Camcorder users who still can’t let go of their tapes can heave a sigh of relief as Sony has released the HDR-HC9 HDV Camcorder. The HC9 looks a lot like the HC7. It has a solid design and still captures good images. Controls that are frequently accessed are ergonomically positioned. A physical wheel on the HC9 controls most of the manual functions of the camcorder including focus, exposure, auto exposure shift and white-balance shift. It has a 2.7" LCD screen monitor and a color viewfinder. To remotely control the camera, Sony includes a LANC jack next to the FireWire port. A slot for Memory Stick Pro Duo cards allows users to store up to 8GB of stills on one card, though the reviewer stated that it can’t be used for storing videos. For those who don’t want to go through the process of manually tweaking the settings, an Easy Button puts the camera into auto-everything mode. Image quality is satisfying, given the price range of the camera. Colors were lifelike, though not very vibrant. In moderate to low lighting, colors were good though noise was evident and the white balance struggled a bit. All in all, the price and performance of the HC9, coupled with several other neat features, make it a good choice for those who adore having tapes in their camcorders.