Rating: 
Summary: Gorgeous video
Review: I was an absolute novice when I was introduced to this camcorder at my job as Tech Teacher in a K-8 school. The last time I had filmed anything was with a super 8mm recorder back in the 70's!
You know what I hear from my colleagues and parents? "Wow, those are great videos!" ""The quality is amazing." "I wish I could have my videos turn out like yours."
Trust me, folks. It's not me. It's this camcorder. The quality of the image, the steadycam compensation for the less than steady hand, the prompts to turn on a light filter in glaring outdoor lighting environments, and the richness and depth of color, even (and especially) under low light conditions is nothing short of beautiful.
I imagine that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what this camcorder can do. With my use of digital editing software, I probably won't use many of the camcorders built-in editing features like titling and fades/dissolves. I am resolved to try out it's time-lapse feature soon, however.
The transfer to/from a computer via firewire is effortless with common video editing programs like Pinnacle Studio or Adobe Premiere. Having a second hard disk devoted solely to video editing and storage is recommended.
The built-in mic is more than adequate for most situations, and the Intelligent Accessory Shoe allows other mics to be used. Be aware, though, that because this unit is "old" by the blurred time standard of modern technology, some newer Sony mics aren't compatible with this cams Intelligent Accessory Shoe.
This camcorder is not mini or lightweight. It may not be for you if you want to travel lightly. I learned the hard way when I filmed about 40 mins of a basketball game without a tripod. I could barely use my arm the following day! Buy a tripod already!
With that in mind, if you really want rich memories preserved during that 3 candle birthday party, or just about any ligting situation, you must have this camcorder.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just For Professionals
Review: I've had a Sony TRV-27 for about a year and a half now. It a good general purpose miniDV camera; however, low-light performance is not its forte (even with a video light). I shoot mostly home (family) video - much of it indoors and often after the sun goes down. By most accounts, the VX-2000 has very good low light capabilities; however, I was on the fence for quite some time because of the size and weight of the unit (roughly twice the size and weight of my TRV-27). After owning my VX-2000 for a couple of months now, I can only say I wish I'd bought one sooner. Yes it is heavier and bulkier than the TRV-27 but I don't find it unmanageable. As I generally try to keep video clips under 5 minutes, I have not had any problems. If I plan to shoot anything longer, I generally use a tripod anyway (same goes for the TRV-27). The picture quality is outstanding - even my wife who was VERY skeptical about this purchase was blown away when she saw some video taken indoors with very dim lighting. For the record, the VX-2000 also takes great video outdoors and in good lighting conditions. Overkill for home videos? Maybe - but it's tough to put a price on precious family memories. With the VX-2100 now available (which offers very, very little in the way of additional performance/capability), now might be the time to pickup a VX-2000 while you still can. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just For Professionals
Review: I've had a Sony TRV-27 for about a year and a half now. It a good general purpose miniDV camera; however, low-light performance is not its forte (even with a video light). I shoot mostly home (family) video - much of it indoors and often after the sun goes down. By most accounts, the VX-2000 has very good low light capabilities; however, I was on the fence for quite some time because of the size and weight of the unit (roughly twice the size and weight of my TRV-27). After owning my VX-2000 for a couple of months now, I can only say I wish I'd bought one sooner. Yes it is heavier and bulkier than the TRV-27 but I don't find it unmanageable. As I generally try to keep video clips under 5 minutes, I have not had any problems. If I plan to shoot anything longer, I generally use a tripod anyway (same goes for the TRV-27). The picture quality is outstanding - even my wife who was VERY skeptical about this purchase was blown away when she saw some video taken indoors with very dim lighting. For the record, the VX-2000 also takes great video outdoors and in good lighting conditions. Overkill for home videos? Maybe - but it's tough to put a price on precious family memories. With the VX-2100 now available (which offers very, very little in the way of additional performance/capability), now might be the time to pickup a VX-2000 while you still can. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: IN ALL YEARS AS FILM MAKER THIS IS THE BEST BY FAR
Review: IAM A LOVER OF PHOTOGRAPH AND FILM MAKING AND THIS PRODUCT BLOWS AWAY ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT I HAD. I CAN NOT BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE MANY FIXURES OF THIS CAMERA YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE PART OF THE TV INDUSTRY.
Rating:
Summary: Best prosumer DV, but for $...~$... range.
Review: If video quality is on top of your feature list and you have the money, buy this one and you won't regret. Its image quality is the best I have ever seen and its low light performance is amazing.When I bought this expensive toy, my wife feel a $... camera is good enough and I was crazy to spend the money that could buy 10 cheapest SHARP DVs. Now when I compare DVD from my brother's $... DV and mine, she agree that it worth to invest and baby's every moment is priceless. Yes, it is bulky, it is expensive. But if you can afford it, you (will) have a baby/kids and you will mainly shoot indoor, don't hesitate. It is not perfect. Some guys will point out that Canon GL1/2 have better ergnomics. But hey, just take a loot at pictures from VX2000 and GL2, or even XL1, you judge it. Its color is so accurate that when I play the video of my niece, everyone is surprised to see how good it is. Finally I need to mention its low light performance. I have to use amazing to describe it. When my eyes have difficulty to look, man, I can see it on LCD, color is still good, with moderate noise. With $... range DV, what you can see is just gray and black, lots of noise, no color at all.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable camera to use
Review: The VX 2000 is a good all round camera, it is easy to use and has many features which would encourage someone to use it. From the outside we see that the camera has a focusing ring and a zoom ring, both accesible at the same time unlike with other camera models. The focus ring is fairly easy to use although it takes a little bit of time to become fully proficient. The zoom can be controled by servo or manually at different speeds, when the zoom is controlled manually though the motor is taking feedback from your fingers for speed rather than being applied directly to the lens. With the lens we find incorporated two neutral density filters giving us a choice between three options, first one is without filter letting all light fo through the lens to the three chips, second setting is a neutral density filter to take away some contrast. We then arrive at ND2 which is a stronger neutral density filter which is normaly used during full daylight. In order to control exposure there is a button on the left which needs to be pressed in order to go into manual iris, there is a wheel below where the aperture can be controlled. There are three chips to capture the light information rather than a single chip thus improving the look of the image. If we find that we are in a dark room then we can boost the gain if we want but if someone does not want to use the gain then it is possible to take the shutter from 1/10 000 of a second to 1/3rd of a second . The shutter speed is controled from the back of the camera via pressing the shutter speed button on the back and turning the wheel below for the correct speed. This greatly increases the light coming into the lens. As an illustration I have shot scenes with light far too low for cameras such as the Canon XL-1 to cope with and the most spectacular part is how little noise shows up on screen afterwards. For sound we have an onboard mic which is good for ambiance sound and it is possible to plug in a mic with a 3.5mm plug. We have two settings for the microphone, either as microphone (plug in power) or as line in. Once the microphone is selected we can check the sound levels through preswsing the audio level at the back which will display the sound. Through the menu it is possible to choose between automatic or manual. By selecting manual the level may be adjusted with the db meter in camera showing -30 -20 -12 -8 -4 0 etc. so that the sound engineer may get the correct level for recording. Additional comments The centre of gravity is well placed on the tripod so that it lies at the same place as the mounting plate making it easier to use on a tripod. The tape compartment is accesible at all times closing in two stages, firstly getting the mechanical part in place, tape winded and ready to shoot followed by shutting the door to avoid dust coming in. With there being two record buttons, one close tothe front right of the camera and the other in the normal position there is a greater variety of shots possible. An interesting feature with this camera is the possibility of creating an edit decision list within the camera so that it can behave as an edit controler to dub scenes onto a second device. It is dv enabled thereby allowing to copy material from one dv tape to an other. Included with this is the possibility to play from any device directly into the camera for copying tapes etc. onto a dv tape.
Rating: 
Summary: neither here nor there
Review: You can take one of two attitudes about the VX2000. Many folks (including Sony) prefer to believe this is the ultimate consumer camera, with professional features finally offered at a consumer price. Sure, it's the extreme high-end of consumer pricing, but rich technophiles ought to be able to afford it. In this view, this camcorder combines the best of both worlds... high quality video in an easy to use regular-joe/jane product. Truly a renaissance cam, if there ever was such a thing. The other attitude is this camera is an awkward fit into either environment. Pros (i.e. people who get paid to deliver quality video) will probably object to the noisy audio. There's lots of discussion on other webpages, so I won't delve into it here. Yes, the noise is present. No, it probably won't bother consumers shooting their vacation in Hawaii. Yes, it stands a reasonable chance of annoying a client who paid for a corporate training video. No, it probably won't annoy a client who paid for a wedding or funeral video. So take either view, depending how much you enjoy living on the high-end. If you want to make commercials or big dramatic productions, just pay the extra cash for truly professional gear that won't leave you shopping for a better camera after a few projects. Yes, there's a special case for documentary work. Don't take $5000 cameras into volcanoes, jungles, or skydiving. Use cheaper gear that'll still do the job, like this cam. Also, there's a reasonable case to be made for interviewing people with smaller, less intimidating, consumer cameras. So those particular applications might prefer the 'best darn consumer camera around'. My best advice is to decide what you really want to do with a camcorder. If you want to take home vids of your kids AND brag to your neighbor (who last year outdid your VHS-C camera by getting a Digital 8), this is probably right up your alley. Get it and bask in the pure pleasure of it. If you want to simply capture your personal world on tape, get something (much) cheaper and smaller. Cheaper and smaller means you're more likely to take it along. Remember, there are good shots and ok shots, but the only bad shots are the ones you missed cuz you left the camera at home. Don't let price and bulk mess with your creativity. That'd be a crying shame. UPDATE: After receiving some email from readers, I thought I'd clarify my opinion. Yes, the VX2000 is a good camera. But does the average non-professional need one? I'm skeptical. A home video enthusiast can do just as well with an $800 model, perhaps even better, since it's easier to carry a smaller consumer camera around. Web-movies to be shrunk by 75% and then MPEG compressed don't need a 3-CCD camera. And an independant filmmaker will probably find it cheaper to rent better gear on the shooting days. Buy this camera if you are highly confident that you can get massive enjoyment or a monetary return on your investment. Don't get it if it's just going to sit inside its case.
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