Tagged Products - 5.6mp

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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I not, but I did. It was OK.

iMovie changes the file type so that it is not HD. I don't know much about the technical side of all that.

So I thought I would try to see the HD footage by importing and saving it with Final Cut Express (I don't own Pro.) I am not familiar with Final Cut Express only bought it so I could do slow mo because iMovie can't, but haven't used it once. I read a bunch around the forums, etc. and learned FCE will recognize the camera as "unknown" and it clips with the "Log and Transfer" (which I had no clue what it was). I really just wanted to get the HD footage on one of my backup drives to save (it was my son's career high pts).

FCE did see it with the Loop and Transfer. I really didn't know what I was doing, but started "saving" the clips in its original format, except I understand, it is "converted" to Apple Intermediate Codex...so something like that..read around you'll see info on this. The point is supposedly the file sizes increase. Bottomline line....it worked, BUT the file sizes are huge! I mean something like a 17 second clip is like 200 MG file.

I am thinking about getting Sony's DVDirect/Recorded/Blu-ray Disc Player and not using the computer to "save' the files at all. Also, I understand, if I shoot in "standard" mode and have HD files on the camera's harddrive , there are some problems...don't know the details...had something to do with either retrieving the files or the quality.

I am going to shoot footage in "standard" mode. The file sizes are smaller and I can use it easliy with iMovie.

Anyway, sorry for the typos and poor sentences....but that is where I am after 36 hours of owning this camera. Oh yeah, the software won't load on a Mac, fyi.

One a 1-5. I'd say a 4. The quality is excellent (of the footage). It is just I am not a "video" guru...the different file types, etc. and it is a little bit of a hassle not being able to work in it and save it as a native file (which isn't practical anyway due to the huge files, unless you are a professional, but for the average Joe- we have to figure out how to save the HD files, which is why I am looking at the Sony DV Direct. Burn them in HD to DVD and them take the footage to the Mac and then save it as a standard non-HD file type to play with in iMovie.

Hope this helps. I like the camera. The little face boxes are pretty cool when you are shooting footage at a basketball game. So, far I am pleased.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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people's comments and I'm more than happy to share.
Tony

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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important for a video camera although I do believe they are important for a still camera. In terms of 24p, although many reviewers stated they like it, I don't think it makes much difference after trying it on the Canon HG10.

I bought the SR11 after returning the Canon HG10 and I am totally satisfied with the SR11. The SR11's video quality is amazingly good---extremely high resolution and vivid color. It has everything you need for excellent quality HD family videos in every event of daily living including low light situation.

I did not expect a camcorder can produce good still pictures but the SR11 surprised me. The still pictures taken by this camcorder are also very good although they cannot compare to my Nikion D80 DSLR. I would not use the SR11 as the primary device for still picture but I will definitely have no problem with using it for still pictures when my Nikon is not around.

The SR11 has exceeded my expectation. I highly recommend this camcorder to anyone.

The software came with SR11 can do only limited editing but this is in line with the industry standard (i.e. feature of software came with other brands). I use Pinnacle 12 Plus for editing. However, the AVCHD disc burn by Pinnacle was not recognized by the AVCHD player software came with the SR11. This same disc can be recognized/played by the other AVCHD player I installed in my computer. I am contacting Pinnacle trying to figure out what the problem is. If you buy the SR11 and don't have an editing software and want to invest in one, perhaps Sony Vegas is the way to go.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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important for a video camera although I do believe they are important for a still camera. In terms of 24p, although many reviewers stated they like it, I don't think it makes much difference after trying it on the Canon HG10.



I bought the SR11 after returning the Canon HG10 and I am totally satisfied with the SR11. The SR11's video quality is amazingly good---extremely high resolution and vivid color. It has everything you need for excellent quality HD family videos in every event of daily living including low light situation.



I did not expect a camcorder can produce good still pictures but the SR11 surprised me. The still pictures taken by this camcorder are also very good although they cannot compare to my Nikion D80 DSLR. I would not use the SR11 as the primary device for still picture but I will definitely have no problem with using it for still pictures when my Nikon is not around.



The SR11 has exceeded my expectation. I highly recommend this camcorder to anyone.



The software came with SR11 can do only limited editing but this is in line with the industry standard (i.e. feature of software came with other brands). I use Pinnacle 12 Plus for editing. However, the AVCHD disc burn by Pinnacle was not recognized by the AVCHD player software came with the SR11. This same disc can be recognized/played by the other AVCHD player I installed in my computer. I am contacting Pinnacle trying to figure out what the problem is. If you buy the SR11 and don't have an editing software and want to invest in one, perhaps Sony Vegas is the way to go.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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I suppose contributes to its light weight. I found the LCD to be more than enough in overcast weather, but Sony's 3.2" screen is a pleasure to work with. It's larger(2.7" v.s 3.2") and much smoother LCD. The display is simply gorgeous. Videos show amazing on it and shooting is very pleasant. I found the touch screen to sometimes need a second push, but fingerprints were never a problem - I got the same amount on the Canon too. The Canon has the joystick/func button which I found was a bit clumsy to use.

4. compression & low light performance. Since I was shooting mostly indoors, I found Sony to work slightly better in low light, focusing a bit faster and producing less noise. I was comparing Sony's 60i v.s. Canon's 30p mode. Canon in 60i indoors at low light looked too alien green for my liking. Sony produced a bit less artifacts too.

5. Storage: 60G v.s. 32G of space. Both are extendible via memory card, sony requires the card if you want to shoot still photos while filming.

6. Build quality. This was a big one. I'd like my camera for which I paid a good chunk of cash to look good and feel good. It is very sad to see Canon produce those cheap feeling and looking cameras, when their SLRs are built like tanks. Sony was impecable with every detail very well thought through.

7 Sound quality. This was also quite noticeable. Sony's sound was much clearer indoors. It also offers a zoom function on the mic, so that when you use the optical zoom, the mic will also "zoom-in" on the conversation.

8. Price. As it stands, HF11 is 150 bucks more and I can't justify it.

9. Both camcorders can be hooked with cables directly, but only the Sony includes a cradle, and it is much easier to work with - just drop it in and pick it up when done. On the other hand, with the Canon I had to plug 2 cables each time I wanted to connect it to my Mac - one for power and one USB (you can't connect to PC without the camcorder being powered by the adaptor).

10. Button operation. Canon has a bad design flaw in their quick start function. You see, if you stop filming, and just close the LCD, the cam goes into standby mode. However, by pressing the start button, you can begin filming again without opening the LCD. On the Sony, the start button is embeded in the middle of the on/off/mode ring. The Canon's button is a big blob sticking out the back. It is very easy to accidentally start filming. It was quite anoying to find that my battery has runout in the car because I've depressed the button. On the bright side I now have 30min of footage of my jacket's pocket.
11. better stills. Canon's 3.2Mpixel shots can't compare to Sony's 10.2MP. Also, Sony's flash is well centered over the lens. Canon's is offset and the light looks off in pictures.

12. Better OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). I found that Sony performs better while walking.


Now some people keep whining about 30p/24p etc. I am no pro, and to me 24p looked a bit blocky, and 30p providing very similar quality to Sony's 60i mode. I found the 60i mode to look very movie-like too (It kept reminding me of an episode of "The Office" for some reason.)

To keep things fair, the Canon's Pros were:
1. Lighter weight and more centered zoom lever position. Sony's HDD,3.2" screen and viewfinder seem to add a bit of weight and the lever seems to go too far back.
2. flash-based recording medium should keep things more durable, though I'm not sure flash can sustain as many writes as a regular HDD.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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I suppose contributes to its light weight. I found the LCD to be more than enough in overcast weather, but Sony's 3.2" screen is a pleasure to work with. It's larger(2.7" v.s 3.2") and much smoother LCD. The display is simply gorgeous. Videos show amazing on it and shooting is very pleasant. I found the touch screen to sometimes need a second push, but fingerprints were never a problem - I got the same amount on the Canon too. The Canon has the joystick/func button which I found was a bit clumsy to use.



4. compression & low light performance. Since I was shooting mostly indoors, I found Sony to work slightly better in low light, focusing a bit faster and producing less noise. I was comparing Sony's 60i v.s. Canon's 30p mode. Canon in 60i indoors at low light looked too alien green for my liking. Sony produced a bit less artifacts too.



5. Storage: 60G v.s. 32G of space. Both are extendible via memory card, sony requires the card if you want to shoot still photos while filming.



6. Build quality. This was a big one. I'd like my camera for which I paid a good chunk of cash to look good and feel good. It is very sad to see Canon produce those cheap feeling and looking cameras, when their SLRs are built like tanks. Sony was impecable with every detail very well thought through.



7 Sound quality. This was also quite noticeable. Sony's sound was much clearer indoors. It also offers a zoom function on the mic, so that when you use the optical zoom, the mic will also "zoom-in" on the conversation.



8. Price. As it stands, HF11 is 150 bucks more and I can't justify it.



9. Both camcorders can be hooked with cables directly, but only the Sony includes a cradle, and it is much easier to work with - just drop it in and pick it up when done. On the other hand, with the Canon I had to plug 2 cables each time I wanted to connect it to my Mac - one for power and one USB (you can't connect to PC without the camcorder being powered by the adaptor).



10. Button operation. Canon has a bad design flaw in their quick start function. You see, if you stop filming, and just close the LCD, the cam goes into standby mode. However, by pressing the start button, you can begin filming again without opening the LCD. On the Sony, the start button is embeded in the middle of the on/off/mode ring. The Canon's button is a big blob sticking out the back. It is very easy to accidentally start filming. It was quite anoying to find that my battery has runout in the car because I've depressed the button. On the bright side I now have 30min of footage of my jacket's pocket.

11. better stills. Canon's 3.2Mpixel shots can't compare to Sony's 10.2MP. Also, Sony's flash is well centered over the lens. Canon's is offset and the light looks off in pictures.



12. Better OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). I found that Sony performs better while walking.





Now some people keep whining about 30p/24p etc. I am no pro, and to me 24p looked a bit blocky, and 30p providing very similar quality to Sony's 60i mode. I found the 60i mode to look very movie-like too (It kept reminding me of an episode of "The Office" for some reason.)



To keep things fair, the Canon's Pros were:

1. Lighter weight and more centered zoom lever position. Sony's HDD,3.2" screen and viewfinder seem to add a bit of weight and the lever seems to go too far back.

2. flash-based recording medium should keep things more durable, though I'm not sure flash can sustain as many writes as a regular HDD.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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I suppose contributes to its light weight. I found the LCD to be more than enough in overcast weather, but Sony's 3.2" screen is a pleasure to work with. It's larger(2.7" v.s 3.2") and much smoother LCD. The display is simply gorgeous. Videos show amazing on it and shooting is very pleasant. I found the touch screen to sometimes need a second push, but fingerprints were never a problem - I got the same amount on the Canon too. The Canon has the joystick/func button which I found was a bit clumsy to use.





4. compression & low light performance. Since I was shooting mostly indoors, I found Sony to work slightly better in low light, focusing a bit faster and producing less noise. I was comparing Sony's 60i v.s. Canon's 30p mode. Canon in 60i indoors at low light looked too alien green for my liking. Sony produced a bit less artifacts too.





5. Storage: 60G v.s. 32G of space. Both are extendible via memory card, sony requires the card if you want to shoot still photos while filming.





6. Build quality. This was a big one. I'd like my camera for which I paid a good chunk of cash to look good and feel good. It is very sad to see Canon produce those cheap feeling and looking cameras, when their SLRs are built like tanks. Sony was impecable with every detail very well thought through.





7 Sound quality. This was also quite noticeable. Sony's sound was much clearer indoors. It also offers a zoom function on the mic, so that when you use the optical zoom, the mic will also "zoom-in" on the conversation.





8. Price. As it stands, HF11 is 150 bucks more and I can't justify it.





9. Both camcorders can be hooked with cables directly, but only the Sony includes a cradle, and it is much easier to work with - just drop it in and pick it up when done. On the other hand, with the Canon I had to plug 2 cables each time I wanted to connect it to my Mac - one for power and one USB (you can't connect to PC without the camcorder being powered by the adaptor).





10. Button operation. Canon has a bad design flaw in their quick start function. You see, if you stop filming, and just close the LCD, the cam goes into standby mode. However, by pressing the start button, you can begin filming again without opening the LCD. On the Sony, the start button is embeded in the middle of the on/off/mode ring. The Canon's button is a big blob sticking out the back. It is very easy to accidentally start filming. It was quite anoying to find that my battery has runout in the car because I've depressed the button. On the bright side I now have 30min of footage of my jacket's pocket.


11. better stills. Canon's 3.2Mpixel shots can't compare to Sony's 10.2MP. Also, Sony's flash is well centered over the lens. Canon's is offset and the light looks off in pictures.





12. Better OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). I found that Sony performs better while walking.








Now some people keep whining about 30p/24p etc. I am no pro, and to me 24p looked a bit blocky, and 30p providing very similar quality to Sony's 60i mode. I found the 60i mode to look very movie-like too (It kept reminding me of an episode of "The Office" for some reason.)





To keep things fair, the Canon's Pros were:


1. Lighter weight and more centered zoom lever position. Sony's HDD,3.2" screen and viewfinder seem to add a bit of weight and the lever seems to go too far back.


2. flash-based recording medium should keep things more durable, though I'm not sure flash can sustain as many writes as a regular HDD.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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manual, but it worked fine with USB2.

5. The manual is short and not as informative as it should be; coverage of menu options is especially inadequate. I wanted to know about the HD capabilities, but all the manual says is you can shoot movies in High-Def or Standard Def. In the menus on the camera itself you'll find 4 video-quality modes, but there are few details.

6. The supplied battery (NP-FH60) will run 40 minutes of normal recording, per the manual. I had to restrain my shooting early on to conserve power, so missed several opportunities. I should have ordered a larger battery (like the NP-FH70).

7. It was hard to tell whether this camera had switched from "REC" mode to "STBY" mode when I pressed the "START/STOP" button; my last camcorder (also a Sony) had a larger button and more positive feel. I've never shot so much "pavement and pants legs" before (but beautifully sharp and clear), or missed so much action that I thought I'd captured. I'll be more careful in the future.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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manual, but it worked fine with USB2.



5. The manual is short and not as informative as it should be; coverage of menu options is especially inadequate. I wanted to know about the HD capabilities, but all the manual says is you can shoot movies in High-Def or Standard Def. In the menus on the camera itself you'll find 4 video-quality modes, but there are few details.



6. The supplied battery (NP-FH60) will run 40 minutes of normal recording, per the manual. I had to restrain my shooting early on to conserve power, so missed several opportunities. I should have ordered a larger battery (like the NP-FH70).



7. It was hard to tell whether this camera had switched from "REC" mode to "STBY" mode when I pressed the "START/STOP" button; my last camcorder (also a Sony) had a larger button and more positive feel. I've never shot so much "pavement and pants legs" before (but beautifully sharp and clear), or missed so much action that I thought I'd captured. I'll be more careful in the future.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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manual, but it worked fine with USB2.





5. The manual is short and not as informative as it should be; coverage of menu options is especially inadequate. I wanted to know about the HD capabilities, but all the manual says is you can shoot movies in High-Def or Standard Def. In the menus on the camera itself you'll find 4 video-quality modes, but there are few details.





6. The supplied battery (NP-FH60) will run 40 minutes of normal recording, per the manual. I had to restrain my shooting early on to conserve power, so missed several opportunities. I should have ordered a larger battery (like the NP-FH70).





7. It was hard to tell whether this camera had switched from "REC" mode to "STBY" mode when I pressed the "START/STOP" button; my last camcorder (also a Sony) had a larger button and more positive feel. I've never shot so much "pavement and pants legs" before (but beautifully sharp and clear), or missed so much action that I thought I'd captured. I'll be more careful in the future.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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more with my extra battery before I have to go and find a power outlet. Besides if I ever (don't know how) fill up the hard drive, I can slap in stick media and record to it!

As far as quality goes, it is stunning. I have a 50" Pioneer plasma HD deisplay and this camera really makes it shine. It is amazing that for this amount of money my home movies look 10x better than my local networks SD newscast. As a matter of fact, it's really not that far behind the HD video being broadast; especialy when considering the money involved! This camera is the difference between watching home movies that look like 10 year old tapes on America's Funniest Home Videos and watching your newborn baby on blu-ray. Money well spent IMO.

It has strong additional features as well. The facial recognition feature is very effective. The 5 channel (not 5.1) microphone works surprisingly well too. The soundstage surprised me on the first clips I replayed on my home theater. Sound panned as I panned the camera; all this on a consumer grade cam is amazing. The hybrid recording is a plus in my opinion too. Pepole get scared at the thought of walking around with a hard drive getting bumped around. This has not been an issue with these cameras so far but lets consider the possibility. The key advantage of Sony's hybrid system is in case a failure does occur. The Canon's I looked at were either flash memory or hard drive only. If either fails you are done. With Sony's system say the hard drive does die, just slap in some stick memory and keep on rolling video. The flash memory only camcorders appear to be much cheaper but add in the cost of getting the stick media and see that advantage almost disappear. Toss in the fact that the biggest stick media is around 50% of the capacity of this camera's hard drive and 25% of the big brother SR12 and you're gonna be switching memory cards or uploading to the laptop much more frequently. Plus there's the possibility you could misplace them juggling them around while on vacation.

Again in summary, money well spent and hard to believe this level of quality is finally within reach of us end-users.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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I also shot a substantial bit in full HD. Honestly, the low quality looks darn near as good as the full quality, so for those who somehow shoot hours of footage on end without access to their computer to dump the material to, you can vastly extend your shooting time if necessary with minimal compromise. Besides, even at full quality HD, a 60 GB hard drive is like having a camera with SEVEN 60 minute tapes spooled end to end. At the lowest quality (HD) recording time is just under 23 hours. There's really no reason to upgrade to the SR12 unless you are some kind of shoot-a-holic, but shooting 120 GB of footage would be an editing nightmare anyway.

Viewing the full HD footage on the BRAVIA TV via HDMI, it looks about as sharp and clean as you could possibly ask for. You can pick out the individual strands of fur on animals cleanly.

I cannot comment on 5.1 surround sound, as I am not yet home from this trip, but as soon as we return (tomorrow) I will definitely test it out.

I recently handled the Canon HV30 in CC and was not very impressed with the build quality or the viewfinder - poor refresh rate and everything plastic. The Sony SR11 gives you a hefty chrome metal push-dial for adjusting focus/white balance shift and aperture. It's very effective for controlling focus when in low-light/indoor situations or the aperture. I find that the camera DOES lean toward cool colors by default, so I have the White Balance Shift set to maximum (+4) to bring a warmer, more natural tone to things. You may find that you need to do the same. Thankfully, when adjusting parameters manually, they are retained, meaning you can set White Balance Shift, Focus, AND Aperture all at the same time. It's about as good as it gets without jumping into the $3000 dollar camera range.

The x.v. color is a new, wider color gamut that is supposed to give more life-like coloration to subjects. If you shoot in this mode, you will only see the difference when played back on an x.v color compliant product (new Sony BRAVIA TV sets). Otherwise, from what I can tell, it seems to produce a somewhat less saturated image. I am still trying to decide which look I prefer. I feel the normal colors look pretty accurate under most conditions. Occasionally, greens seem a little too bright (trees, grass), but overall, color reproduction is very good.

One thing I love about Sony video cameras is their smooth operation. The zoom is smooth but agile if you need to punch it in our out fast. The viewfinders are also very smooth, unlike many other video cameras. (I say 'video camera' because 'camcorder' just sounds too consumerish and cheap for my taste).

The build quality feels very solid, has substantial weight, and feels very secure in the hand, thanks to being able to get a grip on the top of the camera. I think people who lament over the weight of the camera and wish for something lighter are foolish. The WEIGHT adds INERTIA which means more RESISTANCE to SHAKING of the hand. This is a vital fact that most consumers seem ignorant of, and trust me, watching footage on a big screen, you better pray that your footage is as close to tripod-steady as possible.

This camera comes with a fun and cute DVD that goes through some of the basic filming techniques. Several of these concepts are taught in a typical introductory Film & Video class, so it is actually quite a useful video, and it is amusing (to me at least).

I think I could not have bought a better camera for what I desired in a camera, the price point, and what is currently available. I would have PREFERRED to save up and purchase a Canon XHA1 for the pristine optics, better manual controls, and extremely good light gathering (very low low noise even in challenging lighting situations), but I do not want to mess with tapes and the 1:1 tape transfer process again. Hard disk recording with a 3k HDV video camera is possible but expensive. This camera and it's accessories/cables fits perfectly in the very nice leather bag I already own, and is very well protected therein, so for me it was nice to not need to buy a new carrying case.

If you need to see some online footage of this camera in action, check out Vimeo and search 'sr11':

http://vimeo.com/1316737

Further comments/notes pending...

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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and you can do everything with that remote except for deleting images. But that is a positive because you don't want to accidentally delete your images. And it does ask for you to confirm deleting so it's hard to do that accidentally.

Plus, it's a great photography camera. With the flick of a thumb you can change from filming to photographer easy and it takes crystal clear pictures in 10.5 mega pixel. Although I do find it a bit awkward to reach the photo button. Now it takes better picture in photo mode, then it do in filming mode (While filming you can snap a picture also),

Another word on the night vision, I had all the lights off and it films in that greenish color sort of like the movie Cloverfield. But even filming at night without the night vision on, it picks up everything. I had a buddy drive at night, while I was shooting and the only lights were coming from headlights and streetlamps (when we passed them) and you saw everything on the camera that you could see with you naked eye and I even thought it was better than my eye.

Now when you film and take pictures, it organizes the images according to date and when you film several scenes it will play them one after another without a bit of a pause. The camera also has little doors on the back and the side so you can hook up your cords without the base, which is good. Also inside of one of the doors are an hdmi output, a headphones output and a mic input. I ran my iPod through the mic input to make a music video and it turned out great (although be sure not to have your iPod any louder than half).
The camera also has a one touch DVD burning button on the camera and the base, but I haven't used it yet.

The only real negative is that the battery only last 90 minutes, but I bought a bigger battery, which last 14 hours. That battery weighs as much or more than the camera (the camera is really light) and it sticks out the back some but that isn't really that big of a deal.

The software is pretty smart. You hook the camcorder with the use of the provided usb cable (after loading the software) and it finds the camcorder and asks if you want to transfer all the items to your computer. But the cool thing is that you can keep those images on your camcorder after transfer, film other stuff, hook you camera back up to the computer and it will only transfer items that haven't been transferred yet. This is good because you don't have to try to figure out what has or haven't been transfer and you don't get dup copies, or that annoying message about whether you want to overwrite a file. And it organizes by date and you can do a total calendar view and see what dates you filmed on. When it organized and transfer to your CPU, it organized by date filmed, not date transfer, which is extremely helpful, especially if you visit multiple locations during multiple dates.

This is really the last camcorder you will possibly buy for many many years. The only thing is that it has so many cool accessories you can buy, like wide-angle lenses, telescopic lenses, attachable lights, and underwater case etc that you may eventually end up with a $2500-3000 total purchase when you are done. The accessories are not a necessity but they do look like a lot of fun.
Auto focusing can be a pain at times, but it does have a manual focus, which you can set to infinity and if you zoom, set it up on a tripod.
Oh and one last thing, I actually filmed something for 5 minutes that was playing on my plasma in HD and it look as if its the movie itself.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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out of pocket about $1200-1400, on top of the $1200 I spent on the camera. Sony does not reimburse anything.

The customer relations representative was incapable of comprehending the bitter irony that Sony was willing to restore my camera to the very same "factory settings" that put my vacation memories at risk.

Unless you plan to back up each and every video clip as you take them, do not buy this camera. Do not assume that your experience will be any different.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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which is ridiculously awesome!!

The 5.1 surround sound is also excellent, the nightshot feature is VERY cool, letting you record in complete darkness and cooler still, the SUPER night shot option makes objects in total darkness even brighter and lets you see farther! When this option is turned on, it drains a little more battery but it's negligible and I like to use the b/w picture effect when nigh shot's turned on...

This camcorder also takes 10MP pictures and 7MP stills on the fly, even while you're recording! I'm so very happy with this camcorder that I take it with me everywhere. Only 2 things I can find (and I have to look real hard) that I kinda don't like is the fact that you have to touch the LCD to access menu and options and it leaves fingerprints but I can live with that. The other thing is, the unit accepts a mini HDMI connector so I had to get a HDMI to mini HDMI adapter to be able to use it to hook it up to my 42" LCD and it's kinda lose, I don't know if it's the adapter or the camcorder itself, not to mention when the cable's plugged in with the adapter, it kind of sticks out, but again, a small gripe, nothing major.

I experimented recording leaves and insects in nature real close up, only an inch from the lens and it was able to focus no problem and let you see incredible detail, like a macro shot! 12x optical zoom and image stabilization are awesome as well, I can still see details pretty clear when it switches over to digital zoom and I can keep zooming in up to 150x!

There is no way I can put everything I love about this thing on here and there are still options I haven't touched or used on this camcorder... I highly recommend this unit to anyone who's serious about recording every passing moment as your own eyes see it and then some, guaranteed!

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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frame, made up of all 1,080 pixel rows or lines, every 30th of a second.

In 1080p, each frame of video is sent or displayed progressively. This means that both the odd and even fields (all 1,080 pixel rows or pixel lines) that make up the full frame are displayed together. This results in a smoother looking image, with less motion artifacts and jagged edges.


Differences Within 1080p

1080p can also be displayed (depending on the video processing used) as a 1080p/60 (most common), 1080p/30, or in 1080p/24 formats.

1080p/60 is essentially the same frame repeated twice every 30th of a second. (enhanced video frame rate).

1080p/30 is the same frame displayed once every 30th of a second. (standard live or recorded video frame rate).

1080p/24 is the same frame displayed every 24th of a second (standard motion picture film frame rate),


The Key is in the Processing

1080p processing can be done at the source, such as on a Upscaling DVD Player, Blu-ray Disc Player, or HD-DVD player - or it can be done by the HDTV itself.

Depending on the actual video processors used, there may or may not be a difference in having the TV do the final processing (referred to as deinterlacing) step of converting 1080i to 1080p.

For instance, if the TV is utilizing a Faroudja Genesis, DVDO, Silicon Optix HQV, or homegrown processors, such as the ones used in higher-end Sony, Pioneer, Hitachi, and Panasonic sets for example, may be equal to the processors used in many source components - so the results displayed on screen should be equivalent, or very close. Any differences would be more noticable on larger screen sizes.


1080p, Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD

Also, keep in mind that with both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, the actual information on the disc itself is in the 1080p/24 format. Players, such as LG BH100 Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo player, have the ability to output 1080p/24 direct from the disc to its output.

However, since most current HDTVs cannot display 1080p/24, when you connect the LG BH100 to an HDTV that does not have 1080p/24 input and display capability but only has 1080p/60/30 or 1080i input capability, the LG BH100 automatically sends its 1080p/24 signal from the disc to its own video processor which then outputs a 1080i/60 signal. This leaves the HDTV to do the final step of deinterlacing and displaying the incoming 1080i signal in 1080p.

Another example of 1080p processing, is the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray Disc Player - what is does is even more complicated. This Blu-ray player reads the 1080p/24 signal off the disc, then it actually reinterlaces the signal to 1080i, and then deinterlaces its own internally made 1080i signal in order to create a 1080p/60 signal for output to a 1080p input capable television. However, if it detects that the HDTV cannot input a 1080p signal, the Samsung BD-P1000 just takes its own internally created 1080i signal and passes that signal through to the HDTV, letting the HDTV do the final deinterlacing step.

Just as with the previous LG BH100 example. The final 1080p display format depends what deinterlacing processor is used by the HDTV for the final step. In fact, in the Samsung case, it may that a specific HDTV has better 1080i-to-1080p deinterlacer than Samsung has, it which case you may see a better result using the deinterlacer built into the HDTV.


Final Take

In the final analysis, the proof is in the actual viewing - how the image looks to you in the real world with your specific HDTV. Short of having a tech come out and doing actual measurements, or comparing results using different TVs and source components yourself, even if you don't have a 1080p input capable Television, as long your HDTV has 1080p internal processing, you may still be able to get the benefits of 1080p. The key is in the processing, and, of course, not all HDTVs and video processors are created equal - let your eyes be your guide.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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know I can simply purchase universal accessories that have there own power supply and some way of connecting them to the camcorder but that leads me back to FTC (&%$# The Consumer)product development. I'm sure Sony spent quite a large sum of money on R&D for AIS technology, a cost that is passed on to the consumer, for a marketable accessory package that many are finding useless. Additionally, beware that the Sony VCT-XXXX Tripods, which are recommend with the purchase of this camera, as well as many other cameras, are "Remote Control Tripods", not "Remote Controlled Tripods." A technicality I felt was misleading.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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wider and the optical zoom a little more.Digital zoom in my mind is worthless unless you have it set up on a tripod b/c you gotta have a robotic steady arm to keep it still.I usually only use optical zoom but noticed even when I zoomed all the way with it the picture would start to shutter and degrade.

The camera part is good if you currently dont have a camera but my Sony Cybershot is more simple to use and has better quality and easier to use than getting the camcorder out to take pictures.You can tell from the quality it is not a 10.2 mega pixel but merely face value on the camcorder to help sell.Its pretty nice to have it on the camcorder in case you want to take quick pictures.With my DV camera I could take digital stills from the video and quality wasnt that good of course so I was expecting this $1400 camcorder to really shine but so far digital stills are sub par.Hopefully as I get more experience with it I will learn tricks to fix this.The menus were easier to navigate in my DV camera as well.I am not sure exactly what I need 5.1 surround on a camcorder for but its still nice to have.I will probably do something later with it.

My final complaint is a lack of software to import AVCHD and so far I have found 3.Looking at reviews of the software the best I have found that is affordable is Sony Vegas 8 platinum.I would like to get Pro later but as of now the cheapest I have seen it is $350.

Other than those complaints the camcorder takes amazing film and outdoor locations look phenomenal.I have daughters 1 year old and a three year old and its nice to have a camera that records colors so vividly b/c I want to see exactly what my kids look like since my DV camera footage always looked different than reality.I find my self looking for things to record outside.Since I own a Playstation 3 I just hook it straight to that to watch on my Sony 40 inch Bravia.Some odd reason I always stick with Sony since I have had pretty good luck with them.Anyways As we watched the video I recorded outside and the camera moved sideways and the shake of my hand almost makes it throw up inducing.I haven't tried importing on my computer yet and my understanding is it takes a long time depending on quality of what was taken.I like a challenge and my computers about a year old so hopefully it wont struggle to much we'll see.I may make another review based on that.

Some people I read didn't like the weight or size of the camcorder but I prefer being able to feel the weight b/c to me it feels more comfortable.Its not like you start to burn arm and hand fat from holding it.Its probably personal preference.

I guess my 5 star rating comes from the overall experience from recording my family and events in their lives to just zooming in on a bees nest or just normal everyday things ,that slow motion thing is does is kinda cool.I know this camcorder will bring us joy for years to come.I usually stick with Sony products so you may find a different brand better.If you can afford it I highly recommend this.Do the research and look at other camcorders and make sure this is the exact right camcorder for you b/c what I think is great may not be what you use it for.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder w/120GB Hard Drive and 3.2" LCD Screen - Silver/Gray

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nice little video of your cat or your kids or a vacation, order it six months in advance and beef up your cell phone plan. You'll be spending a lot of time trying to get someone to make your $1400 work.

Sony 5.0MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Silver

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in video during rapid movements/ fast pans
- Slow focus lock in indoor lighting situations