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The new Sony HDR-XR520V is a high-end, high definition digital camcorders with features which will please both the amateur filmmakers and professionals.

Overview:
Sony HDR-XR520V has a built-in GPS, 240GB internal hard drive, retractable viewfinder and offers very good video quality. Moreover, the camcorder has low noise levels and a bunch of manual controls. It also retails for quite a high price: $1499.99, but is it worth it? Read on to find out.

Sony HDR-XR520V pros:
+ Excellent image quality
+ Very good low light performance
+ Very good still image performance
+ Massive storage
+ Smooth slow motion
+ Image stabilization
+ Built-in 240 Gb HDD

Sony HDR-XR520V cons:
- Poor battery life
- Limited footage for smooth slow motion
- No manual aperture, shutter speed, or gain control

The design:
Sony HDR-XR520V measures 2.9″ x 3″ x 5.5″ and weighs 1lb. 4 oz. At the front of the camcorder you will find the 12x zoom lens, the flash for still images, as well as the cam dial for manual controls. The back of Sony HDR-XR520V houses the viewfinder, record button, DC port, button for switching to still/video mode and the battery pack. The left side of this Sony camcorder features the screen chamber and within the memory card slot, Easy mode button, power button and controls for playback, display, zoom, and low light modes. The right side of Sony HDR-XR520V houses the handstrap, a few pros hidden behind a sliding door towards the front of the camcorder, and one more door towards the back of the camcorder with audio ports.the top of Sony HDR-XR520V  houses the stereo microphone, primary zoom toggle and Sony proprietary hot shoe. The bottom houses mainly the tripod mount.

Performance:
Sony HDR-XR520V is a very good performer in most respects. For instance, the noise is extremely low which makes the videos very clear. However, colors in Sony HDR-XR520V are slightly worse than in the competing camcorders such as Panasonic HDC-HS300, or Panasonic HDC-SD20. Moreover, there are no simple color modes, but only a white balance shift tool. The Sony HDR-XR520V produces very sharp images with smooth motion, yet it also shows a bit too much artifacting.
When it comes to low light performance the Sony HDR-XR520V does not disappoint. Quite the contrary: the color accuracy is very good. The noise levels are very low and much better than in Panasonic HDC-HS300. However, unlike in the Panasonic HDC-SD20, Sony HDR-XR520V does not have several frame rates to improve the low light performance. Still, the overall impression of low light performance is very good.
The Sony HDR-XR520V is outstanding in one more respect: it offers you the choice to record either HD or standard definition videos. The highest quality images can be recorded st just 16 Mbps but it seems enough and with the 240GB hard drive built-in you should not need to make use of Memory Stick cards.

Still Images:
Sony HDR-XR520V is a steady performer and it does not lower its standards for still images. You get the usual set of features here and you can take still in up to 12 megapixel.  Of course you can take still images while making a video. With the red-eye reduction and image stabilization it is almost certain that you will take very good photos.

Menus / ease of use:
The Sony HDR-XR520V, like the majority of Sony camcorders, is very easy to use. With the auto mode the only thing you need to remember about is to press the record button. If you, however, decide to make use of the manual controls you will find plenty of those in various menus. The menu structure might be a bit confusing but that’s because of al the things you can adjust. Still, after only a few hours of using the Sony HDR-XR520V you should go through the menus with your eyes shut.
To sum up, the Sony HDR-XR520V is one of the best Sony camcorders yet. It offers very good performance in all lighting conditions and equally good still features.
Selected Sony HDR-XR520V features and specifications:

General

• Digital Zoom
150 x
• Optical Sensor Size
1/2.88″
• Optical Sensor Type
Exmor R CMOS
• Min Illumination
3 lux
• Digital Video Format
MPEG-2, AVCHD
• Image Stabilizer
Optical (Steady Shot)
• Digital Scene Transition
White fader, Black fader
• Min Shutter Speed
1/8 sec
• Max Shutter Speed
1/800 sec
• Shooting Modes
Digital photo mode
• Shooting Programs
Sunset, Twilight mode, Spotlight, Landscape, Beach, Portrait mode, Sunrise, Snow, Fireworks
• Exposure Modes
Automatic, Program
• Camera Flash
Built-in flash
• Widescreen Video Capture
Yes

Main Features

• Camcorder Sensor Resolution
6.631 megapixels
• Camcorder Effective Video Resolution
4.15 megapixels
• Camcorder Effective Still Resolution
6 megapixels
• Camcorder Interpolated Still Resolution
12 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 – 240 GB
• Media Type
Hard disk drive, Flash card

Lens System

• Type
Zoom lens – 5.5 mm – 66 mm – F/1.8-3.4
• Focal Length
5.5 mm – 66 mm
• Lens Aperture
F/1.8-3.4
• Optical Zoom
12 x
• Lens system type
Zoom lens
• Min focal length
5.5 mm
• Max focal length
66 mm
• Features
Built-in lens shield
• 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, Smile Detection technology, Touch-screen control, Face detection, Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording, Dynamic Range Optimizer, Built-in GPS
• Remote control
Remote control – Infrared
• Software
Sony Picture Motion Browser, Drivers & Utilities

Viewfinder

• Viewfinder Type
Electronic
• Viewfinder Diagonal Size
0.27 in
• Viewfinder Resolution
124,000 pixels

Display

• Type
LCD display – TFT active matrix – 3.2 in – Color

Digital Player (Recorder)

• Type
None

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 Remote control, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x S-Video output, 1 x USB, 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

System Requirements for PC Connection

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

Miscellaneous

• Cables Included
Component video cable, USB cable, A/V cable

Power

• Power Device
Power adapter – External

Battery

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

Other recently reviewed camcorders:

Panasonic HDC-HS300, Panasonic HDC-SD20