Hi folks,

I'm in the market for my first camcorder and have been unsure which brand to buy. I was leaning toward Canon, but was turned off by the negative comments about poor picture quality in low light conditions.

Now I'm looking at the Sony TRV 19. Picture quality gets high marks. However, I've read negative comments about the fact that all the controls are on the touch screen. I'm curious to hear from other Sony camcorder owners. Do you find that using the touch screen for all the functions is awkward, or is it something you can easily get used to?

Thanks for your feedback.

I've used the PC100, PC101 and PC105, and to me the touchscreen controls are intuitive and easy to use. I especially like the spot focus and spot meter options. You select the area in the frame you want to improve. A few functions are somewhat hidden in the menus, but they are generally ones that you set once before shooting. I haven't used a multi-button camera, but I think I would find that arrangement less convenient, especially in a low-light setting. So I can recommend touchscreens - even more with the hybrid LCDs - as a plus rather than a minus.

Anyone reviewing the Sony touchscreen camcorders who likes full manual controls will rate them down. There are some manual controls, but not everything. This isn't really related to the touchscreen being present... Sony indeed does some manual things with the touch screen (spot focus, etc.) that CAN'T be done with buttons.

Personally, as a technical user and husband of a "point and shoot" wife, I can say we like the touch screen very much. It allows all we need to do, and is easier than wheels and buttons.

If you really want full manual controls, you need to look at a camcorder that has those controls. Sony just puts the touch screen on the lower consumer models.

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Sony HDV camcorder info (FX1, CX7, HC3 HC5, SR1/3/5/10, SR11, SR12, TG1, UX1, Z1) -> http://www.SonyHDVinfo.com

Thanks for your help on this. I finally decided to get the Sony TRV 19. I've been using it for a day, and so far I like the touch screen. It has a nice feel to it, and it's fairly easy to use. The only drawback is if I'm using the viewfinder and need to adjust something on the touch screen, the viewfinder automatically shuts off when you open the screen. But otherwise I like the idea of having most of the settings on the touch screen. Thanks again.

If you don't mind using some battery power, you can turn the LCD screen out and around (so that it faces the subject), then "close it" so now the LCD is back against the camcorder but facing outward! The Viewfinder will be on, and you can (with a little dexterity) touch the screen on the side of the camcorder while looking through the viewfinder. You can even turn the LCD screen off to save power while it is stowed this way. Tap the screen to turn it back on.

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Sony HDV camcorder info (FX1, CX7, HC3 HC5, SR1/3/5/10, SR11, SR12, TG1, UX1, Z1) -> http://www.SonyHDVinfo.com