How good is the sony dcr sr 87 camcorder

Sony DCR  SR 87 Camcorders are very durable and easy to operate. It has a large storage capacity because it provides multiple ways to store whether on the 80GB built in hard drive or on PRO Duo Memory card.  It can be powered on ly opening the LCD. This camcorder is packed with features. Sony Picture Motion Browser software offers a simple, intuitive way to transfer, sort, and view your video and still images on your compatible PC. Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording captures active sounds coming from all directions, so you can experience your home movies the way you experienced them while recording and 25X optical zoom help you capture close-up action while keeping your distance. It is a good product from what I have read.

Out of 20 reviewers 15 people gave the camcorder 5 stars, so most people are pleased with their purchase. Here is a honest review:  
This is a great camera to start out with, the simplicity of Mini DV tapes makes this a good value choice. DVD camcorders in this price range suffer from bad battery life, and disk errors that can render your disks useless. The Mini DV tapes are tried and true.
The one Con I can think of is that the battery provided with the camera is very poor. Only lasts for 115 minutes, which seems nice but in comparison to the NPFH50 that lasts for 3 hours it's poor. Do yourself a favor and buy the NPFH50 Battery for $26 here on amazon.

The other thing that I can't fathom is that none of these minidv camcorders come with the firewire data cable. It seems like including an 8 dollar cable wouldn't be that difficult, Sony afterall bundles the software needed to transfer the video to your PC.

All in all this is the best camcorder for the money, I chose this over the Canon ZR900 and I'm glad that I did. It's well build and has all the features that an amateur or professional would want.