I want to take pictures of my kids but I never take a camera with me. is it loaded do i have duct tape And when I'm filming an event, I never watch it - who has a few hours more to shoot and edit a video? I really wanted a small camera with a flash and an optical zoom. Digital zoom is a waste of time for me. I considered Flip Cams, Kodak and others but bought Sony. Here are the highlights: * The form factor is awesome! Comfortable in the hand, easy to use. If you have an older Cybershot or Handycam, you'll recognize the interface.* Charges the PDQ!* I open the screen, the camera turns on after a few seconds.* I pull out the card and put it in the Memory Stick slot on my computer and I watch videos. * PQ is good - under the right conditions. * The camera fits in your pocket - it really is tiny! Low scores -- * Image stabilization can actually be used * Agree with previous users - - Indoor videos I shoot have a yellow cast. I wonder if it's because more and more people are using CFLs - do I have them everywhere I've filmed indoors? The autofocus is a bit slower than my old manual camera. On the street, I zoomed in on the neighbors' house, and there was a noticeable lag when focusing - 1-2 seconds. It was in automatic mode. * The built-in LED is only useful for "close-ups" in face shots. In no other scenario did it help. * Uses proprietary Memory Stick media, which some may find to be a disadvantage. * Built-in battery - cannot be replaced when the battery is dead - you need to charge it. I end up missing. so many events because my HandyCam is too big, not charged, can't find the tape, doesn't want to edit etc. My question was if the "decent" video I actually shot is superior to the video I DON'T TAKE THEM because of HandyCam's "trouble" (even if the quality is better). The answer for me is a resounding yes. This camera isn't perfect, but it solves many of the issues that prevent me from capturing video. And she makes a GOOD video. update 20.02. After using this camera for a few weeks I can report that the camera works well. with sport when mounted on a tripod. I find the lack of image stabilization to be a major shortcoming when it comes to other types of recording. When I shot a video of my daughter on her new bike, the images were shaky even though I concentrated on staying still. It's a good "second video camera" but I don't consider it my primary camera anymore. February 25 update - decided to return the camera. I liked it, but needed a camera that would work well indoors, so I ordered a Canon Vixia HF-10. Expensive and not a fair comparison. I wanted to leave Sony but my wife wouldn't let me!