On the good side, it is equipped with several facilities for the active videographer.  It performs surprisingly well in some video performance tests.  This camcorder records HDV to MiniDV tape, which is another advantage, because tape is cheap, and HDV is easy to edit.  Moreover, MiniDV tape brings ease for pro-level camcorders.  You don’t need to bring the camcorder along whenever you want to transfer your data to a computer.  Therefore, if you care more about image quality than the ability of manual controls, this may be the camcorder for you.

 The FX1000 could prove valuable for getting unique angles that shoulder-mounts can’t, and its 3.2-inch, 921,000-pixel LCD works well for that very purpose.  In addition to the LCD, it has a 0.45-inch electronic viewfinder with an approximately 1.3-megapixels.

 For those moving up to professional equipment for the first time, be prepared for its significant weight of 4 lbs 9 oz.  For some, it’s not too heavy, it’s not too light and it feels easy to shoot with.  Compared to high-level pro camcorders, the HDR-FX1000 looks like a baby, and it may feel like a baby, too.  It may sound light but all throughout the day, that is, an all-day shoot, it can still get rather heavy.

 Many of the buttons are small and hard to access without positioning your fingers properly.  Adjusting the controls in the middle of a shot without looking at them can be very inconvenient.

 HDR-FX1000 has a built-in stereo mic, a single 1/8^th-inch stereo input, a cold accessory shoe and some external audio controls, but there’s no XLR input, and the button layout for some controls clearly needs improvement.

 The HDR-FX1000’s NP-F570 included battery is not as impressive.  It lasted only about 152 minutes, but Sony, of course, sells batteries for the FX1000 with longer battery life.  The Canon XL H1A can last up to twice as long as FX1000 can.  Hence, you don’t have to spend more for back-up energy.  Otherwise, most FX1000 users would need an extra battery pack for longer hours of interviews or movies.

 In bright light, the color accuracy is decent, but not outstanding.  The “grain” increases with brightness.  The noise levels are also fine, but FX1000 offers no manual noise reduction controls.  However, the video resolution is impressive in bright light.  This outperforms the Canon XL H1A.  In low light, the color and noise performances are equally remarkable.  However, the sensitivity – the amount of light required for a bright image – is not as good.

 In comparison to the Canon XL H1A, the Sony HDR-FX1000 only underperforms the former on battery life and low light sensitivity.

 If you prefer better audio options, more connectivity choices and a set of notable CMOS sensors, you can leap for the professional Sony HVR-Z5U.  It is nearly identical in construction to the FX1000 for an additional $1750.

 The Panasonic AG-HVX200 is similar in size to the Sony HDR-FX1000 and HVR-Z5U but a bit pricier.  It can also record video in MiniDV tape as well as P2 memory cards but this is expensive.

 By far, it’s not a consumer camera.  It’s perfect for video production students with its excellent low light performance and great picture quality.  It has good lens range, great LCD screen and easy workflow.

 In the deeper menu, although some options seem complicated in the long list of settings, the menus are well-organized and broken down into six sections – Camera, Audio, Display, Connectivity, Memory and Others.

 On the other hand, a novice could not operate this camcorder to its full potential.  Yes, it does a good job in manual mode, but you really need to use manual controls and play with the picture profiles to maximize its advantage.

 Sony should not make unneeded changes.  The left side of the camera is cluttered and confusing.  Many of its manual controls are hard to access and operate.  Sony moved the scroll wheel to the side, where it has too many buttons, and it makes it hard to maneuver.  It’s also difficult for larger fingers to get a good grip of the scroll wheel.  Nevertheless, the wheel has one good design – simply push it to make a selection.

 Its proprietary multi-AV cable doesn’t allow you to use generic cables.  Likewise, you can only use Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick cards for still images.

 Some may find a mistake in not having an XLR input for HDR-FX1000, but others don’t have any trouble with the built-in mic.  It’s excellent with meters and headphone jack.  It can still pick up very small noises, and the output is great.  However, if you’re truly that concerned about pro level audio quality output, then you can record to a separate audio device and not use tape audio.

 The other drawback this camcorder has is the location of the cold shoe in relation to the LCD screen – right in front of the LCD.  It blocks your ability to close or open the LCD if you have a mic or light.  This could present a problem if you want to conserve your battery life especially when you’re filming a 3-hour movie.

 Overall, the HDR-FX1000 is a good camcorder for enthusiasts, student filmmakers and pros who look for a budget-friendly cam.  It may be hard to use, and it can’t do everything that professional camcorders can, but it’s not a bad product.  For what it lacks in audio preferences, it makes up with its manual controls and compact size.  The HDR-FX1000 can be a good choice if you’re looking for a professional-quality video at a very friendly price.

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Technical Specifications

Video

• Format : HDV (MPEG2) / DV (AVI)
• Video Recording System : Real-Time HD Codec Engine, HDV/DV Recording
• Video Signal : NTSC color, EIA standards

The camcorder boasts a 20X zoom and Super Steady Shot Optical stabilization system that will enable you to compose an impressive video trouble-free.

 The HDR-FX7 is a modified version of the HDR FX1 that Sony released earlier.  The major transition from a former three CCD imaging sensors to new CMOS sensors that produces higher image resolution is the major difference between the two models.  The HDR-FX7 also has a smaller modified body compared to the HDR-FX1.

 The HDR-FX7’s heart and core are the three ¼ inch ClearVid CMOS sensors with 1.12 Megapixels that provides stunning details and clear videos and still images.  Sony HDR-FX7 is the world’s first HDV 1080i consumer level camcorder and player to include the three CMOS sensor technology to its system.

 The camcorder records on standard MiniDV cassettes, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo media.

 Selling at the range $1700-$2200, the HDR-FX7 is a lower-priced prosumer camcorder with good quality for its value – high definition videos, images and ease in operation.  This is considerably less expensive than the Panasonic’s AGHVX200.  In comparison, the HDR-FX7’s video quality is also better than the Panasonic’s AGHVX200 and the HDR-FX7 is lighter weighing only 3lbs. (physical dimension: 145×156x322mm) with lens hood attached and a built in mic.

 Its high quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens enables the camcorder to provide high quality 20x zoom that maintains image clarity and color while eliminating unwanted glare and flare in videos and still images.  These high-precision professional lenses utilize the most latest and advanced optical multi layer coating to eliminate flares and ghosting in the outcome images, whether in video mode or still-image mode.  Its lens enables the camcorder to provide great performance when taking videos, even in a low-light environment.  The lens has an aperture of 1.5-2.8 and you may set it in three ways: Full Range auto / manual (ring) / one touch.  A notable aspect of the camera’s manual zoom and manual focus ring it its ability to provide precise and detailed control over the amount of zoom and overall focus of the image with a simple turn of the rings.

 Perhaps the camcorder’s most significant advantage and strong point is its optical stabilization system provided by Sony’s Steady Shot Image Stabilization System that controls even the higher range of shake and vibration frequencies to eliminate blurring of video images.  Unlike some digital stabilization systems (like that of Panasonic’s camcorders), the optical stabilization system of Sony achieves a higher level of smoothness without degradation in the video’s quality.  The optical image stabilization of Sony is definitely more preferable than the electronic image stabilization of many camcorders, and this feature enables the HDR-FX7 to take even telephoto work more easily.

 Another great feature of the HDR-FX7 is its 3.5 inch wide Hybrid Clear Photo LCD plus display with 252K pixels – an alternate to viewing the videos thru its view finder (viewfinder has 252K pixels as well).  The 3.5 inch LCD of the HDR-FX7 easily matches the resolution of other prosumer camcorders in the market.  The LCD displays sharp, colorful and detailed playback of videos or monitoring recording.  Impressively, the HDR-FX7 performs accurately, with high quality, even when viewing in dark, sunlight or bright light places.  Sony also mounted it to the HDR-FX7’s body, ideally located in a position a couple of inches lower compared to the Canon XH A1’s LCD position.  The ideal lower position of the LCD screen on the HDR-FX7’s body enables the user to film and record videos without the LCD obscuring the viewing path.

 The HDR-FX7’s picture profile capability allows its user to adjust the scene (color, sharpness, balance, etc) manually into any one of its six presets buttons so you can recall them by a simple touch of a button.  This is useful when shooting scenes repeatedly under the same condition saving you the hassle of resetting the options and settings every time.  For ease of recording, these six assignable buttons are convenient to store commonly utilized recording options.

 Although the camcorder records still images in high definition (up to 1440×810), its quality is ordinary, compared to the other camcorders in the market.  The still image quality at 1.2 Megapixels is mediocre, compared to results from other camcorders like the Panasonic’s AG-DVX100B.  Although the camcorder’s dual record capability allows you to capture still images and store them directly to the memory stick duo media while recording videos, the JPEG formats will only be good to serve as reference for setting the video modes properly.

 The battery on this camcorder is excellent.  A Lithium Ion battery (NP-570 comes with the package) that is small enough to fit in the battery slot without protruding powers it, and it will give you about 8hrs of continuous power.  Impressive!  This length in battery life comes from the HDR-FX7’s CMOS chips that have very low power consumption.  The battery compartment also has a good design that can accommodate longer-life batteries without any inconvenience.

 The HRD-FX7 conveniently shows a 10% interval display when the battery is charging.  It also displays the approximate recordable time left when using the LCD screen on the viewfinder – very convenient features.

 Shoot like a pro with the Sony HDR-FX7 high definition camcorder at a lower cost.  Its ease of use with good handling and light weight are its main advantages – Sony always excels in producing user friendly camcorders.  However, Sony did not make this camcorder for video enthusiasts, but for professionals with low budgets and the skills and experience needed to take advantage of the camera’s features.  Enthusiasts can find the HDR-FX7 lacking in manual controls and versatility compared to, let’s say, the Canon XH A1 – the XH A1 is more expensive by $500 and weighs about 2 lbs more in comparison to the HDR-FX7.  However, if you have a low budget and like to use more of the automatic modes than manual then this is the camcorder for you.

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Technical Specifications

Video

• Format : Real Time HD Codec Engine, HDV/DV Recording
• Video Recording System : MPEG2 (HDV); AVI (DV)
• Video Signal : NTSC color, EIA standards

 It’s the first camcorder to bring in GPS technology.  As long as it can obtain a signal from a GPS satellite, it tracks and documents every video clip recorded.  In a moving train, the accuracy of the GPS system is poor at times.

 The HDR-XR520V can record 1920×1080 High Definition video and store to a 240GB non-removable hard disk drive or Memory Stick Pro Duo Media, which sells separately. 

 It has 150x digital zoom with 12x optical zoom G Lens 5.5-60.0 mm focal distance with F1.8-3.4 aperture, 1/3.15″ ClearVid, 1/2.88″ Exmore R CMOS sensor with Exmore-R technology, and Exmore-R sensor.  The new sensor as well as improved processing improves low light performance, reduces noise and offers a clearer picture than previous Sony models.

 This camera has a power consumption of 4.4 watts and requires a 7.2 volt battery pack.

 At full zoom, the LCD panel still lacks a great deal of physical information, but its accuracy is perfect.  The Sony HDR-XR520V’s 3.2-inch wide LCD provided the nicest looking picture with its 921,600-pixel display.  Not only does the HDR-XR520V offer the largest monitor on the market, but it’s also the only LCD with full touch-screen operation.  The touch screen is responsive and can calibrate the sensitivity of your touch.

 Users prefer the LCD to the viewfinder in most shooting environments, because it surpasses any other manufacturer’s monitoring capabilities.  Its competitor, the Panasonic HDC-HS300 has a hybrid touch screen LCD, but the lower screen resolution and 2.7-inch size simply couldn’t handle adult-sized fingers.  Canon Vixia HF S10 offers a 2.7-inch joystick-manned LCD.

 Unfortunately, the Sony HDR-XR520V has limited manual controls compared to the Canon Vixia HF S10 and Panasonic HDC-HS300.  It doesn’t even have independent shutter control.  It has Exposure, Auto Exposure Shift, White Balance Shift and Focus control.  You may adjust these with the Cam Control dial.  The HDC-HS300 delivers aperture, gain and true 24p control while the HF S10 displays three different frame rates, Cine mode and Shutter Priority.

 Menus are also accurate, though Sony needs to improve its layout.  A new user can get lost easily in its confusing menus.  It may take a while to grow accustomed to the HDR-XR520V’s menus, unlike its competitor, the Canon Vixia HF S10, that has a self-explanatory menu.  The Panasonic HDC-HS300’s menus are also highly spontaneous and easy to access.

 For the most part, AE Shift takes care of the unnecessary highlights in bright light, and since the HDR-XR520V’s low light performance is so impressive, there is no need to work with any exposure control in low light condition. 

 With multiple frame rates, gain control and Cine mode gamma shift, the Sony HDR-XR520V would easily exceed the Canon HF S10.  As it stands, the HDR-XR520V is more of a top tourist cam rather than a budget film camcorder.

 Screen icons also double in size for better touch screen accuracy and vision, and Easy mode is convenient for old folks and beginners.  This Sony HDR-XR520V has Face Detection for Photo and Video modes and Smile Shutter solely for Photo mode.  However, the Face Detection feature works well at a moderate distance, but is a challenge up close.  You can set the Smile Shutter to the sensitivity of the detection, and in most scenes, it proves itself accurate. 

 The large 240GB hard drive bulks up on the right side of the camcorder, but it doesn’t make the camcorder too big, and it still fits in your hand comfortably.  The camcorder has a traditional Sony hand strap that is adjustable and sturdy.  It has two sections of ports here — a headphone jack and microphone jack.  These jacks are behind a pop-out port cover near the back, and a port cover near the front slides open to reveal an AV-output, USB port, and an HDMI output.

 You can record sound only in 5.1 Channel Surround or 2 Channel Stereo.  The Canon Vixia HF S10 offers an onboard level control that you can adjust with a joystick, while the Panasonic HDC-HS300 allows you to monitor each individual mic and adjust levels on a 5.1 Channel Surround sound map.  There’s nothing special about any built-in camcorder microphone, and you should have an external shotgun mic to provide higher-grade sound quality.  The HDR-XR520V has an accessory shoe – Active Interface Shoe – on top for mounting mics and video lights but they are only compatible with Sony brand products.  Buy it from a Sony store, or find a third party adapter.

 The XR520V resembles a miniature HDR-SR12 without the mode dial.  It’s impressive that Sony is able to produce a slimmer camcorder and still double the size of the internal hard disk drive.  The button layout and design is also different on the HDR-XR520V.  Instead of a mode dial to switch between still and video mode, the XR520V uses a small mode button.  It also has an electronic viewfinder.  The LCD cavity includes a number of buttons – power, playback, display, easy, and DVD burn.  There are also two sliding switches – one turns GPS on/off and the other selects low light modes, namely standard, low lux, and NightShot.

 This camcorder has the largest capacity available in the camcorder world, but an almost 30 hours of continuous recording time in the highest quality could be a little excessive.  Most editing programs now support AVCHD, so it will not be a huge problem, but you may need a powerful computer with plenty of disk space capacity.

 HDR-XR520V is easy to use and has a massive storage for good video quality but you should include at least another $300-400 for its accessories.  The included battery is functional but you still should have an extra battery pack while traveling, and it is also proprietary.

 As far as overall design and features are concerned, the HDR-XR520V is a very good choice.

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Technical Specifications

Measuring at 66mm x 61mm x 124mm and weighing about 272 grams (0.6 lbs), this camcorder is light and easy to grip.  Its body design is very similar to the SC-MX10.  It has a classier feel to it, compared to the MX10, with its lens placed in a more distinctive cylindrical housing consuming the entire front of the camera.  Its small size and portability make it ideal for travel.  It owes its advantage in size and weight to its use of SD/SDHC memory cards as recording media, eliminating the extra weight and size of a hard disk like other camcorders. 

The Schneider-Kreuznach lens has an aperture of f/1.5 – f/4.3 and a focal length of 2.3 – 78.2mm.  The camcorder is fitted with a standard-sized 30.5mm filter for additional accessories like fisheye lenses and others.  It also features a manual, non-detachable lens cover – a cross between the separate lens cover (that can be lost) for the MX10 or the automatic cover (that can fail) for the HMX20.

 The camcorder compresses video in MPEG-4 AVC format, contrary to the AVCHD format that high definition camcorders by Panasonic, Sony, Canon and JVC favor.  When taking videos, the camcorder offers three quality options that record at 720×480 and 1 option that records at 640×480.  For the 720×480, there is the TV Super Fine (5mbps), TV Fine (4Mbps) and TV Normal (3mbps) and for the 640×480 the Web & Mobile setting (2mbps).

 The camcorder records to SD/SDHC memory cards inserted in the camcorder’s built-in memory slot.  It can record up to 23mins of TV Super Fine (best quality) videos in a 1GB card, 30mins of TV Fine quality, 38mins of TV normal quality and 57mins of Web & Mobile quality.  The latter two settings are not advisable, though, as it produces terrible, grainy videos.  Use the best quality.

 One of the advantages of its design lies in the location of its microphones.  The built-in microphones sit at both sides of the lens.  Most camcorders have the built-in mics on the front and top of the camcorder, making them susceptible to wandering fingers when filming.

 In tests, the SC-MX20, does not show the impressive video quality, even at its best quality (TV Super Fine), of its sister model the SC-HMX20.  This camcorder performs poorly with color in both bright and low light conditions.  You can also see “noise” in any lighting environment.  The best option when shooting videos with this camcorder is auto mode.

 The camcorder has an Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) like that of its big sister, the HMX20.  Most camcorders in its category (from Panasonic and Sony) feature an Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) system that is superior to the camcorder’s EIS.

 The camcorder also features an automatic focus capability for those users who want it.  Unfortunately, the camcorder is unable to decide where to focus, causing a big possibility that you might lose an excellent scene.  The disappointing zoom functions at a single, non-variable, fast speed.  Zoom control is available through two options, either with the use of the toggle or the directional pad – that will depend on your preference as both offer the same control.  Focus on the SC-MX20 is not very impressive, and you view focus control through the LCD display.  White balance has the following options: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Tungsten and Custom.

 This camcorder’s 2.7-inch LCD screen easily flips out from the left of the camera, ready for use.  It doesn’t have the touch-screen capability found in Sony and Samsung units.  It also doesn’t have a viewfinder as an alternative to use as guide when recording videos.  This might be make recording outdoor or under the sun inconvenient as this can cause glaring in the LCD view, making it useless as a guide while filming.

 Battery performance for the SC-MX20 is average, lasting about 3.5hrs with extensive use.  One disappointment in its engineering design is the battery compartment.  The battery lies in the body of the camcorder, so you won’t have an option to upgrade to a higher capacity battery for extra long recording time.  To record long videos or when in long vacations, buy a spare battery, and keep it charged.

 In addition, this camcorder cannot take still pictures.  It also cannot extract still images from video clips.  This is a true disadvantage when you want to take still pictures as part of your souvenirs.  Other brands may have a low-resolution still image capability (at 1 megapixel or less), but at least they give you that option.

 The SC-MX20 compares well to the JVC GZ-MS100.  Similar in weight and capabilities, the SC-MX20 edges the JVC camcorder in ease of use and portability, and the JVC edges out the SC-MX20 in low-light video performance.  Both record in SD card only and perform in standard definition.

 If you are a user who is after good video quality at this standard definition and card-recording-only category, then you should check the Canon FS100, selling at about $250, which has a more superior video output that the SC-MX20.

 Although the variety of the SC-MX20 gives it a look of elegance with a choice of White, Black, Red or Blue accents, in terms of overall performance, this camcorder just cannot keep up with its competitors at its price range.

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Technical Specifications

Type Camcorder Type Flash Memory

Image Sensor Image Sensor CCD

Sensor Size 1/6″

Pixels 680 K

Lens F Value F1.6-4.3

Optical Zoom 34x

Digital Zoom 1200x

Filter Diameter 30 mm

Display Viewfinder LCD Size 2.7″

No. of pixels 112K

Video Recording Feature Shutter Speed Manual Shutter 1/60~1/10000, 8 Step

Auto Shutter Yes

Image Stabilizer Yes

Focus Auto Focus Yes

Manual Focus Yes

Video Still Capture No

Back Light Compensation Yes

Low Light Sensitivity 3 LUX

White Balance Auto White Balance Yes

Manual Balance Yes

Operation Line Recording No

Audio Recording Feature Built-in Speaker Yes

Built-in Microphone Yes

Inputs Inputs USB 2.0

IEEE 1394 No

Audio HDMI No

Memory Card Card Slot SD

Included Accessories Strap Hand Grip Yes

Shoulder Strap No

Neck Strap No

Case Carrying Case No

Cable A/V Cable Yes

USB Cable Yes

Others Remote Control No

Operating System OS Compatible OS Windows XP SP2, Vista32, 64

Weight & Dimensions Dimension 4.9″ x 2.6″ x 2.4″

Weight 0.6 lbs.

The Sony DCR-SR85 is very easy to use and is small enough to take it with you anywhere you go.  From its off state, it can start recording in just a few seconds.  Its 60 GB Hard Disk Drive can accommodate from 14 to 41 hours of recording time depending on the quality settings.  It also records video to Memory Stick Pro Duo cards, making it a hybrid camcorder.  Both movies and still images will go from the hard drive to the Memory Stick card inside the camcorder without having to use a computer.

At only 14 ounces including battery, the SR85 is lightweight.  It’s still a very compact camcorder even with its large 60GB hard drive bulking up its right side.  Its dimensions are 3.1 inches high by 3 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep.  Sony has improved the body design over its predecessor’s – DCR-SR82.  Instead of having separate mode and record controls, the power/movie/still dial for the SR85 is easy to access.  The switch operates smoothly, as does the zoom, allowing for stutter-free close-ups.  However, since it lacks optical image stabilization, those extreme close-ups needs a tripod.

The SR85 uses a 1/6-inch 1-megapixel 4:3 Exmore CMOS sensor.  This sensor uses MPEG2 compression at 9Mbps and outputs interlaced standard definition video.  The built-in 60 GB HDD can save more or less 14 hours of video while an 8GB Memory Stick card can take in 115 minutes.  However, it only accepts Sony branded memory cards.

Replacing the DCR-SR42, Sony added a hard drive with larger capacity, a slightly remodeled design and twice its effective pixel count.  The step-down model, the Sony DCR-SR65, is nearly identical except for the smaller, 40GB hard drive and the $100 cheaper price.

The 25x zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens is very long on the telephoto end, but a 41 mm wide-angle is poor.  The lens has a focal distance of 2.5 mm to 62.5 mm.  Its maximum aperture range is f/1.8 to f/3.2 and a filter diameter of 30 mm.  The lens doesn’t have an image stabilizing feature.

The SR85’s 2.7-inch LCD screen, with its 211,000 pixel resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, is average.  It’s normal for this price range but certainly not an advantage.  Moreover, the absence of a viewfinder is a major disadvantage.

Sony’s DCR-SR85 uses a touchscreen system to access menus, toggle manual controls and vary the settings.  Even though 2.7 inches is a decent size for an LCD, it’s still too small for the touchscreen feature.  Those with larger fingers may find it inconvenient.

Underneath the lens is the lens cover switch that opens and closes the built-in lens cap.  Just at the left side of the lens is an infrared light for the camcorder’s NightShot system.  You’ll also find the sensor for the provided remote here.

Although the video quality is better than its less competent class, which is the Sony DCR-SR45, it doesn’t compare well with the HD models, such as the Canon HG10, which are a little more expensive.

The Easy mode locks up most camera buttons when initiated.  A full manual mode is not available.  You can only operate white balance exposure shift manually.  The major inconvenience with tapping of on-screen buttons during shooting is the blurry outcome.

The camera benefits from two interesting playback modes – Face Index and Film Roll.  Face Index attempts to search for scenes according to the faces that it identifies.  Film Roll creates previews of a video file within a thumbnail file, displaying the content in a time-line at user-selected intervals.  The bundled Picture Motion Browser software allows you to search by voice, color and face.

The 2-channel Dolby Digital on-board microphone on the DCR-SR85 has a zoom function, which aims at distant sound when in full zoom.  It picks up increasing levels of surround sound as you zoom out.  A hot accessory shoe can provide power to an external video light, but the camcorder doesn’t have a mic jack that would fit an external microphone.  Also, there’s no headphone jack.  The accessory shoe is proprietary to Sony.

The battery compartment takes up a big portion of the camcorder’s rear area.  It’s not an enclosed cavity, which means you have the option of upgrading to a larger, longer-lasting battery pack.  To the right of the battery is a ring toggle that acts as the camcorder’s on/off switch.  At the center of the ring is the start/stop record button with the usual red dot at its center.

Like any other Sony model, the SR85 also has Sony’s HDD Smart Protection system.  This feature combines physical shock absorbers, G-sensor shock protection and video stream buffering to protect against data loss.  For ease of use, it also incorporates a new quick-on feature that takes the camcorder out of standby mode in about one second.

DVD creation is simple with Sony’s one touch DVD burn feature with smart controls.  When camcorders connect to compatible PCs or Handycam stations (supplied on select models) via USB, they will automatically synchronize newest content and burn that footage to DVD with the supplied Picture Motion Browser.

The SR85’s video quality is tolerable for full-screen playback on small-to-medium-size TVs and computer monitors.  However, video looks soft, lacking detail and clarity and tends to look washed out.  Noise is within a reasonable level for its class, but quickly panning the camcorder–say, to capture a football pass or someone running on a playing field–makes the picture blocky, and moving while recording creates enough jerkiness to give you a headache when watching the playback.

Other features of the camcorder’s performance are better.  It has a responsive autofocus, good white balance and quick adjustable autoexposure.  The quality is better than the SR45.  This is because of the larger 1-megapixel CCD sensor.  The SR45 only has 680,000 pixels.  If you’re not concerned with the visual imperfections, or just plan to share the resulting video on the Web, then you can own the SR85.

Overall, the Sony DCR-SR85 is a good camcorder.  The 60GB hard disk capacity means you can take it on a vacation without worrying about running out of space.  Moreover, you can save video and stills to Memory Stick Pro Duo cards up to 8GB.  Its compact, lightweight build is great for grab-and-go videos.  It’s easy to operate with its 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD.

However, with the onset of high-definition camcorders within a small difference of the DCR-SR85’s price, the quality of its standard definition video output is a definite sticking point.

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Shop at	Price	Rating	Stock
	$799.95		IN
	$877.00		IN

Technical Specifications

General

• Product Type Camcorder
• Digital Zoom 2000 x
• Optical Sensor Size 1/6″
• Optical Sensor Type Advanced HAD CCD
• Min Illumination 0 lux
• Digital Video Format MPEG-2
• Special Effects Sepia , Pastel , Monotone , Old Movie
• Image Stabilizer Electronic (Super Steady Shot)
• Digital Scene Transition Black fader , White fader
• Min Shutter Speed 1/4 sec
• Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
• Shooting Modes Digital photo mode
• Shooting Programs Snow , Beach , Candle , Sunset , Sunrise , Fireworks , Landscape , Spotlight , Sports mode , Portrait mode , Twilight mode
• White Balance Custom , Presets , Automatic
• White Balance Presets Indoor , Outdoor
• Exposure Modes Program ,  Automatic
• Exposure Metering Spot , Matrix
• Camera Flash None
• Widescreen Video Capture Yes

Main Features

• Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 1 megapixels
• Color Support Color
• Face Detection Yes
• Still Image Format JPEG
• Remote Control Remote control – Infrared
• TV Tuner None

Memory / Storage

• Floppy Drive None
• Digital Storage Media Hard disk drive – Built-in – 60 GB
• Image Storage JPEG 1152 x 864 , JPEG 1152 x 648 , JPEG 640 x 480
• Media Type Hard disk drive
• Recording Speed HQ , LP , SP

Lens System

• Type Zoom lens – 2.5 mm – 62.5 mm – F/1.8-3.2
• Focal Length 2.5 mm – 62.5 mm
• Lens Aperture F/1.8-3.2
• Optical Zoom 25 x
• Lens system type Zoom lens
• Min focal length 2.5 mm
• Lens Manufacturer Carl Zeiss
• Max focal length 62.5 mm
• Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
• Filter Size 30 mm
• Focus Adjustment Manual , Automatic
• Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive

Additional Features

• Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
• Digital Still Camera Function Yes
• Search Modes Index search , Face index search
• Additional Features Face detection , Built-in speaker , Histogram display , PictBridge support , Touch-screen control , USB 2.0 compatibility , Backlight compensation , Progressive shutter system , Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording
• Remote control Remote control – Infrared
• Software Drivers & Utilities , Sony Picture Motion Browser

Display

• Type LCD display – TFT active matrix – 2.7 in – Color

Digital Player (Recorder)

• Type None

Microphone

• Type Microphone – Built-in
• Microphone Features Zoom

Connections

• Connector Type 1 x USB , 1 x Composite video/audio output , 1 x S-Video output , 1 x Control-L (LANC) , 1 x DC power input
• Expansion Slot(s) 1 x Memory Stick PRO Duo

Audio Input

• Audio input type Microphone
• Microphone type Built-in
• Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
• Microphone Technology Electret condenser

System Requirements for PC Connection

• Operating System Support MS Windows Vista , MS Windows XP Professional , MS Windows 2000 Professional
• Peripheral Devices USB port , CD-ROM drive

Miscellaneous

• Cables Included USB cable , A/V cable

Power

• Power Device Power adapter – External

Battery

• Supported Battery Sony NP-FH60
• Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )

Viewfinder / Display

• Display Form Factor Rotating
• Display Format 123,200 pixels

Physical Characteristics

• Width 3 in
• Depth 4.4 in
• Height 3 in
• Weight 12.7 oz

They won’t call the Sony DCR-SR300 a Handycam for no reason.  It is easy to use, has reliable hard drive plus it doesn’t require any additional media to record because its 40GB disk space is roomy enough.  Many point-and-shooters, budget consumers or serious hobbyists will appreciate the fact that Sony offers its SR300 in both 40GB and 100GB models.

The DCR-SR300 uses a 3.2MP ClearVid CMOS sensor to capture its images.  It uses different resolution in different modes.  For video, it uses 2.28MP in 16:9 mode or 1.71MP in 4:3 mode.  For still images, it uses 3.04MP in 4:3 mode or 2.28MP in 16:9 mode.  The SR300 must interpolate the pixels captured by the sensor to get the 6.1-megapixel still images.  It can’t provide an output with the sharpness of a real 6-megapixel camera, although the images can be decent overall.  You can also have the option of recording to a Memory Stick Duo Pro memory card thru its built-in memory card slot.

This camcorder also uses a 10x optical Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T zoom lens, which has multi-layer coating for increased contrast and an additional T coating to reduce glare.  The 10x optical zoom lens has a filter diameter of 37mm.  Its optical image stabilizer – Super SteadyShot hybrid image stabilization – can help you keep your footage relatively shake-free.  The optical image stabilizer is very useful when using the zoom to its fullest capacity although it’s not completely shake-free at its optimum setting.  You’ll more likely use a steady tripod when zoomed to the 10x maximum.  In comparison to camcorders using digital image stabilization, the DCR-SR300 produces better video quality with its optical image stabilizer.  Although it has some automatic controls, it lacks the manual controls that some advanced users may look for in a camcorder in this price range.

Its built-in mic can create an artificial Dolby 5.1 surround soundtrack and you can enhance it with an optional accessory mic.  In addition, like all other Sony camcorders, SR300 has the Sony brand-exclusive hot shoe – Active Interface Shoe.  You can mount the external mic in the camcorder’s hot shoe.  There’s no mic jack nor a headphone jack, so you can’t use a third-party microphone with the DCR-SR300.  If you’ll find the internal mic’s performance satisfactory, you can use the hot shoe to add a different add-on like a video light.

The Sony DCR-SR300 has no USB port for direct upload, which could be a bit inconvenient.  It uses a dock for uploading still images and videos to your PC.

If you’re fond of using viewfinders, you may find it awkward to frame your shots using this camcorder’s 2.7-inch touch screen LCD display.  The DCR-SR300 doesn’t have a built-in viewfinder for optional viewing.  The small 2.7-inch wide-screen makes the menu system inconvenient.  It can’t accommodate more than about four virtual buttons per page.  In addition, since the LCD screen is the only way to frame your shots, a joystick could be helpful in avoiding many fingerprints on the screen.  In this case, for those who prefer the touch screen interface, you can use a stylus.  Unfortunately, Sony doesn’t include it in the package.  If you prefer to have a viewfinder in your camcorder and retain most of the DCR-SR300’s features, you may want to check on the Sony DCR-SR100, which is a more comfortable version of the DCR-SR300.  The DCR-SR100 has an extendable viewfinder, top-mounted flash and onboard USB terminal.

Image quality is good in some ways and the footage is sharp when some motion objects aren’t obscuring the details.  Although the camcorder’s automatic white balance would end up either slightly cool or warm, the result has a pleasing color performance still.

Focus isn’t very fast, but it’s fast enough if there’s ample amount of light.  In low light conditions, focus slows down noticeably.  It becomes very slow in very dim lighting.  This is where Sony’s Super NightShot becomes very helpful.  In extremely low-light situations, the SR300 performs great with the NightShot setting, providing satisfactory performance even in almost-dark shooting environments.

Sony created a nice, smooth shape to the right side of the camera and gained some space for buttons since the viewfinder is gone.  However, some functions such as Backlight, NightShot and Easy mode are located on the left side behind the LCD screen.  Like most of Sony’s consumer camcorders, the DCR-SR300 includes four buttons on the left rim of the LCD screen for menu access, zoom in, zoom out, and record start and stop.

There is a built-in flash located to the left of the lens.  You can adjust Flash levels in the Home menu.  There is no burst or bracketing mode for the DCR-SR300.

The top of the DCR-SR300 reveals how fat this little HDD machine is.  At the head sits the 5.1-channel surround sound built-in microphone, which falls right under the pinky and ring fingers, enabling you to muffle and distort your audio with the greatest of ease.  The SR300 is not big enough for a top-mounted mic.  Right under the microphone is the Sony brand-exclusive hot shoe, or “Active Interface Shoe,” which only Sony has.  Toward the back is the HC7-like zoom toggle, which is smooth and responsive.  The wide photo button sits behind the zoom, easily accessible for a quick snap.

In comparison, one of the camcorders in the DCR-SR300’s category is the JVC GZ-MG555.  The JVC camcorder is no better that a cheaply made camcorder – no viewfinder, a 2.7 inch LCD screen and digital image stabilization – except for the image quality.  The SR300 does display a decent image though.  Those who like pocket-size electronic devices will opt for the MG555.

Overall, the SR300 is an easy to use, entry-level hard disk camera.  If the DCR-SR300 cost a little less, this camera is easier to recommend.  Of course, if you don’t mind tape, then you could step up to a HD camcorder, such as the Sony HDR-HC7 or the Canon HV20 for almost the same price as the DCR-SR300.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Light/Flash : N/A / Yes
• Docking Station : Yes (Handycam Station®)

The DCR-SR65 is a step-up model of the DCR-SR45.  This camcorder has a 40 GB Hard Disk Drive and runs on a 1/6-inch Advanced HAD CCD, 1.07 megapixel imaging device.  In comparison, the DCR-SR45 has the same 1/6 imaging sensor but a lower 0.68 megapixel rating.  Both camcorders record in MPEG-2 digital video format.

The DCR-SR65 has three video recording quality settings.  It can recording in High Quality (9MBPS), Medium Quality (6MBPS) and Low Quality (3MBPS).  Use the highest quality setting when recording using this camcorder, as the other two settings perform poorly and produces lots of grain and noise in the videos.  The camcorder can approximately record 9 hours of video in High Quality setting and 14.5 hours and 27 hours in Medium Quality and Low Quality modes respectively.

The DCR-SR65 belongs to the standard definition category of camcorders, and at a price range of about $450-$550, it is affordable, but not cheap.  This is a perfect camcorder for users who are not ready to invest in a high definition camcorder and those users looking for an affordable camcorder with satisfactory video quality performance.

It also has a built-in zoom microphone with two-channel recording.  The top-mounted stereo microphone works together with the optical zoom, allowing the camcorder to zoom in to focus its audio on distant subjects as you zoom in optically.  It is also equipped with two speakers.

Its main media storage device is the huge 40GB capacity Hard Disk Drive.  There is also a built-in memory slot to accommodate Memory Stick Duo PRO for additional storage option or for storing still images – although the 40GB hard disk might prove to be more than enough to record what you need for a whole day.  The main advantage of having a HDD camcorder over a MiniDV or SD recording camcorders is portability and less clutter.  With this camcorder, you will not have problems carrying cards around when on a long vacation or keeping and storing MiniDV tapes in your home.  You’ll never miss an important event switching tapes or disks with this camcorder.

The camcorder is also equipped with a 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen with Sony’s trademark intuitive touch screen controls.  It is the same as that of the DCR-SR45 and works perfectly, as well.  The structure works well and is very user friendly coupled with Sony’s easy to navigate menu.

Like its little sister, the DCR-SR45, the DCR-SR65 doesn’t have a viewfinder as an alternative viewing other than the LCD.  This can prove to be a disadvantage when filming in bright light conditions or under direct sunlight.  Glaring and ghosting can be a hassle when recording videos under bright light conditions.

Its single 1/6-inch CCD recording sensor is limited to capturing vivid videos in bright light conditions.  As expected with a single, small imaging sensor, low light video qualities are poor with lots of noise and grain.  Although the video quality is below satisfactory, the DCR-SR65 performs well in Night Mode shots producing satisfactory videos even in almost complete darkness.

The DCR-SR65 also boasts of a world class Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 25X optical zoom capability and an amazing maximum 2000X digital zoom.  The optical zoom capability of this camcorder is amazing, capable of focusing objects at extreme close-ups without any image distortion.  However, the camcorder’s image stabilization (Sony’s Electronic Super Steady Shot) is not excellent enough to eliminate camera shake and blurriness at its extreme close-up settings.

Aperture range for this camcorder is at f/1.8 – f/3.2 and focal length range of 2.5mm-62.5mm.  Like most camcorders in its category, the DCR-SR65 has digital photo mode to capture still images.  Although its still image performance is not that impressive at 1 megapixel JPEG format – although this is a better performance compared to the other Sony camcorder, the DCR-SR45, at only 0.3 megapixels.  The exposure parameters for this camcorder include Beach, Candle, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait mode, Snow, Sports mode, Spotlight, Sunrise and Twilight.  Connections to other devices are available thru the camcorder’s USB 2.0, AV Output and DC In ports.

If you need a much larger storage space, with the same video recording quality and functions, you can choose the DCR-SR85, which has 20GB more storage space than the DCR-SR65 with its built-in 80 GB Hard Disk Drive.  However, if you own a couple of Memory Stick Duos, then the extra $100 in cost would be senseless for the extra 20GB of storage space.  An 8GB Memory Stick can conveniently store an additional 5 hours of recording data making the 20GB addition irrelevant.

In terms of design, the DCR-SR65 doesn’t excel with its black and silver design – a Sony mainstay and the same design as that of the DCR-SR45.  If you prefer a sleeker design, you can check on JVC’s Everio camcorder range.

If you are after great video quality and overall performance, and willing to jump ahead to the High Definition category, then check out the Canon HF S100 – a very good entry-level camcorder in the High Definition category.  You can get vivid colors, great low light sensitivity and video sharpness with its gigantic 8.59-megapixel imaging sensor for about $200.00 more.  It doesn’t have the huge storage space, though, like the DCR-SR65, as the HF S100 records exclusively in SD/SDHC memory cards.

The Sony DCR-SR65 is ideal for those users who are looking for value in a camcorder below the $1000 price range.  With satisfactory video performance and light weight, this camcorder is best for quick uses like in travel and backyard recording of family events.  With ease in use, this camcorder is perfect for those users who are not yet ready to jump in the High Definition bandwagon.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Assignable Dial : N/A
• Light/Flash : N/A
• Manual / Auto Lens Cover : Manual
• Media Card slot : Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media
• S/S & Zoom button on LCD : Yes

The camcorder’s main recording media is its 30GB hard disk drive.  Although this is smaller than the largest in the market, it can still accommodate a decent amount of videos.  The non-removable hard disk drive can store about 7 hours of high quality videos or about 11 hours of medium quality videos or almost 21 hours of low quality videos – although recording videos in less than the highest of quality is not advisable.  Its useful Variable Bit Rate feature enables the camcorder to record this huge amount of videos.  This capability enables the camcorder to adjust the bit rate in recording less complex footages therefore using lesser hard disk space.

Generally, hard disk based camcorders carry the advantage of bigger capacity in video recording than any other media.  One of the main disadvantages of this setup includes a bigger body (73mm x 72mm x 109mm) and a heavier overall weight (380 grams).  Take care of these camcorders, as you can’t easily place them in bags or pockets.  Small bumps might damage the internal hard disk drive, which will render the camcorder useless.

The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens mostly occupies the front of the camcorder with its 40x optical zoom capability.  The lens has an effective aperture range of f/1.8-f/4.1.  It also has a focal length of 1.9-76mm.  Also at the front of the camcorder, at the left side of the lens are the NightShot and the infrared remote sensor.  The built in microphone also sits at the front of the device, at the lower part of the façade.  The mic placement is ideal compared to the regular design of a top mounted mic that is susceptible in picking up noise, and fingers can easily obstruct the mic while shooting videos.  However, this internal mic is the only audio option for this camcorder.  There are no headphone jacks or accessory shoes for external mics.  The internal mic has only two settings in Low and Normal mode.

The camcorder features a 2.5-inch touch screen LCD display as its main record viewing and playback tool.  It doesn’t have a viewfinder as an alternative monitoring tool.  This may prove to be a challenge for users who are filming under direct sunlight or bright light as the LCD screen can be subject to glaring and ghosting under bright lights.  The LCD screen can extend up to 90 degrees from its body and can rotate up to 279 degrees.

The DCR-SR42 also has an Electronic Super Steady Shot image stabilizer with Digital Zoom of 2000x.  The Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is common to many entry-level camcorders but unfortunately doesn’t perform as well as Optical Image stabilization systems.  The DCR-SR42 can only reduce camera shake by 45%, compared to 80%+ featured by high-end camcorders.  The camcorder performs as expected from an entry-level camcorder.

Shutter speed range from 1/60sec – 1/4000sec.  Shooting Programs include Snow, Beach, Candle, Sunset, Sunrise, Fireworks, Landscape, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports Lesson and Twilight mode.  White Balance includes Presets (Indoor and Outdoor) and Automatic.

The Zoom toggle located at the top of the camcorder is smooth to operate and accurate.  The built-in memory slot is located at the left side of the camcorder and can cater to Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick Duo / PRO Duo.

Still picture capability for the DCR-SR42 is limited to capturing VGA-sized (640×480) images in either Fine or Normal mode only.  Many camcorders that can offer up to 3 megapixels resolution easily dwarf its 0.3 megapixel still photo resolution in still photos.

With a small imaging sensor, the camcorder’s overall video quality is below average, compared to other camcorders like the Canon DC 220.  It performs great in bright light conditions but drops to almost indistinct video quality in low light conditions.  Much noise and grain show in the video with poor sharpness performance.  The JVC GZ-MG155 also easily outperforms this camcorder in video clarity and brightness in images.

The DCR-SR42’s battery pack sits at the rear end of the camcorder, and it protrudes a little – like most of Sony’s camcorder design.  Because it doesn’t have a viewfinder, you can upgrade your camcorder’s battery pack to extend its recording capability without the worry of obstructing any function.  The packaged NP-FH40 battery pack can last up to 2 hours of extensive use.  This capability may fall short for an all day recording event with the 30GB hard disk drive.  You will need an upgrade or an extra battery pack to optimize your recording capability.

The DCR-SR42 is also equipped with Sony’s Drop Protection setting that protects your camcorder’s data in an event that the camcorder falls.  The Drop Protection capability of this camcorder automatically shuts down the camcorder’s power with any sudden jerky movement or sudden changes in G-force experienced when the camcorder falls.  This will help keep your data intact after such a tragic event.

For a comparison on the same camcorder category, you may want to check out JVC’s GZ-MG155, selling at about the same price range as the DCR-SR42 at $500-$650.  The GZ-MG155 boasts of enhanced video qualities, manual controls and connectivity options that are not present in the DCR-SR42.  The GZ-MG155 is the only HDD camcorder in this price range that offers a 1.07 megapixel imaging sensor with the DCR-SR42 only at about 0.68 megapixels.

Retailing at about $539-$579 the DCR-SR42 may prove to be a little expensive for what it brings to your camcorder experience.  You will be better off checking entry-level high definition camcorders from JVC and Canon, which sell at about the same price.  This camcorder doesn’t offer much of manual control for the video enthusiasts but its Auto mode is one of the best and smoothest among entry-level camcorders in the market.

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Technical Specifications

General

• Imaging Device : 1/6″ Advanced HAD™ CCD
• Pixel Gross : 680K
• Video Actual : 260K Pixels
• Still Actual : 340K Pixels
• Recording Media : 30GB⁵ Hard Disk Drive, Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media (sold separately)
• Recording and Playback Times : HQ: up to 7 hours, SP: up to 10 hours, LP: up to 20 hours

With a price range of about $455-$500, this camcorder packs many features like the 50X optical zoom, Optical Image Stabilization and comfortable handling it seems nothing can beat the SDR-H60 at its price range.  Although it is a very good camcorder, it still needs some improvements.  It is not the best camcorder in low light performance – producing grain and a significant amount of noise – and it’s not the best in overall video quality, either.

The Panasonic SDR-H60, measuring about 67mm x 70mm x 116mm and weighing about 341 grams, is not the lightest among camcorders in its category; nor is it the best-designed camcorder.  In design and sleekness, the Samsung SC-MX20 or the Everio GZ-MG330 from JVC can outclass the SDR-H60 easily.  The SDR-H60 has a basic design and a standard feel to its body.

Although not the smallest, this camcorder is very comfortable to hold and most menus and control are easy and conveniently grouped together.  This camcorder distributes its weight evenly, which makes one-hand operation easy even at its size.  If you’re the type who loves versatility in features and want a more compact body, you can check the Panasonic SDR-S7 – it doesn’t have a hard drive.  It records in SD and SDHC instead.

The SDR-H60’s built-in mic is ideally located at its front panel and strategically located to keep away from prying fingers.  The mic performs average, and if you need to use professional audio this is not the camcorder for you.  It doesn’t have a mic input that will provide you with versatility in your video taking.

The 50X zoom on this unit is easily the most powerful zoom, not only in its category, but also in the camcorder market in general.  The powerful zoom makes telephoto shots easier.  Although at this maximum range, video quality might suffer greatly even with the slightest camera shake.

The standard-definition SDR-H60 camcorder runs on a 1/6 inch CCD image sensor with 0.8 megapixel resolution.  This is significantly low, compared to High Definition videos with effective pixels of 3 megapixels and up.  However, the SDR-H60 compensates for its lack in megapixel power with its good performance in image processing.  The processing capability of this camcorder is so effective that it can produce vivid colors and great color performance that can be better than some of the other camcorders in its price range; it is not the best in its class with a lot of visible noise eminent in low light conditions or even in bright light.

With average video quality, it is surprising that the SDR-H60 outperforms its latest sister, the SDR-H200, in this category.  The SDR-H60 with a single image sensor performs surprisingly better in color vividness than the more sophisticated SDR-H200 with its 3-CCD image sensors.  The upgraded SDR-H200, having three CCD sensors each about the size of HDR-H60’s single image sensor, performs better in sharpness and has significantly less noise in its videos.  The SDR-H60 however produces more vivid color images than the SDR-H200. 

In comparison to Sony’s DCR-SR85, one of the SDR-H60’s competitors, the SDR-H60 performs less satisfactorily even at $200 more.  Sony outclasses this Panasonic model easily in the video quality department, and with a lower price, it seems like the best option if you choose based on video quality.

For Image stabilization, the SDR-H60’s performance is satisfactory for its price and more than expected from a camcorder at this price range.  The Panasonic SDR-H60 can eliminate about 70-80% of the normal hand shake, and considering its price, this is a very good performance.

Handling is always one of Panasonic’s strong traits, and this camcorder is no different.  However, take the time to learn to navigate effectively thru the menus and settings without any hassle.  Some of the menus might read cryptic for new users; but with time and familiarization, everything will work easily, as menus and functions are grouped accordingly.

The camcorder has a 2.7 inch LCD viewfinder with 123,000 pixels.  This camcorder’s LCD flares and glares noticeably, and its low resolution makes focus and close-ups problematic.  The LCD performs the same as of those in this price range, so you have no comparison.

The battery for the camcorder can last for about 2.5hrs with extensive use.  The user is unable to upgrade to a larger capacity battery; this is a major drawback for enthusiasts who wants to extend the camera’s capability to record longer videos.  You also notice another drawback when you charge the battery.  It proves to be a little inconvenient when you can’t charge and use the camera at the same time.

For its still image performance, the camcorder primarily records to the internal 60GB hard disk drive.  All pictures and videos can be recorded to the SD SDH card should the memory become full. 

The SDR-H60 has very limited still image capture ability.  It records in JPEG formats with two options (640×480 or 640×360) for resolution.  Resolution is poor, considering that some camcorders can offer 5 megapixels or more compared to a very low 0.3 megapixel max for this camcorder.

Compared to its upgrade, the SDR-H200 (10x zoom and 30GB storage), the SDR-H60 is a better option (50x zoom and 60GB storage), with the SDR-H200 edging the SDR-H60 only in the video sharpness category, and the SDR-H200 is $150 more expensive.

However, if you want the best in this category, the Canon FS11 (16GB storage) is the camcorder of choice and sells at about the same price and capable of producing much clearer and more satisfactory video quality than any other camcorder in its class.

For a Standard Definition camcorder, the Panasonic SDR-H60’s performance is acceptable but definitely doesn’t sweep anybody off their feet.  However, it’s ideal for people who love to go full automatic.  It performs fast and at its best in this mode.  Although this camcorder packs many manual options, this may prove very difficult and challenging to many to the point that it becomes complicated.  However, with the 50X zoom and the 60GB storage space it’s a good catch for its cheap market price.

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Shop at	Price	Rating	Stock
	$499.95		IN
	$399.95		IN

Technical Specifications

No. of Image Sensors 1
Image Sensor Size (Inches) 1/6
Total Pixel Count (000) 800
Effective Pixel Count (000) 400
Optical Zoom (x) 50
Digital Zoom (x) 2500
Aperture F2.0 (Wide)/F5.0 (Tele)
Focal Length f = 1.8-90mm
Lens Type PANASONIC
Lens Filter Diameter (mm) -
Minimum Illumination (lux) 2.0
Focus Modes AF/Manual
White Balance Modes Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, Set (with IR Sensor)
Shutter Speed Range 1/25-1/500 (Still Picture), 1/25-1/8000 sec. (Motion Image)
Iris Auto/Manual
Programme AE Modes Sports, Portrait, Low Light, Spot Light, Surf & Snow
16:9 Recording Yes
Backlight Compensation Yes
View Finder Type TBC
View Finder Size (inches) -
Inbuilt LCD Screen Yes
LCD Monitor Screen Size
(Inches)
2.7
LCD Monitor pixel count (000) 123
Stereo Zoom Microphone Yes
Wind Noise Reduction Yes
Titler Date/Time Yes
Titler Superimposer No
Fade in/out Yes (Black)
Recording Review No
Electronic View Finder (EVF) On
Screen Display (OSD)
No
Image Stabiliser Type Optical
Digital Special Effects None
LED Video Light No
Inbuilt Flash No
Quick Start No
LCD panel Light TBC
USB Webcam Function No
Digital Still Function On Solid
State Removeable Media
Yes
Recording Medium Type SD Card, HDD (Hard Disc Drive)
Still Picture Storage Format JPEG
Still Picture Storage Dimensions 640 x 360 (16:9) – 0.2 MEGA, 640 x 480 (4:3) – 0.3 MEGA
Motion Picture Storage on Card Yes
Consecutive Photoshot No
Picture Bridge Compatible Yes
Video Record Heads -
LP Facility Yes
Recording Mode XP, SP, LP
Playback Mode XP, SP, LP
Remote Control No
Variable Speed Search No
Audio Recording System Dolby Digital (2ch)/MPEG1 Audiolayer2
Audio Dubbing No
Index Marking No
Counter Linear Time Counter
Tape Remaining Indication Yes
Playback Digital Effects No
USB Connectivity Hi-speed USB (USB 2.0)(mini AB)
HDMI Input/Output No
DV Input/Output (IEEE 1394) No
S-Video Input No
S-Video Output(s) No
A/V Input (mini) No
A/V Output (mini) Yes
Microphone Input No
Headphones Terminal (M3) No
Accessory Shoe No
Accessory Shoulder Strap No
Accessory Free-style Remote
Controller
No
Accessory A/V Cable (RCA – 4
pin)
Supplied
Accessory S-Video Cable No
Accessory AV/Cable AV Multi
Accessory Lens Cap TBC
Accessory Cleaning Tape No
Accessory Cleaning Cloth No
Accessory PC Cable Supplied (USB)
Power (Mains) Battery Charger/AC Adaptor (Input:110-240V AC) (Included)
Input Requirements (DC V) 7.2
Power (Battery) TBC
Power Consumption – Normal
(Watts)
4.0
Power Consumption (Watts) with
LCD
4.0
Weight (g) 340
Height (mm) 70
Width (mm) 67
Depth (mm) 116

Like any Sony camcorder, the HDR-UX20 uses a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens.  The lens sits at the top front of the camcorder.  It has a filter diameter of 30 mm and focal range of 3.1 – 46.5 mm.  Its aperture range is f/1.8 – f/2.6.  Below the lens mounting are the infrared emitter of the Super NightShot mode and a Mini HDMI port.  

At 1.2 lbs. or approximately 560 grams, the HDR-UX20 weighs less than the HDR-UX7.  The right side of the camcorder holds the strap, and the material used gives you a firm grip of the camera.  The DVD loading bay area also provides a comfortable handle to hold.  Its dimensions are 2.3in x 5.3in x 3.7in (W x D x H).  All these combine to make the camcorder comfortable and easy to hold.

At the back of the camcorder, you’ll find the typical set of controls, battery bay and the viewfinder.  The HDR-UX20 ships with the NP-FH60 Li-ion rechargeable battery.  Below the viewfinder and the battery are the DC IN and the A/V ports.

On the left side of the camcorder are the LCD screen and several buttons.  On this side, you can also find a pair of zoom toggles, the still capture button, a Home button above and a second start/stop button below.  Inside the LCD cavity, there are also several buttons, ports and the Memory Stick slot.  Below the Memory Stick slot is the Mini USB port and adjacent to this USB port is the on/off switch for the NightShot feature.

The Sony HDR-UX20 uses a 2.7-inch touch screen LCD with 211,000 pixels.  This display is significantly smaller than the HDR-UX7, which features a 3.5-inch display.  Sony’s move to reduce the LCD size may cause difficulties for some users who have large fingers.

For easy access, this camcorder uses the Quick On switch and the Easy button.  Sony’s Quick On switch puts the camcorder into a hibernate mode and allows you to start it back up again with a quick press of the on/off button.  This feature allows for a faster way of turning the camera on from its off state.  The Easy button enables the Easy mode.  This mode is suitable for beginners, and with a simple press of this button, all the camcorder’s controls go into automatic. 

However, for those who want to have more control on the outcome of their videos with manual options, the HDR-UX20 may be a bit frustrating.  For one, Sony has eliminated the Cam Control – the ability to make quick and easy manual adjustments.  Instead, you’ll have to use its touch screen to access the drop down menu to make manual adjustments.  What will frustrate some users more is the slowness in the response of the touch screen interface – much slower than the Cam Control feature from previous Sony camcorders.

The Sony HDR-UX20 uses a 5.1 channel surround sound mic.  You will not find this non-standard mic in older Sony camcorders.  This 5.1 channel surround sound is better with an added characteristic.  It boasts a link to the camcorder’s Zoom feature, which picks up sound from one direction while ignoring noise from other directions.  This is a nice feature if you’re trying to pick up one particular voice from a noisy surrounding.  This ability compares to Panasonic’s Zoom mic feature.

Face Detection is another new feature that can be very useful to many users.  The camcorder has a face index in the playback menu, which gives you an easy search of clips that have a certain face in them.  Simply tap on a captured face in the middle of footage, and the clip will start playback at that point.

The HDR-UX20 is compatible with DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW and DVD+R DL (Dual Layer) discs.  Though it can record high quality videos to its internal flash memory or on a memory card, it has limited recording capability with DVD media.  It can’t record the same high definition quality of videos as you do with the memory card and the internal memory.  You can’t take advantage of having that high-resolution capture in DVD recording, as you’ll quickly fill up all the space available on a single disk.  Moreover, video finalization in DVD can take a very long time regardless of how much footage you’ve recorded.

In standard definition, you can playback a finalized DVD on any regular DVD player.  However, in high definition, you can only playback the DVD on a Blu-Ray player or on Sony’s latest PC’s.  Otherwise, you have to connect your camcorder directly to your TV.

The HDR-UX20 comes with the very basic Picture Motion Browser ver. 2.0.  This software will allow you to transfer and burn your videos to a DVD disc.  Unlike the previous Sony HDR-UX7, AVCHD editing now supports Sony Vegas 8.0, Ulead Video Studio 11 and Pinnacle Studio 11.  The good news also applies to Mac users.  Apple added iMovie 08 and Final Cut Express 4 that supports the AVCHD format.

The added features – Link to Zoom and Face Detection – may compensate for the absence of the Cam Control and the reduced size of the LCD screen.  However, you may give the camcorder a second thought due to its limitation in accommodating longer recording time with its high definition DVD disk recording capability.  The ability to record to a memory card somehow lessens this issue, but you may decide on memory card only devices, like the Sony HDR-CX7 or hard drive devices like the Sony HDR-SR12 instead.  On the other hand, if you’re not concerned with high definition recording then this standard definition DVD camcorder may be perfect for your needs.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Assignable Dial : N/A
• Light/Flash : Yes
• Manual / Auto Lens Cover : Auto
• Media Card slot : Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media
• S/S & Zoom button on LCD : Yes

This camcorder’s 1/8-inch CCD imaging sensor records in MPEG2 format.  Its recording quality settings, HQ (9Mbps), SP (6Mbps) and LP (3Mbps), mimic other Sony camcorders.

This SX60 Handycam has a 16GB internal memory as its primary recording media.  To cover birthdays/parties/household events, the storage space will be enough to free you from worrying about those extra memory cards, tapes or disks you would normally worry about when using a MiniDV or DVD camcorder.

 This camcorder is small and lightweight, making it perfect for travel or vacation.  It only weighs 240g, including the battery.

The Tool Tips and Scene Modes facilitate easy recording.  Sony has included Tool Tips within each Option menu to show how each selection works.  The menu architecture is easy to memorize with a few options to navigate.  A Help button inside the Home menu will aid you with some of the more complex features.  With a simple tap on an item, it will show an explanatory description at the bottom of the LCD.  Although these Tool Tips and descriptions are not very detailed, it will help educate new users to each function.

The Sony DCR-SX60 does not have any color modes or image effect controls.  Color accuracy may be a bit below average, especially in purple and green hues.  Although the DCR-SX60 may not have agreeable color accuracy, its color reproduction still looks quite good.

The DCR-SX60’s noise reduction also performs below par.  The camcorder has a tendency to obscure some fine details when recording videos, even in bright light environments, causing mediocre results.  What’s good with this device is that it retains the same performance, even when shooting in low light conditions, despite its low noise reduction capability.

The DCR-SX60 has a 2.7-inch touch screen LCD with a resolution of 123,200 pixels.  Users with large fingers may find it tricky to navigate around the menu using the camcorder’s small touch screen LCD.  The camcorder does not have a viewfinder as an alternative monitoring tool.  If you purchase this camcorder, you will have to make sure the LCD is always clean and in perfect condition, as you will be relying on its display for everything.

Sony knows how to bring innovation to its family of camcorders.  The DCR-SX60 has a backlight feature and a manual LCD brightness adjustment.  You can set the backlight feature to either normal or bright depending on your preference.  Sony also added an LCD color tool that will allow you to adjust color intensity to one of 16 levels.  What’s more amazing is the fact that many expensive high-definition camcorders don’t have all of these options incorporated in their packages.  Users must realize that adjustments made to the LCD color intensity do not affect the final footage.  A warning for new users using this feature; this may give you a false impression of what your footage will look like.

Like any Sony camcorders, the DCR-SX60 also has several scene modes to select.  Selections include Portrait, Spotlight, Sports, Beach, Snow, Twilight, Candle, Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks and Landscape.  You may also use all scene modes in photo mode.  These scene modes automatically adjust the shutter speed, white balance and color tones to optimize the results in either video or still images.

The DCR-SX60 also features a 60x optical zoom.  This may not be as impressive as Panasonic’s SDR-S26’s 70x optical zoom but this is more than what many camcorders in its price range can offer.  The 60x optical zoom capability outperforms many of its competitors like the Samsung SMX-F34 with 34x optical zoom, the Canon FS200 with 37x optical zoom or the JVC GZ-MS130 with 35x optical zoom.

Another smart feature of the DCR-SX60 is the Spot Focus.  With a simple tap on any portion of the screen that you want to focus, the camcorder will automatically do it for you.  The camcorder also features a Spot Meter function that acts like the Spot Focus except that it adjusts the exposure level instead of the focus.  Like the Spot Focus feature, you can manually set the exposure on DCR-SX60 using its touch screen LCD.  Just tap one of the two touch screen buttons to make the image darker or brighter.  However, there is no numeric display on the LCD to gauge your level of exposure.  When using this feature you will mainly rely on counting the number of taps you made in adjusting the exposure setting.  There are 28 increments in this setting.

The DCR-SX60 does not have a manual control for aperture.  It is a fixed aperture camcorder.  An internal process automatically selects the aperture for you; thus, you will not be able to see the selected f-stop.  You may also find this feature in both HDR-XR520 and HDR-CX520 camcorders.  As comparison, Canon camcorders include Aperture Priority function only on its high definition models while standard definition camcorders from Panasonic, JVC and Samsung all have direct aperture control.

The DCR-SX60 ships with an NP-FH30 battery that will last for approximately 130 minutes of extensive use.  This battery life is considerably shorter compared to other camcorders in its category; like the Canon FS200 and Samsung SMX-F34 batteries that can almost double its performance.  The camcorder holds the battery in its open-back battery compartment that gives you the capability to upgrade to a larger battery for longer recording time.

Sony DCR-SX60 records audio through a built-in 2-channel Dolby microphone mounted at the front of the camcorder.  The camcorder however, offers very few audio features, with no mic jack or headphone jack to cater to additional audio accessories.  It also doesn’t have an accessory shoe that can accommodate an external mic or other Sony accessories.

Overall, the SX60 is a good camcorder for beginners with its Tool Tips, ease of use and portability.  You can pack your bag, place this camcorder in your purse, and then off you go.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Manual / Auto Lens Cover : Manual
• Media Card slot : Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media¹

The DCR-SR200 measures about 76mm x 78mm x 149mm, above average compared to the sizes of other camcorders in its category.  It weighs about 535g (battery included) making it heavier that the other earlier Sony models, such as the DCR-SR42, DCR-SR62 and the DCR-SR82, but it is lighter than the DCR-SR300.  The DCR-SR300 is also an upgrade from the DCR-SR100 approximately released the same year as the DCR-SR200 and features a more powerful 1/2.9 inch, 3 megapixel ClearVid CMOS imaging sensor.

The DCR-SR200 is a standard definition camcorder that records in MPEG-2 format (2.1 megapixels) to its large 40 GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD).  The large storage capacity of the DCR-SR200 holds its own over MiniDV, flash recording or the memory card recording capability of some camcorders.  As an option, you can also record thru its built-in memory card slot that caters to Sony’s Memory Stick Duo media.  Its huge storage space can hold up to 9 hours of High Quality setting videos, up to 14 hours of medium quality and as much as 28 hours of low quality videos.

Its imaging sensor performs excellently when recording videos, capturing vibrant and bright colors without any problems.  Clear, sharp and crisp images are effortless in bright to medium light conditions.  Shooting in low light conditions, however, can cause poor video quality with much noise.  The Night Mode function of the DCR-SR200 can offer a remedy in filming in environments with low light.  In this feature, you can produce good quality videos even in almost complete darkness.

One of its strongest features is its improved Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens that gives the DCR-SR200 a powerful 10x optical zoom and up to 80x of digital zoom capability.  Sony’s trademark Super SteadyShot Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) enables the camcorder to record videos with less image-shake problems.  Although, its upgraded sister, the DCR-SR300, features a more desirable Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) system, the DCR-SR200 still performs well in eliminating hand-shake and blurriness caused by shakes that are evident when shooting close-ups.  The DCR-SR200 is also equipped with a hot accessory shoe.

Like most camcorders, the DCR-SR200 also features still image capabilities.  In addition, like most camcorders, the still image quality is below par, compared to output of digital cameras.  The still features can be impressive at about 4 megapixels and will suffice for a few snaps for souvenirs and capturing still frames in Memory stick media.  This camcorder can also capture still images while simultaneously recording videos to its hard drive.  The disadvantage; the camcorder only allows a maximum of three still shots during a video recording unlike most Panasonic camcorders, like the Panasonic SDR-H18, that enables you to snap an unlimited number of still videos while recording.

The DCR-SR200 also has a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel audio recording for a surround sound experience.  This camcorder shares the same disadvantage with its sisters like the DCR-SR300.  They lack mini plug mic inputs; that limits audio versatility for the device.  Both camcorders also lack analog inputs or 2-way USB data flow.

The DCR-SR200 batteries are impressive, lasting for about 8hrs of extensive recording capabilities.  This feature bests the better (in terms of features) DCR-SR300 that has a battery capable of lasting only 5 hours.  The battery compartment design is less than impressive, though, with part of the battery protruding from the back of the camcorder.  Although it doesn’t affect the camcorder’s performance, this design definitely affects the camcorder’s aesthetic negatively.

The DCR-SR200 has a 2.7 inch LCD screen and has about 211K pixels that shows good performance and display capabilities.  Its touch screen panel proves to be a plus when navigating and selecting modes and settings for this camcorder.

Another primary advantage of the DCR-SR200 is its ease of use – where Sony excels in most of its camcorders.  Menus are easy to navigate and appear accordingly.

Other features include Special Effects when taking videos (Sepia, Pastel, Monotone and Old Movie), Digital Scene Transition (Black Fader, White Fader) and White Balance (Presets – Indoor and Outdoor – and Automatic).  The DCR-SR200’s Shooting Programs, available in its menu, which include the following settings: Snow, Beach, Candle, Sunset, Sunrise, Fireworks, Landscapes, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports lesson, Twilight mode.  That’s all for manual versatility and control for the DCR-SR200.  Although this camcorder has good video quality in auto mode, it offers little manual control and versatility that can accommodate the needs of video enthusiasts.  It has no separate adjustments to control shutter speed or aperture settings.  The lack of a hands-on option may disappoint users who are fond of making manual adjustments in the videos they take.

Its casing features the cool Smart Protection System that helps protect the camcorders internal moving and steady parts safe and away from harm from occasional rough treatment – very practical considering the camcorder has a 30GB internal hard drive as its main recording media.

One of its closest competitors in its category is the Canon Vixia HF200.  Although a little more expensive than the DCR-SR200 selling at about $550-$799, it offers a more extensive manual selection that can cater to most video enthusiasts.  It also boasts of a more vivid, clear and high quality videos at 3.9 megapixels.  This is a better choice for those users who wants a more hands-on touch on their camcorder video experience, while retaining excellent quality.

The auto modes of the DCR-SR200 prove to be its strongest asset.  They are intelligent, fast and effective modes to use with this camera.  This makes the DCR-SR200 ideal for home videos, backyard party coverage and other simple fast video taking applications.  This camcorder can easily cater to the needs of most users except the video enthusiast types.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Light/Flash : N/A / Yes
• Docking Station : Yes (Handycam Station®)

Sony made the DCR-SR45 to replace the older DCR-SR42.  The most noticeable difference between the two is the additional 2.7-inch LCD screen incorporated in the DCR-SR45’s architecture.  The silver and black color combination of the DCR-SR45 makes it look sleeker combined with its circular mode dial ring and spring-loaded retractable port covers.

With a price range of $350-$450, this camcorder is a medium-priced camcorder with an average extent in its features and performance.

The DCR-SR45 has a 1/8 inch, Advanced HAD CCD imaging sensor with 680,000 effective pixel rating.  This is smaller, compared to the DCR-SR42 (the camcorder it was supposed to replace), which has a 1/6 inch imaging sensor with the same pixel count.  The camcorder records in MPEG-2 format and with a small imaging sensor, the DCR-SR45’s video quality is mediocre for a standard definition camcorder and compared to other camcorders in its category.

The DCR-SR45 features a 30GB hard disk drive as its main recording media.  The main advantage of having a hard disk as the main recording media is portability.  There is no need to carry disks, flash cards, lots of extra memory sticks or tapes whenever you are on a shoot.  The 30GB hard disk drive can provide you with up to 6 hours of recording capacity (even in high quality setting); a truly big advantage.  The disadvantage of more movable parts inside the camcorder means the camcorder is more prone to problems, and you should take more care to ensure the camcorder’s flawless performance.  It would be a problem if the hard drive fails in a middle of an event or a vacation trip.

The camcorder also has a 40X optical zoom capability.  Optical zoom enables the camcorder to focus on distant object and producing clear images with less distortion to the outcome.  It also boasts of a 2000x digital zoom feature, although there is limited use and testing for this capability.

One disadvantage that this camcorder has is its poor image stabilization.  When the camcorder is not zoomed fully, the image stabilization works perfect.  However, in extreme zoom, maximizing the camcorder’s 40X capability, you will need a tripod or a very stable hand to eliminate shake and blurriness in the video recordings.

Its 2.7 inch LCD screen is touch sensitive, which means easier navigation thru the camcorder’s menu, which is very useful.  Its menus are grouped accordingly, and any user – new to Sony’s architecture or not – will find it easy to use and quick to familiarize.  The LCD is its only viewing material though, as this camcorder doesn’t have a viewfinder like some of its competitors.  This makes it hard to manage your video recording under the sun or under bright light conditions.  The LCD will prove to be susceptible to glaring and ghosting, making video recording in bright light conditions a hit or miss option.

Even with a sub-par overall performance in video quality, the DCR-SR45 surprisingly performs very well in low light conditions, using the camcorder’s Night Shoot feature.  Videos, although not as crisp as High Definition camcorders, turn out clear and recognizable.

The camcorder is also equipped with a stereo zoom microphone that works great.  Every time the zoom for video is used, the mic adjusts to maximize the voice recording for audio – with its Wind Noise reduction capability, it works satisfactorily, too.

Battery life is a little disappointing with the Sony NP-FH40 battery packaged with the unit.  A fully charged battery will only last for about 2 hours maximum of extensive use.  This performance is inferior, compared to the newer Sony DCR-SR200 (with a 40GB hard disk drive) with battery that can last for 5 hours recording time in high quality settings.  For longer camera use, or when in long trips, it is advisable to upgrade to a larger capacity battery or carry a spare battery or two with the DCR-SR45.

This camcorder also features a built-in lens cap, which is convenient and keeps you from worrying about losing the cap when using the camcorder.  Also features a Face Detection capability, Auto Power save mode, and a built in speaker.  Connection is thru USB 2.0 and it is PictBridge supported to enable you to connect your camcorder directly to compatible devices like printers and the likes. 

Like most camcorders at this category, the DCR-SR45 offers a poor still image quality at only 0.3 megapixels.

For better video quality and manual versatility to boot, you can choose the Canon Vixia HF200 for an additional $150 over the price of the DCR-SR45.  The Vixia HF200 records to a flash card and doesn’t have the big internal recording media as the DCR-SR45 does.  The Vixia HF200 also has a lower 15X optical zoom capability but compensates for it with a 2.99 megapixel optical sensor resolution giving its video a quality that is far ahead from that of the DCR-SR45.

Another camcorder option worthy of consideration is the Sony DCR-SR47 released by the company about a year after the DCR-SR45’s release.  It’s more compact and light weight at only 10.6 oz and a 60X optical zoom (compared to the DCR-SR45’s 40X).  It also has the same 1/8 inch CCD sensor and has the same media storage options with a Hard Disk Drive and Memory Card Duo card slot.  The cost is about $100-$150 more than that of the DCR-SR45.

With its main features – a compact design, portability and light weight – the Sony DCR-SR45 camcorder is ideal for travelers who love to travel light and for applications where portability is a key factor and medium video quality is acceptable.  For users who are constantly uploading low definition web videos who want to get quality for their camcorder investment, then this camcorder is for you.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Assignable Dial : N/A
• Light/Flash : N/A
• Manual / Auto Lens Cover : Manual
• Media Card slot : Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media
• S/S & Zoom button on LCD : Yes

The heart of the DCR-DVD 508’s operation is the 1/2.9 inch ClearVid CMOS imaging sensor that can produce an effective pixel count of 2.28 megapixels when shooting in 16:9 and about 1.71 megapixels when shooting in 4:3 videos.  The boost in pixel size of this camcorder gives it crisper and sharper images, compared to older Sony camcorders that use the smaller 1/3 inch CMOS imaging sensor (like the DCR-DVD 408).  The DCR-DVD 508 also performs sturdily in color saturation and overall video quality, a more than average performance for a standard definition camcorder.

The DCR-DVD508 records in MPEG2, standard definition, DVD format.  It offers three quality settings when recording videos namely high quality (records in 9 Mbps), medium quality (records in 6 Mbps) and low quality (records in 3 Mbps).  For a single sided DVD disk, the camcorder can record up to 20 mins of video in high quality, 30 mins in medium quality and 60 mins in low quality.  If you have a dual-layer disk, then it can accommodate almost twice that.

The camcorder is compatible recording thru mini-DVD’s, which are 8-centimeter DVD disks.  They come in different varieties: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW or the DVD+R DL (dual layer). 

The DCR-DVD508 is equipped with a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonar T lens with a 10x optical zoom capability.  It has an effective focal length of 40-400mm (in 16:9 movie) and 49-490mm (in 4:3 movie).  It also has an aperture range of f/1.8-f/2.9.  Aside from the lens, the front of the camcorder also features the NightShot Plus, the infrared port and the remote sensor.

Like most of Sony’s DVD camcorders, the well-built disk hatch of the DCR-DVD508 sits at the right side of the device.  Opening the disk hatch thru the Disk Open Tab is very easy and requires minimal effort.  The only noticeable disadvantage of the disk hatch design lies in the way it opens.  It swings horizontally unlike most of the camcorders from other brands that open upward.  Opening this way, the strap of the camcorder blocks the path where disk hatch opens making it cumbersome to change and load DVD disks while securing a grip on the camcorder’s body.

Another nice feature of the DCR-DVD508 is the addition of a viewfinder that was not present in most of Sony’s portable camcorder series.  Although the viewfinder doesn’t have the best features like that of several high end camcorders in the market – like camcorders from Canon or JVC – which features rubberized make-up and the ability to telescope out, it is capable of pivoting up giving, it a little versatility in video recording.

The DCR-DVD508 also has still capture capability.  It can take still pictures in several options like the 6.1 megapixels (2848×2136 in size), 3.1 megapixels (2048×1536 in size) or in VGA format (640×480 in size) with the VGA format available in Fine and Normal quality captures.  Still images only record to the Memory Stick Pro / Pro Duo cards inserted in its built-in memory slot.

The Sony DCR-DVD508 comes with a NP-FH60 rechargeable battery pack that offers 1.75 hrs of recording performance.  The battery compartment is located below the viewfinder, at the rear end of the camcorder.  Sony didn’t optimize the battery’s orientation and placement, with almost an inch of the battery protruding out of its slot.  Although the battery orientation doesn’t block the viewfinder’s performance, it doesn’t add to the camcorder’s aesthetic looks positively.  Beside the battery opening is a plastic door that swings up to provide access to the camcorder’s A/V terminal and its DC input.

The DCR-DVD508 has a 5.1 channel microphone to record audio in surround sound format.  The microphone sits at the front of the camcorder, near the end of the lens.  The camcorder, however, doesn’t offer a mic jack featured in other camcorders like the Panasonic HDC-SD1 and SD5.  At the lens’ left side you can find the flash.  The mounted flash can be set to Normal, High or Low brightness and can function in both Auto and Manual mode.

The camcorder also has several useful features like the Red-Eye Reduction function and the 10-second self-timer, which are very useful in taking night shot still photos or group pictures.  It also comes with Sony’s trademark SteadyShot Optical Imaging Stabilization capable of reducing up to 85% of blurriness or ghosting caused by hand shakes.  The camcorder also features a 2.7-inch LCD screen with an effective pixel count of 211 kilopixels that is capable of producing crisp images in playback or recording mode.  The small 2.7-inch screen can prove to be awkward and small for the touch screen feature compared to the DVD-505’s 3.5 inch LCD screen that gives you more room to navigate thru the menus.

The DCR-DVD508 also has Sony’s trademark Active Interface Shoe (AIS), which can operate additional Sony accessories, like external mic that will provide versatility in your recording.

If anything is worth recording, then definitely it is worth recording well; therefore, the highest quality setting when recording videos is advisable.  Video recording can also be less desirable in the highest quality setting if you are covering an event/scene that will last more than 20 mins.  This is the camcorder’s maximum recordable time for a regular DVD disk with the camcorder set in high quality.  Most hard disk drive camcorders in the market easily dwarf this capacity, offering capacities ranging from 40mins to 90mins of recording storage in high quality setting.

DVD camcorders are desirable because of the ease of usage.  Users can feed the disks to home DVD players straight out of the camcorder – hassle free!  However, DVD disks can be poor media storage devices that will last for short period if not stored properly.  Unlike tapes where bad sections don’t affect the rest of the footages, DVD disk with bad sectors and scratches will become completely unusable.

As an option, you may also want to check the DCR-DVD505 (the model this camcorder replaces) as it offers better aesthetic value and better lowlight performance than the DCR-DVD508.  Although the DVD508 boasts of a slightly larger imaging sensor, the DVD505 makes up with ease of use and with its 3.5-inch touch screen LCD as opposed to the 2.7 inch LCD of the DVD508.  However, the DVD505 is not compatible with DVD+R DL disks that can almost double your recording capacity compared to ordinary DVD-R disks.

For users who are fond of using many manual controls in video recordings, you may also want to check the Canon DC50 DVD camcorder that came out in 2007.  It features better lowlight performance than the DCR-DVD508 and a greater variety of manual control options not present in the DCR-DVD508.  However, Sony may take the advantage in the ease-of-use department and boasts a sturdier construction and a better viewfinder.

Overall, the Sony DCR-DVD508 is ideal for a vacation/holiday/birthday camcorder with its mid range price ($800-$899) and portability (measures about 70mm x 87mm x 145mm and weighing about 590 grams).  This camcorder is great for beginners with its easy to use menu and features and its excellent Auto mode performance.  The DCR-DVD508 is a true standard definition camcorder that will not disappoint you in video quality and overall performance.

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• Light/Flash : Yes/Yes
• Docking Station : N/A

However, the big question is whether its portability will affect its performance.  As mentioned earlier, you can grip the SDR-S7 easily, and the zoom rocker and record button are within reach of the fingers and thumb.  Unfortunately, the other controls are not that easy.  The lack of space at the back has forced the menu buttons into the screen.  It will keep you on turning the camera constantly to look between the menus on the screen and the buttons you use to navigate.  This is fiddly when adjusting aperture, white balance and focus.

The price is right, but the SDR-S7 doesn’t look or feel cheap at a price of $150 or less.  The screen folds out and rotates.  There’s no accessory shoe, and you’ll find the second record button at the front, making it easy to grip for waist-level shooting in either hand.

The SDR-S7 has a 2.7-inch 16:9 LCD, and it has 10x optical zoom lens.  Connections include a multi-way analogue video/stereo audio socket, a USB connection and a DC in.  Cables for these connections come with the camcorder.

You may adjust aperture and shutter speed manually.  Options include backlight compensation, night mode and soft skin portrait mode.  It also has a proper operations manual instead of a simple quick start guide.

The Panasonic SDR-S7 can record a standard definition DVD quality MPEG2 in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio.  The smaller file sizes are good with standard definition.  This is essential to camcorders that record to SD/SDHC memory cards like this camera.  A 4GB card can store more than 3 hours of continuous play.

Some features include shock-resistant SD Camcorder, pre-record function, quick start, easy DVD copying and viewing and the MotionSD STUDIO software.  Because it precisely records the differences in each frame, it can capture fast and complex motions with smooth accuracy and nearly twice the resolution captured with previous Panasonic MPEG2 video cameras.

The pre-record function allows you to record images even before you start shooting.  This function records three seconds of video even before you actually begin shooting.  Just aim the camcorder at your subject and shoot.  These images are temporarily stored in the camcorder’s flash memory before it begins recording onto the SD card.  It means that you can record that spontaneous event as soon as it happens.

There will be no missed shots with its Quick Start function since it starts up to record quickly.  You must select this mode from the menu.  The Quick Start function begins recording in just 0.6 seconds, once you open the LCD.  For this reason alone, you won’t miss any special shot.

The Panasonic SDR-S7 shows and copies DVD’s easily.  You can directly connect a DVD burner to the camcorder’s USB port.  You may copy a recorded movie from the S7’s SD card to a DVD disc just as easily.  You only need to select that option from the menu.  To view your video, simply take the SD card from the camcorder, and insert it into any TV, DVD player or any device with an SD card slot.  You don’t need any cable to view the video from your camcorder.  Interestingly, the device organizes the video files into separate folders (one for each day), although nothing on the unit menu playback shows the unit uses this information.

You can also edit your videos.  Transfer your videos from the SD card to your PC.  Make sure that your system requirements match with your camcorder’s specifications.  Then, use the included MotionSD STUDIO 1.3E software.  You can easily rearrange the order of the scenes, erase the ones you don’t need and add a wide variety of video effects.  Finally, save your results by burning your video onto a DVD.

With this camera, you get many features for the price.  You can zoom in and out manually while shooting.  Its ease of use and portability are a big plus.  Its audio is highly sensitive to sound.  The device can record at 48 KHz in 256Kbps AC-3 stereo format and offers several special audio recording modes.

A 4GB SD memory card is good since it can record 50 minutes of the highest quality video and audio available in the camera but its battery life is not as competitive.  A larger memory card is useless with a battery life of about 45 minutes max unless you have multiple batteries with you.  Also, the battery won’t charge if the unit is still on.  You must turn it off to charge the battery properly.

Although its video quality is very good for the price, this camcorder suffers from very poor still-image quality.  Whether in bright light or low light conditions, the images are fuzzy and very pixilated.  Do not even try shooting video with anything less than the highest setting.

The controls are difficult to deal with because of their position, and the camcorder doesn’t have a handheld strap, as any normal camcorder does.  Its packaged editing software isn’t good, either.  Panasonic should consider that the bundled editing software is as equally important.

If you record a video in 16:9 or widescreen format and run the raw .MOD video file directly in a program like MS Media Player, the videos are compressed horizontally to fit the 704×480 resolution.  Just imagine the faces that look narrow and circles that look oval.  However, in 4:3 video resolution mode, though it is also in 704×480 resolution, the compression or stretching is not as severe so recordings in this format produces a slightly better quality than that of the widescreen format.  Transforming the 704×480 raw copy into either 4:3 or 16:9 formats requires some video editing.  If you know how to do it, you can use its bundled software.

Because the SDR-S7 is small and compact, the buttons on the side of the camera are relatively small.  It is difficult to work your way through the menus if you have big hands or fingers.

This is not a camcorder for anyone looking for making quality home video, or special events especially if you want to play it on a large HDTV.  However, for teenagers who are on a tight budget and want something to shoot their travel videos or party shots, this can be a good camcorder.  The SDR-S7 is useful only in small events, however if you want to shoot great image qualities, better save yourself the trouble and go get real DVD quality.

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