Sony Handycam HDR-CX12

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 8 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 9 stars

  Perfect combination of small size and picture quality.

  by easecorp on August 28, 2008

  Pros: Features are exactly like the SR11 and SR12 except much smaller & lighter. Sony's dimensions are wrong! This camera is the size of the old CX7 ... not the SR11 & 12. Size mattered and I didn't want to compromise quality by going to the TG-1.

  Cons: The only reason to choose the CX12 over the SR11 or 12 is size. The SR11 & 12 can record to hard disk or memory stick, while the CX12 is just the memory stick. But when you lose the hard disk, size and weight go with it.

  Summary: I'm upgrading from a Sony HD mini DV camera - just don't want to deal with tapes any more. This camera is much smaller lighter and has all ...

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  Summary: I'm upgrading from a Sony HD mini DV camera - just don't want to deal with tapes any more. This camera is much smaller lighter and has all the quality the previous HD miniDV camera has. Excellent picture.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  LOVE IT SO MUCH!

  by Laperle72 on September 11, 2008

  Pros: SIZE, WEIGHT, QUALITY = PERFECT COMBINATION

  Cons: CAN'T PLAY FULL HD ON NORMAL PLAYERS.

  Summary: I DIDN'T KNOW THE BLUE RAY COSTS AS MUCH AS THIS CAM! NOW I AM UPSET I CANT MAKE FULL HD MOVIES BCS I WON'T BE ABLE TO ...

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  Summary: I DIDN'T KNOW THE BLUE RAY COSTS AS MUCH AS THIS CAM! NOW I AM UPSET I CANT MAKE FULL HD MOVIES BCS I WON'T BE ABLE TO WATCH IT AFTER ON NORMAL PLAYERS! HUHUHU... BUT I STILL LOVE IT! BEST CAMCORDER I'VE EVER HAD! NO TAPES, NOT ANYMORE 2 BAGS OF CAMCORDER AND CAMERA EVERYWHERE! GREATTTT! AND QUALITY IS NOT TO BE COMPROMISED! 2 IN 1 !

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Light, fast, easy to use, and shoots great vide.

  by macfan100 on September 10, 2008

  Pros: records in high definition, small, easy to use, takes pictures while recording without interrupting your videos, and the best part is that it works great on a mac!

  Cons: Confusing software for the PC

  Summary: In five years this is going to be my third sony handycam. The HDR-CX12 is the best one I have used so far. The picture quality is great, I can ...

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  Summary: In five years this is going to be my third sony handycam. The HDR-CX12 is the best one I have used so far. The picture quality is great, I can carry the camera anywhere, and it is super fast! However, one of the best characteristics about this camera is that I can take good quality still pictures directly into my flash card while recording video without interruptions.
  
  Mac fans, this is great camera to buy and use with imovie '08 or Final Cut Express 4. I tried to use the software that came with it on my PC but it was confusing and I couldn't figure out how to download the video to the hard drive. But as soon as I hooked the USB cable to my macbook pro the camera was recognized and within a few minutes I started editing my clips without loading any especial software to support AVCHD!
  
  I still haven't used all the featured in the camera but I was able to record and make a movie for a friend with ease. So far I am very happy with my purchase.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  EXCELLENT camcorder image, quality and stabilization

  by rhungent on May 20, 2009

  Pros: Video: Excellent HD images with very good low-light performance
  Focus: Nice dial; but also has touch screen SPOT focus/metering
  Stable: Optical image stabilization is GREAT making you home movies very professional.
  Stills: are great for HD playback

  Cons: Menu layout takes a little bit of time to learn and organize in your thoughts.
  Only uses MemoryStick pro duo; but ensures that you get a quality product and not some cheap generic.

  Summary: Sony is leading HD technology. They invented AVCHD (with panasonic) and Blue-Ray. Canon beat them to the 24Mbps limit; but there is barely any improvement in image quality. When Sony ...

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  Summary: Sony is leading HD technology. They invented AVCHD (with panasonic) and Blue-Ray. Canon beat them to the 24Mbps limit; but there is barely any improvement in image quality. When Sony can take advantage of 24Mbps I'm sure they'll release another camcorder.
  
  Competition: The only competition in this price range is the Canon HF20 or the better older HF10/11 (soon to be discontinued). Sanyo FH1 records in 60p; but requires a new $800 computer to process this video file. Also the FH1 image stabilization is aweful so you end up with a excellent image that wobbles and shakes = bad home movie. The ONLY brands to stick with are Sony, Canon and Panasonic. Period.
  
  Video quality is excellent and low-light scenes are clear. The dial is nice for focus and exposure; but SONY also has a touch screen for SPOT focus/metering. Simply touch the subject to bring out clear bright images. Great in macro or contrast scenes. I used this a few times; and works much better than the Canon joystick. Canon also has 24p and 30p frame rates. Overall, Canon is regarded as a slightly better (sharper) image; but Sony won the whole package for me.
  
  Build: Sony products are top notch. They use very sturdy durable textured plastic. The port doors are solid and spring-loaded. Canon uses very cheap feeling/sounding plastic. The port doors look thin, cheap and flimpsy with rubber attachments. Canon S100 $1100 caught onto the CX12 and added a dial control, a slant in the back where the zoom control is (better handling) and placed the mode switch on top for the index finger. The HF 10,11 had a dial on the right that could only be reached with the other hand. HF 20 kept the dial on the right but made it bulkier so that your thumb could reach. Sony definitely adds style.
  
  Image stabilization: This was critical for me as my 8yo hated the shaky videos from the Sanyo FH1...and that was with me holding the camera with 2 hands and holding my breath. Canon and Sony are the best in this area with Sony leading in stabilization during heavier shakes (walking/jogging). If you want home movies to look professional; image stabilization should be a definite priority. A clear image means nothing if you can't keep the view stable. Crawling zooms are also key and available on the Canon/Sony. Sanyo has a fast zoom and doesn't look professional.
  
  Low light: Sony does Great. Other reviews rave about HF10/11 and hate the HF20 performance. Sony does just fine in this group and actually a little better in average settings (60 lux)
  
  Stills: Great for HD viewing, but takes average pictures for printing. 10MP really means about 5.6MP because the chip is only a 5.6. On the move, it stands in for a still camera; but still keep your pocket camera around if you plan to print. Canon HF10/11 have a major glitch when recording to internal memory (3-10 seconds each). HF20 takes higher resolution stills and has a fast continuous mode (glitch fixed).
  
  CONCLUSION:
  This was a very tough decision for me. Performance leans a little towards Canon. However; after weighing all the factors that are important for my home videos...Sony was clearly the winner.
  
  R

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Easy to use, excellent video quality.

  by IanCT on February 6, 2009

  Pros: Carl Zeiss lens, quality of recorded video, ease of use and smile detection feature.

  Cons: HD recording time on the flash card. Not a bad thing, 8GB card will store about an hour which suits my needs. Cheaper than the comparable hard drive units on the market.

  Summary: For the money, (Best Buy had a sale - $200 off) it's a terrific camera. Literally fits in the palm of your hand and has an excellent LCD. Comes ...

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  Summary: For the money, (Best Buy had a sale - $200 off) it's a terrific camera. Literally fits in the palm of your hand and has an excellent LCD. Comes with the HD component cable hookup as well as standard composite cable. No mini-HDMI cable but I didn't need that anyway. Plugged right into my iMac and iMovie '08 detected it right away. Comes with a 4GB flash card, I bought an 8GB at time of purchase for $39 which holds about an hour of HD in high quality mode which is perfect for me.
  
  The on screen menus are easy to navigate, it took a little time to get used to how the menu changes depending on what mode you're in but having a home button helps a lot. This was an upgrade from my miniDV DCR-TRV50.
  
  My only wish was the hard drive but I can live without it. Hopefully 16GB cards will become cheaper over time and that this camera will be compatible with 32GB cards when they become available.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 2 stars

  Not for use by professionals

  by lngilbert on March 5, 2011

  Pros: Excellent video quality

  Cons: No mic input - you have to purchase their special mic that is power by the active interface shoe
  No headphone jack - even if you purchase their mic, you can't hear what it sounds like!
  Not compatible with Final Cut Pro

  Summary: This is fine for average people, but definitely not for pros. I had to purchase an HD camera fast, and one that had an existing underwater housing. This one seemed ...

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  Summary: This is fine for average people, but definitely not for pros. I had to purchase an HD camera fast, and one that had an existing underwater housing. This one seemed the best, but I didn't pay enough attention to the audio set up. I can't believe Sony would produce a camcorder and label it as the HIGH end of the consumer cameras and not have a mic OR a headphone jack! MAJOR FAIL, SONY! I will be selling this camera as soon as I'm finished with the project I purchased it for, and then I will be purchasing a new HD camera from anyone other than Sony. For pete's sake, my old Hi-8 camera from Sony had fully-functioning audio inputs!

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• 10 stars

  this is a great camcorder

  by alfiec15 on March 25, 2009

  Pros: the resolution with the wide range of colors

  Cons: for now this one satisfied what im looking for the camcorder

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• 8 stars

  Good but not Great

  by hanleysw on February 17, 2009

  Pros: Video is fantastic. Easy to use.

  Cons: Battery life is about an hour of continuous recording in the real world where you use your zoom. Speaking of which, the zoom is not smooth and the lever to zoom is not fluid (and yes, I've somewhat large hands). Options on screen require bifocals!

  Summary: Best combination of features on the market for a flash-based recorder.

  Summary: Best combination of features on the market for a flash-based recorder.

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