to the mini DV tape, this product works as good as any of its kind.
By the word hype I mean that: 1) The memory stick part of this product is a eye catcher. I bet most of u would be tempted to buy this product looking at this feature. "The quality of the images stored in this memory stick are substandard." 2) The video or images when downloaded on to a computer will have aweful quality. 3) The memory sticks are very expensive. Eg: 128 Mb ...can accomodate around 22 mins of video. A mini DV ...can accomodate 90 mins of recording. Bottomline: This product - Memory stick = will be atleast ...less that what u pay for this product. .. can be a pretty decent digital camera.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent in outdoors, but poor indoors
Review: This camcorder is very light, compact and has a big LCD screen. The picture is really crisp and clear on outdoors. But, while shooting indoors in poor light, the quality is not really good. Infact, I compared with some tapes shot indoors using a Sony TRV330. And I found TRV330 pictures more superior for some reason! Technically, TRV27 is more advanced and I have no idea why it appeared that way. The main difference I felt during poor light condition is that TRV27 gives a blueish hue while the TRV330 gives more redish (similar to the lamp). By adjusting some of the settings, we can come up with a decent picture in night as well. I usually shoot during daylight. Besides, night shots need additional lighting for most of the cameras. So, I would give it 4 stars :)
Rating: 
Summary: Great Digital Camera for even the techincally challenged
Review: This camera is great even for the technically challenged. For those of who think u won't be able to handle such an advanced camera, your wrong. It's simple. I got it for my birthday and have played with it a lot since getting it. The camera offers digital effects for still shots and movies. The battery life with the camera is also sufficient for normal users. It carries about 155 minutes of filming using the viewfinder and not the LCD screen. A great buy but a little [pricy].
Rating:
Summary: You get what you pay for... a good camera!
Review: This is a good camera. I wanted a camcorder for a recent vacation. I shopped around & tried the cameras in the stores. I originally wanted a panasonic with 700x zoom, but found that a digital zoom over 120x is worthless. This camera had better resolution, better night vision, a great feature to slow the shutter down in low light conditions, but still get color, interval recording (i.e. record for .5 seconds, every 30 seconds or such... neat to watch a plant grow or such), remote control (great to get in the shot), a nice sized screen, fits the hand well. It really is a great camera. Cons: tape loads on bottom, so has to be taken off of tripod. The memory stick it comes with is usable, but needs to be larger. Be SURE to read the manual to get the most use out of the features (didn't figure out how to mix still images from the memory stick with live shot images until after a week of use on vacation)...
Rating: 
Summary: good camcorder, poor warranty
Review: This is a nice digital camcorder for making home videos. I give it three stars instead of five mainly because the warranty is only 90 days for labor. They won't tell you that until you have a problem. In my case, the viewfinder started to appear washed out after about 4 months. When I called Sony, I was told that I had to pay ~$... to have it fixed. I decided not to fix it and use the LCD panel instead. A minor problem is that the still picture quality is poor, much worse than a typical 1 megapixel digital camera.
Rating:
Summary: Well design but ...
Review: This is a well designed model but the LCD is horrible. When I bought it, I found the LCD is very bad. I changed it for three times, and each time I could find some dead pixels (such as always white / black / gray)on the LCD. Finally, I gave it up. If you want to buy this model, take care on the LCD testing
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