You can do better for the money. The image quality is below average and low light is really bad, even for a novice camcorder. I'm glad to see the price has come down. The camcorder did not come with the software needed to capture video or even play the dvd on my computer(it really should have). I would do more research and choose a camera that is right for you. I found many online camcorder review sites very helpful. I returned it and bought another panasonic with 3ccd technology. It has much better picture quality. If you want really good night vision go with sony. I would not recomend this camcorder to anyone.