Sony Handycam HDR-CX560V

• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 4 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 9 stars

  Amazing Image Quality and Manual Control

  by shaheen3 on February 14, 2012

  Pros: Manual control and ease of use.
  Shoot 24p like the pros
  USB built in cable built into camera
  Amazing image quality. Comparable to Canon 5D... my opinion
  Menu easy to use; features high speed (120fps) not quite at full resolution.

  Cons: You can only adjust one option manually at a time (ex. once you adjust exposure, the aperature returns to auto mode)
  
  sony proprietary shoe ontop of camera is annoying but there are plenty of options for mics and lights

  Summary: Excellent prosumer model camera at a relatively reasonalbe price. Great for short films, family videos, youtube.
  
  http://youtu.be/8IXyJ6_bGUo
  
  Updated on Feb 14, 2012

  Video format is in AVCHD: ...

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  Summary: Excellent prosumer model camera at a relatively reasonalbe price. Great for short films, family videos, youtube.
  
  http://youtu.be/8IXyJ6_bGUo
  
  Updated on Feb 14, 2012

  Video format is in AVCHD: edit in its native format within any of the Adobe/Final Cut Video Editing programs.
  No need for converting formats was a big deal when I was choosing cameras. File sizes are larger but Works well on my 2010 macbook pro AE/Premier.

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• 8 stars

  The CX560V boasts amazing image quality and features.

  by barry_jd on October 30, 2011

  Pros: 1. A 1/2.8 inch Exmor sensor boasts image quality that tromps many current "professional" models in the Sony line.
  
  2. The ability to copy your files directly to a hard drive without the need for a computer is an excellent feature for the traveling low b

  Cons: 1. Piano black plastic? On a thousand dollar model? No viewfinder? C'mon Sony.
  
  2. Did I mention no viewfinder?
  
  3. The touchscreen is smaller than the CX550V - BOO!

  Summary: Coming from the HDR-UX1, the CX560V "feels" a bit generic and toy-like. The shiny "Piano Black" plastic finish is identical to the entry-level Handycams which start at 1/3rd of ...

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  Summary: Coming from the HDR-UX1, the CX560V "feels" a bit generic and toy-like. The shiny "Piano Black" plastic finish is identical to the entry-level Handycams which start at 1/3rd of the price of the CX560V. I feel like the least Sony could have done was to have kept the viewfinder (This was included in its predecessor, the CX550V - and many enjoy this essential that gives any upper level consumer camcorder a professional touch. The lack of the EVF combined with the shiny black plastic casing are hard to swallow when you spend about a grand on a camcorder. Hopefully the tight builld quality will hold together over the years.
  
  The saving grace for this model is that the image quality is indeed stunning and the natural evolution of the Handycam line has touched this model which now includes native 24p and 60p framerate choices.
  
  If you want the Yoda "size matters not" of the current Handycam lineup - and image quality matters to you the CX560V is the way to go. The larger sensor on the two upper consumer models makes a HUGE difference in comparison to several Hadycam models below the $900 mark.
  
  Please don't let my cynical point of view get in the way of your making the CX560V yours. Just realize that you will be getting a sophisticate mini version that just touches the fence on the pro models.
  
  Just know that you are gonna pay $1000 for a piano black toy that houses an miraculous collection of features and video quality. After all its the movies you make that count in the end right? If you wanna challenge the IQ of Sony's pro line cams for a fraction of the price - I say go for it!

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• 9 stars

  easy to use with superior video quality results

  by robert_t1 on July 2, 2011

  Pros: excellent video quality
  image capability is cool feature

  Cons: proprietary show mic. Need to buy 3rd party adapter if you want to use a mic other than sony

  Summary: impressive

  Summary: impressive

• 10 stars

  Top notch HD Camcorder

  by gte864f on March 30, 2011

  Pros: Video Quality, Optical Steadyshot, Compact size, Color interface, Video recording options

  Cons: Touch screen can be unresponsive at times, GPS tagging depends on signal strength, the even browser is not all that great.

  Summary: I want to start off by saying this is an excellent camcorder. I absolutely love the video and audio quality that is produced. The setup is pretty straight forward but ...

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  Summary: I want to start off by saying this is an excellent camcorder. I absolutely love the video and audio quality that is produced. The setup is pretty straight forward but I find myself referring to the manual when I want to do special things like change the scene. It's supposed to do this automatically but I have yet to see my device change its setting from default automatically. The software guys did an excellent job with separating out all of the different functions. You can almost get away without ever using the user manual if you just want to do simple things. I am also very impressed with the Optical steadyshot feature. If you're going to be walking around or recording a live sporting game then this is a must have feature.
  
  A few of the things I didn't like about this camcorder is that sometimes the touch screen can be unresponsive at time. I find myself pushing the same button a few times before the camcorder register it. This is not a major concern but it does happen from time to time. When shooting in very low light situations, I was not impressed with the Back-illuminated "Exmor R" CMOS sensor. Maybe I was expecting to capture footage beyond 8 feet but it works great if your subject is less than 8 feet away. I'm new to the camcorder world so maybe 8 feet is excellent. I don't know.
  
  A word of caution for Mac users, you will be hard pressed using this device. As you know, the CD that comes with this camcorder is not compatible with a Mac. Furthermore, the certain video formats is not compatible with imovie either. You would need another program to convert these files if you want to use/view them in imovie. However, this is such an excellent camcorder that overcoming these drawbacks is well worth the superior video footage you get.
  
  Overall, this is a top notch product. Anyone wanting to record their own events would be happy with this device. Items that I wish were included would be a Mini HDMI cable. Without this cable you will be forced to use the component video for playback on HDTV sets. If recording in 24p is not something you really need, then I would suggest going with the HDR-CX550

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