I got this camera almost 2 years ago. I was very pleased with its simplicity and quality, which suited my weekend-homemovie-making needs. I have used it in Florida humidity and Nevada dusty desert with no problems. I had taped and watched well over 100 hours of footage, and then began to have occasional problems like a tape being eaten. However, now that my warranty has run out, I am encoutering more frequent problems with loading tapes, both for viewing and recording. I am lucky to have made backups of any improtant video, since some of my source tapes have been damaged beyond repair. Be careful when deciding whether to buy this camera- it can be frustrating.