It seems like Sony's saved the zing in its camcorder announcements for its AVCHD products, which generally offer significant enhancements over last year's. For one, all the models (like their DVD equivalents) finally support true 1,920x1,080 recording, albeit at the same bit rates as the previous 1,440x1,080 capture. They also mark the addition of Memory Stick Duo support for video--a feature of lesser importance for the hard-disk models than others--which Sony dubs "Hybrid" recording.
The two top-of-the-line models, the SR11 and SR12, both incorporate Sony's highest-resolution 1/3.15-inch 5-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor and the Face Detection capabilities which debut in the 2008 camcorders. Other specs include a 12X zoom lens and 3.2-inch LCD. The two models differ only by hard disk size: 60GB for the $1,199 SR11 and 120GB for the $1,399 SR12. Both are slated to ship in March.
Sony Handycam HDR-SR10
(Credit: Sony Electronics)
Replacing the SR5 at the $999 price point, the SR10 keeps the same 2-megapixel CMOS sensor and 2.7-inch LCD of its predecessor, but ups the zoom to 15x. It too should ship in March.
Intro:
The Sony Handycam HDR-SR12 is a hard disk drive-based, prosumer camcorder.Compared to other prosumer camcorders on the market, it is expensive at around $1,320.It bundles Sony picture motion browser software.
Noteworthy Features:
Has a 3.2-inch viewscreen, which is larger than some similarly priced camcorders.Also, this camcorder has optical (Super steady shot) stabilization, which is more favorable than some similarly priced camcorders.(While many camcorders have electronic image stabilization, optical stabilization generally produces superior results.)Supports manual focus, which helps intermediate users to shoot in hard-to-focus situations.In addition, frequent travelers will appreciate how relatively little it weighs, only 19.2 ounces.
Weaker Features:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
A prosumer camcorder, suited for semi-professional videography.
Value:
Overall, this camcorder's price seems a bit steep, with respect to its features.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Very Nice, this is my first camcorder so sort of a novice
This is my first camcorder and I am really enjoying it. I found it very easy to operate without having ...
This is my first camcorder and I am really enjoying it. I found it very easy to operate without having to go to the instructions. The inteface is simple with a computer. I do wish that as I stated in the Cons that a longer life battery should be included in a high end piece of equipment such as this camcorder
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by Flightlevel470 (see profile) -
March 8, 2008
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular My little friend
I really like my camera, its neat, tiny and still makes this huge detailed video. It´s quite amazing, i ...
I really like my camera, its neat, tiny and still makes this huge detailed video. It´s quite amazing, i think.
face regonizion is good feature when filming people. With animals (i have two cats) it sometimes finds animals eyes and can focus, sometimes it gets confused
lens is not wide enough, though it may be that i´m used to a wider lens with my Panasonic DMC-LX2K. Anyway i bought a wider lens for this. For a lens it´s too big and heavy and it´s still not that wide, only "normal-wide"...
I´m a drummer and this camera shuts down in loud noises...it´s not a good feature either Would be nice to record our gigs and rehersals without tweaking the microphone with duct tape.
120 gigs is a bit too much actually, you dont really need that much of a space with avchd. For example i have recorded 193 clips in three weeks and it still has half of it´s capacity left.
But in a nutshell, it´s very good point and shoot type of camera with full automation etc. you don´t have to trouble yourself to get a decent picture out of it, it takes care it for you almost in any case. With it´s massive hard drive there´s no way you run out of storage space, buy the NP-FH100 and you can record forever Read more
by Yrtti (see profile) -
May 8, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect SR12 Absolutely Rocks!
This camcorder truly does everything well in a great form-factor. Solidly built and very intuitive to use. Ample storage for ...
This camcorder truly does everything well in a great form-factor. Solidly built and very intuitive to use. Ample storage for HD content. It's great.
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by dhwlaw (see profile) -
April 9, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Awesome video - complicated software
I have finally become my father. I'm geezing. This is just a fabulous camcorder, but I'm way over ...
I have finally become my father. I'm geezing. This is just a fabulous camcorder, but I'm way over my head trying to get my videos onto my PC and then burning the correct format DVDs to share with friends/family. Reading the "quick start" guide plus the PDF-format owner's manual on the included CD... almost made my head explode. And I've had a camcorder of various media and many types of film and digital cam in my hands since they were so big you needed a friend to help carry the components. I feel like I've traded my soul to the devil to get the latest/greatest technology. Of course, now I'm getting the, "I told you so!!" from my wife. I guess I should've accepted the simplicity (although less perfect video compression) of the last-most-current media, recording directly to mini-DVDs in the camcorder. Yikes!
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by ksmith51 (see profile) -
July 3, 2008
Flash OFF mode,
Fill-in mode,
Auto mode,
Red-eye reduction
Widescreen Video Capture
Yes
Main Features
Camcorder Sensor Resolution
5.66 megapixels
Camcorder Effective Video Resolution
3.81 megapixels
Camcorder Effective Still Resolution
5.08 megapixels
Camcorder Interpolated Still Resolution
10.2 megapixels
Color Support
Color
Face Detection
Yes
Still Image Format
JPEG
Remote Control
Remote control - Infrared
TV Tuner
None
Memory / Storage
Digital Storage Media
Hard disk drive - Built-in - 120 GB
Image Storage
JPEG 3680 x 2760,
JPEG 640 x 480,
JPEG 3680 x 2070
Media Type
Hard disk drive
Recording Speed
LP,
HQ,
SP
Camera Flash
Red Eye Reduction
Yes
Effective Flash Range
1 ft - 8 ft
Lens System
Type
Zoom lens - 4.9 mm - 58.8 mm - F/1.8-3.1
Focal Length
4.9 mm - 58.8 mm
Lens Aperture
F/1.8-3.1
Optical Zoom
12 x
Lens system type
Zoom lens
Min focal length
4.9 mm
Max focal length
58.8 mm
Auto Focus
TTL contrast detection
Lens Manufacturer
Carl Zeiss
Filter Size
37 mm
Focus Adjustment
Automatic,
Manual
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
Takes photos while movie recording,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Face detection,
Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording,
Dynamic Range Optimizer,
PictBridge support,
Digital noise reduction,
Built-in speaker,
Accessories hot shoe,
Touch-screen control,
Backlight compensation,
Auto power save,
Demonstration mode,
Progressive scanning,
Face index,
Progressive shutter system
Remote control
Remote control - Infrared
Software
Sony Picture Motion Browser,
Drivers & Utilities
Included Accessories
Docking station
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type
Electronic
Viewfinder Diagonal Size
0.27 in
Viewfinder Resolution
123,200 pixels
Image Aspect Ratio (camcorders)
16:9
Display
Type
LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3.2 in - Color
Microphone
Type
Microphone - Built-in
Microphone Features
Zoom
Connections
Connector Type
1 x Component video output,
1 x Headphones,
1 x HDMI output,
1 x Control-L (LANC),
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x S-Video output,
1 x USB,
1 x DC power input,
1 x Microphone
Expansion Slot(s)
1 x Memory Stick PRO Duo
Audio Input
Audio input type
Microphone
Microphone type
Built-in
Microphone Operation Mode
Surround
Microphone Technology
Electret condenser
System Requirements for PC Connection
Operating System Support
MS Windows Vista,
MS Windows 2000 SP4 or later,
MS Windows XP SP2
Peripheral Devices
USB port,
CD-ROM drive
Miscellaneous
Cables Included
USB cable,
A/V cable,
Component video / audio cable
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