Sony HDR-XR200 and Nikon D40x

I'm going to break topics again to review my video camera and my still camera. I know it's a bit unusual to own a still camera that isn't a Cybershot or a video camera that isn't a Flip video these days, but what can I say, I need the best.

The Sony HDR-XR200 is one of, if not the highest quality video cameras on the market. It records in 1080p and holds a massive HDD of 120 GB. That's just the beginning. It also has a built-in GPS that can track where you are and even tags videos with your GPS location. This camera is the world traveler's dream. With a seemingly never-ending hard drive constantly recording in HD, this camera can replace an entire studio. Cameras like this one have become legendary in television for their ability to record video AND sound in the same quality as a studio camera and sound system. If it weren't for IMAX or 3D movies, this camera and its successors would have already replaced cameramen and boom operators. The price is pretty heavy at $800+, but this is a video camera that will probably last until home 3D cameras are sold. The one downside (other than price) of the HDR-XR200 has is that as a Sony product, it uses a Memory Stick Pro Duo rather than an SD card. Most people's computers don't even have Memory Stick slots nor have uses for them since they're such an obscure media storage device. If you are planning on buying a video camera, it would wise to wait it out and invest in getting one of these or its successors in the future. Getting a Memory Stick is not necessary since it can hook up to a PC with a mini USB to USB cable and to an HDTV with provided component cables. I actually advise not bothering with getting a stick because of the 120 GB HDD.

The Nikon D40x is an older-ish digital SLR camera from 2007, since replaced by the D60. Both cameras are essentially the same, so anything said about the D40x basically applies to the D60. The D40, the D40x's predecessor, was the camera that caused Nikon to finally crush Canon. Armed with only 6 Megapixels, it was more affordable and easier to use than Canon's cameras. A few months later, Nikon delivered the final blow with the D40x, a clone of the D40, but sporting something that would forever cement Nikon as the leader of the entry-level SLR camera market again, 10 Megapixels. With 10 megapixels, an incredibly easy to use interface, and a viewfinder rather than an LCD screen (important for making sure you know exactly what your picture will look like rather than an estimate), the D40x and D60 are the best entry-level SLR cameras on the market. The one downside is the price is very high at $1000, but this camera vastly outperforms a stupid Cybershot. The camera's media storage comes in the form of either an SD or SDHC card. I personally have a 1GB SD card, something held from ages ago, and I can fit more than 400 photos at maximum resolution on the card. My dad has an 8 GB SD card because he's obsessed with keeping pictures on the camera and not actually printing them out like the silly kid he is.

My iPhone takes pretty impressive pictures with a lot of lighting, but with no flash or focus, it's impossible to say that camera phones have taken over.