Sony HDR-CX100 AVCHD HD Camcorder with Smile Shutter & 10x Optical Zoom (Black) Buy Now

It's an excellent little camera for the price. The image quality is pretty good.

It's very easy to use. However, this user-friendlyness is achieved by not offering the user some of the features that you would find in a bigger, more expensive camera (like the iris' aperture, so you can control depth of field).

Battery life might be a problem, though; I suggest you to buy an extra battery, maybe one with a longer life.

In summa, you get what you're paying for. It's a small camera that shoots full HD with a pretty decent image quality, with a handy 10x optical zoom, with a good performance in low light conditions, and this is probably what you need to shoot your kid's birthday. But don't expect to find the features that you'd find in a $800 camera.Get more detail about Sony HDR-CX100 AVCHD HD Camcorder with Smile Shutter & 10x Optical Zoom (Black).