Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 pros:
+ 5x optical zoom
+ Rotatable lens allows to shoot at unusual angles
+ Good sharpness
+ Several video resolution options
+ Simple interface
+ Portable design

Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 cons:
- Too much artifacting
- No manual controls
- Small LCD

Design:

Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 measures 1.75 x 2.5 x 4.25’’ and weighs 1.3 pounds. The camcorder is available is three different colors and thanks to its rotatable lens and unusual colors it stands out from the crowd. The front of the camcorder features the swivel lens, mono microphone, and wrist lanyard eyelet. The right side houses the power button along with the menu button and one more button controlling the image quality. The left side of the camcorder houses the playback speaker and connectivity port hidden under a door. The back of the Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 houses the 1.8 inch LCD, indicator light and all the controls such as photo shutter, playback, record on/off, zoom and joystick. The bottom houses only the tripod mount and the MemoryStick Pro Duo card slot.

Performance:

Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 records in the maximum resolution of 1440 x 1080 using the MPEG-4 compression. He fils are recorder only to Memory Stick PRO Duo cards and so on a 16 GB memory card you can record up to 340 minuted of video in the highest quality.
As neither the Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 nor Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1 have manual controls you have to shoot in the auto mode. The only thing you can change is the scene mode and zoom level.

Image quality:

Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 has very good color accuracy and saturation for this class of device. Similarly, automatic white balance and noise levels in good sunlight are very good in this class and a bit better than in the Kodak Zx1. The Sony camcorder has a selection of resolutions to choose from, including 1440 x 1080, 1280 x 720, or 640 x 480. Unfortunately, the motion tends to be choppy and with quite a large amount of artifacting. The overall sharpness of videos is very good and all the images are recorder at 30 fps.
In low light the camcorder does not disappoint. The color performance is accurate and the noise levels are good. The weakest point in low light seems to be the poor low light sensitivity.

Still features:

The Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 and Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1 can also take still photographs in up to 5 megapixel. The color is usually terrible, not to mention that the sharpness and noise are below average even for this class of devices.

Menus/ease of use:

As the Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 has almost no manual settings it is really easy to use although the included software may be a bit more troublesome. Since it is so compact it is very pocketable, yet it also has its drawbacks. All the buttons have to be proportionally small so people with bigger hands may find them uncomfortable. Thanks to the rotatable lens you can shoot various angles easily. All in all the Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 is a camcorder worth looking at especially considering its price and specs.
Selected Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 features and specifications:

• Digital Video Format:

H.264

• Digital Zoom:

4 x

• Camcorder Effective Still Resolution:

5.038 Mpix

• Camcorder Sensor Resolution:

5.0 Mpix

• Exposure Modes:

Program, automatic

• Optical Sensor Size:

1/2.5″

• Still Image Format:

JPEG

• Optical Sensor Type:

CMOS

• White Balance:

Automatic

• Max Shutter Speed:

1/4000 sec

• Min Shutter Speed:

1/30 sec

• Widescreen Video Capture:

Yes

• Media Type:

Flash card

• Shooting Programs:

Landscape, back light, low light, sports mode

• Enclosure Color:

Violet

• Additional Features

• Digital Still Camera Function:

Yes

• Low Lux / Night Mode:

Yes

• Battery

• Supported Battery Details:

1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery – 980 mAh ( included )

• Supported Battery:

Sony NP-BK1

• System Requirements for PC Connection

• Operating System Support:

MS Windows XP, MS Windows Vista

• Peripheral Devices:

USB port, CD-ROM drive

• Miscellaneous

• Included Accessories:

Wrist strap

• Cables Included:

USB cable ¦ A/V cable ¦ Component video / audio cable

• Display
• Type:

LCD display – TFT active matrix – 1.8″ – color

• Microphone Type:

Microphone – built-in

• Microphone Operation Mode:

Stereo

• Microphone Technology:

Electret condenser
Environmental Parameters

• Min Operating Temperature:

32 °F

• Max Operating Temperature:

104 °F

• Additional Specifications

• Digital Zoom:

20 x

• Optical Zoom:

5 x

Other recently reviewed camcorders:

Kodak Zx1, JVC Everio GZ-HD300, Canon Vixia HF S100, Sony HDR-XR520V, Panasonic HDC-HS300, Panasonic HDC-SD20

Overview:

Kodak Zx1 is not only small and powerful but also totally weatherproof which sounds really interesting considering its price ($149.95). The camcorder has a bunch of ports so it has great connectivity and an SD/SDHC memory card slot. The camcorder is available is a few colors so you can choose the best one for you and if you don’t fancy the design you can also have a look at Kodak Zi6 which offers very similar performance in slightly different body

Kodak Zx1 pros:
+ Responsive automatic exposure
+ Easy to use and comfortable
+ Nice playback options
+ Good connectivity
+ Very good motion
+ Good low light performance

Kodak Zx1 cons:
poor still features
- sharpness worse than competition
- ambiguous buttons
- poor microphone

The design:

Kodak Zx1 measures 2 x 0.8 x 4.2 inches and weighs 3.2 oz. The Kodak camcorder is available in five colors including black, red, blue, yellow and pink. The Kodak Zx1 and not only interesting design, but it is also made of good materials and so it feels good in hand. The front of the camcorder houses the lens, infrared sensor, record tally lamp, mono microphone and a battery container hidden under a door. The left side houses the power button, and the camcorder’s ports, whereas the right side houses the memory card slot along with the lanyard eyelet. The back of the Kodak Zx1 shows the 2-inch LCD screen and all the camcorder buttons and controls. The top is almost bare and it houses only the playback speaker while on the bottom there’s only the tripod mount.

Performance:

The Kodak Zx1 uses the H.264 codec and records the movies in MOV files so most users should not have any problems with copying the video files. There are numerous recording options including the standard definition VGA mode. The editing software that comes with the camcorder is very user friendly, yet not too powerful. To make your life easier all image adjustments are made automatically and quite accurately, except for white balance which fails to impress. Also, if you like to use manual controls you may be disappointed with the Kodak Zx1 as it has no manual controls for exposure, gain, shutter speed and so on.

Image quality:

The Kodak Zx1 performs quite poorly in bright light. The colors are much worse rendered than in the camcorders made by the competition. Also the noise levels in bright light are higher than in the competition. The 60p motion is very smooth, yet the 30p is only acceptable and looks a bit slower. The overall sharpness of videos taken with the Kodak Zx1 is fine for this class of camcorders. Surprisingly, the Kodak Zx1 does a lot better job in low light than in bright light. The Kodak Camcorder has outstanding low light sensitivity and the colors are all rendered very well. Also, the noise levels are very good and a bit better than the competition.
Kodak Zx1 is also capable of shooting still photos but with limited features. The noise seems too high and the color accuracy is quite bad and when you add to it that the Kodak camcorder can shoot only 3 megapixel photos you can’t expect too much.

Menus/Ease of use:

The Kodak Zx1 is quite easy to use because of its lack of manual controls. However, the button design is ambiguous which may get on your nerves. The menu is easy to use once you manage to find it and the overall impression of the Kodak Zx1 is quite positive.
Selected Kodak Zx1 features and specifications:
Product Type 
Camcorder
Enclosure Color
 Black
Digital Zoom
2 x
Optical Sensor Size
1/4.5″
Optical Sensor Type
 CMOS
Digital Video Format
 H.264
Shooting Modes
 Digital photo mode
Widescreen Video Capture 
Yes

• Main Features

Camcorder Sensor Resolution
 1.6 megapixels
Camcorder Interpolated Still Resolution 
3 megapixels
Color Support
 Color
Still Image Format
 JPEG
TV Tuner
None

• Memory / Storage

Supported Flash Memory 
SD Memory Card
Integrated Memory 
128 MB
Media Type
 Flash card

• Lens System

Type
Lens – 4.1 mm – F/2.8
Focal Length
 4.1 mm
Lens Aperture
 F/2.8
Lens system type
 Lens
Max focal length
 4.1 mm
Focus Adjustment 
Focus free
Min Focus Range 
27.6 in

• Additional Features

Digital Still Camera Function
 Yes
Additional Features
 Weatherproof, 
Built-in speaker, 
YouTube capture mode, 
USB 2.0 compatibility
Software
Drivers & Utilities , ArcSoft MediaImpression
Included Accessories
Wrist strap , Carrying pouch

• Viewfinder

Viewfinder Type: 
None

• Display

Type
: LCD display – TFT active matrix – 2 in – Color

• Digital Player (Recorder)

Type
None

• Microphone

Type
Microphone – Built-in

• Connections

Connector Type 
1 x USB , 1 x HDMI output , 1 x Composite video/audio output , 1 x DC power input
Expansion Slot(s)
1 x SD Memory Card

• Audio Input

Audio input type
 Microphone
Microphone type
 Built-in
Microphone Operation Mode 
Mono

• System Requirements for PC Connection

Operating System Support 
MS Windows Vista , MS Windows XP SP2 , Apple Mac OS X 10.4 or later
Peripheral Devices
 USB port , XGA monitor , CD-ROM drive
System Requirements Details
- 1 GB – 300 MB

• Miscellaneous

Cables Included
 A/V cable , HDMI cable , USB cable

• Power

Power Device
Battery charger – External

• Battery

Supported Battery 
AA
Supported Battery
 2 x AA NiMH rechargeable battery ( Included ) , 1 x Kodak KLIC 8000 Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Optional ) , 1 x Kodak CRV3 Lithium battery ( Optional ) , 2 x AA Alkaline battery ( Optional )

• Manufacturer Warranty

Service & Support 
1 year warranty
Service & Support Details
 Limited warranty – 1 year

• Viewfinder / Display

Display Form Factor
Built-in

Other recently reviewed camcorders:

JVC Everio GZ-HD300, Canon Vixia HF S100, Sony HDR-XR520V, Panasonic HDC-HS300, Panasonic HDC-SD20

Overview:

JVC Everio GZ-HD300 is a compact camcorder with appealing design and as is it available in a few different colors you will surely find the perfect one for you. The camcorder has a built-in 60 GB hard drive so you need not worry about lack of memory to record a film and thanks to the 2.7 LCD display you can clearly see what you are shooting. The most important thing is the image quality. So is the JVC Everio GZ-HD300 worth its price? Read on to find out.

JVC Everio GZ-HD300 pros:

+ 2.7 inch LCD display
+ Small and compact
+ Very god color accuracy (in good light)
+ 60GB built-in HDD
+ Simple menus
+ Accurate color rendering
+ 20x optical zoom

JVC Everio GZ-HD300 cons:

– Poor color performance in low light
- Blurry image in low light
- Too high noise levels
- No viewfinder

The design:
JVC Everio GZ-HD300 measures 2.1 x 4.4 x 2.7 inches and weighs 11.5 oz. As usual the front of the JVC Everio GZ-HD300 is dominated by the Konica Minolta HD lens below which you will see the LED video light and a microphone. On the right side you will see the composite AV-out port, the hand strap and USB port, whreas on the left the 2.7 inch LCD chamber with a few touch-sensitive buttons, several ports, and power on/off button. The top of the JVC Everio GZ-HD300 houses the zoom toggle and photo shutter button, whereas the bottom features the tripod mount, microSD card slot and battery release button.

Performance:
Although JVC Everio GZ-HD300 does not offer ny color control options it renders very good colors in good lighting conditions. The noise levels in this JVC camcorderCanon Vixia HF S100, or The new Sony HDR-XR520V. The JVC Everio GZ-HD300 has quite good motion, yet sometimes you can see some artifacting. One of the most neglected JVC Everio GZ-HD300 features is its sharpness. Here the camcorder disappoints and can’t compare even with the Panasonic HDC-SD20. JVC Everio GZ-HD300 does’n do a very good job in ow light – the noise is much too high and the colors are just average. Moreover, the image tends to get blurred and lacks detail. As the majority of moders high definition camcorders the JVC Everio GZ-HD300 uses the AVCHD compression to capture videos. And as it records them to the 60 GB hard drive most users won’t probably need the MicroSD/SDHC memory cards which are also supported by the latest JVC camcorder.

Still photos:
JVC Everio GZ-HD300 would not be a good choice for filmmakers who also like to take photos with their camcorders. The JVC camcorder has very few still photo features and the maximum resolution in only 1920 x 1080. What is more, the camcorder has no flash which excludes taking photos in low light and as the overall sharpness of the images is not too good it really makes difficult to want to take pictures with JVC Everio GZ-HD300.

Menus / ease of use:
The JVC Everio GZ-HD300 is generally easy, especially if you make use of the ‚Easy’ mode. If not, you will find plenty of manual controls some of which were reserved for more professional camcorder even a year ago. Yet, you will have to make manual adjustments using the Laser Touch slider which may be annoying at times. But when you get used to that the JVC Everio GZ-HD300 is a very pleasant device to work with.
All in all, i think that this is a very good camcorder for this price if you do not intend shooting too many films in lower light. If you do, however, you can also have a look at the Panasonic HDC-HS300 review.
Selected JVC Everio GZ-HD300 features and specifications:
Image Sensor

• Image Sensor 1/4.1″ 3.05 MP CMOS

Lens

• Optical Zoom 20X
• Digital Zoom 200X
• Filter Diameter 30.5mm

Recording Media

• Recording Media 60GB HDD
• Memory Card microSD/ SDHC Card

Video Light

• Auto Illumi. Light
  

Still Image Size

• 16:9 – 1920 x 1080

• Video Recording Format: [AVCHD] MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
• Full HD 1920 x 1080 Recording
• 1920 x 1080/60P Output

Storage

• 25 hours recording at the highest quality (Ultra-DVD Movie)

• Remote Control

Connectors

• USB, AV Ports

Features

• 60GB Internal Hard Disk Drive
• 25 hours recording at the highest quality (Ultra-DVD Movie)
• 24Mbps Ultra High Quality AVCHD Recording
• Face Detection
• HDMI V.1.3 with x.v.Color
• Power-Linked operation with Quick Restart
• Convenient 2-way Strap
• Auto Power ON/OFF & Auto Lens Cover

Other recently reviewed camcorders:

Panasonic HDC-SD20, Panasonic HDC-HS300, Sony HDR-XR520V, Canon Vixia HF S100.

Overview:
Canon Vixia HF S100 has 8.59 megapixel sensor, still photo feature, new custom control dial and a large lens. Moreover, the camcorder is very comfortable and offers very good image quality in most circumstances. When you add to is that the Canon Vixia HF S100 is equipped with 32 Gb flash memory it seems that the new Canon camcorder is almost perfect.

Canon Vixia HF S100 pros:
+ Big new lens and sensor
+ Outstanding sharpness
+ Excellent color accuracy
+ 8 megapixel still photos
+ Plenty of manual controls
+ Great audio features
+ 20x optical zoom

Canon Vixia HF S100 cons:
- Too much noise (compared with competition)
- Low light performance could be better
- Illogical menus
- Average battery life

The design:
Canon Vixia HF S100 measures 70 x 69 x 136mm and weighs 450 grams (without lens and battery pack). The front of the camcorder is dominated by the Canon HD video lens. Below the lens you can see only the AF assist lamp. The right side of the Canon Vixia HF S100 houses the microphone, three ports hidden under the door behind the hand strap – component out, USB and HDMI-out. The left side houses the display chamber and within it the SDHC memory card slot, battery release switch, joystick and plenty of other controls and buttons. The back of Canon Vixia HF S100 houses the mode dial (at the top, where the viewfinder would normally be), the battery pack, DC power port and record on/off button. At the top of the camera is the pop up flash for still photos, Canon proprietary hot shoe and the zoom toggle, whereas at the bottom you will find only the tripod mount.

Performance:
Canon Vixia HF S100 has quite average battery performance for a flash based camcorder as it can record slightly less than 100 minutes. More importantly, the Canon Vixia HF S100 does not disappoint with its image quality. The colors are rendered well and in good lighting conditions the camcorder shows little noise. In fact the Canon Vixia HF S100 performs quite comparably to its two most direct competitors Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Sony HDR-XR520V in good light.
The motion registered with Canon Vixia HF S100 is also very good and as the Canon camcorder records in different frame rates you have control over everything. Additionally, the camcorder has very good sharpness, and quite good low light sensitivity. However, the color is rendered a bit worse in low light than in good light. In low light the camcorder has little noise, yet still a bit more than Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Sony HDR-XR520V.
As most modern camcorders the Canon Vixia HF S100 records videos in AVCHD codec in a few different quality options where the highest is 24 Mbps.
The camcorder comes with 20x optical zoom and up to 20x digital zoom.

Still photos:
Canon Vixia HF S100 is almost as good still photo performer as video recorder. The camcorder can take photos in up to 3264 x 2456 resolution and thanks to the abundance of features and settings you can achieve really great results here. Not only can you take photos while recording, but you can also take photos in continuous mode until the camcorder runs out of memory. With well positioned, auto pop-up flash taking photos in lower light should also not be a problem.
The pictures taken with the Canon Vixia HF S100 are sharp, with relatively little noise and good colors.

Menus / ease of use:
Canon Vixia HF S100 can record videos in the ‚Easy’ mode which would be great for beginners as then the Canon camcorder blocks the access to all menus. So the only thing you need to worry about is pressing the record button. However, when not in the easy mode you have to search for some settings in different menus. Although all menus are clear and straightforward it takes some time to get used to that.
All in all the Canon Vixia HF S100 is a god performer for a reasonable price.
Selected Canon Vixia HF S100 features and specifications:
Standard Definition or High Definition

• High Definition

Television System

• NTSC

Video Recording system

• MPEG4v-AVC / H.264

Image Sensor

• 1/2.6-inch CMOS, RGB Prmary Color Filter

Total Pixels

• Approx. 8.59 Megapixels

Effective Pixels

• Video: Approx. 6.01 Megapixels
• (3264 x 1840) / Still Image: 16:9: Approx. 6.01 Megapixels
• (3264 x 1840), 4:3 Approx. 8.02 Megapixels (3264 x 2456)

Maximum recording time

• 32GB SDHC Memory Card (not supplied)
• LP (5 Mbps) 12 hours 15 minutes
• SP (7 Mbps) 9 hours 35 minutes
• XP+ (12 Mbps) 5 hours 45 minutes
• FXP (17 Mbps) 4 hours 10 minutes – Allows 1920 x 1080 Full HD Recording
• MXP (24 Mbps) 2 hours 55 minutes – Allows 1920 x 1080 Full HD Recording

Lens

• Zoom Ratio 10x Optical / 200x Digital
• Focal Length f=6.4- 64mm (35mm equivalent: 43.5 – 435mm)
• Zoom Speed Variable / 3 Fixed Zoom Speeds
• Max. F/Stop f/1.8-3.0

Focusing System

• Instant AF, Face Priority AF, TTL (through the lens)

Manual Exposure

• Yes

Programmed AE

• AUTO, P, Av, Tv, Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach,Sunset, Spotlight, Fireworks

Max Shutter Speed

• Movie: 1/2000, Still image: 1/500

Minimum Focusing Distance

• 10mm (wide) / 1m (tele)

White Balance

• Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Manual

Frame Rate

• 60i, 24p Progressive (records at 60i), 30p Progressive (records at 60i)

Minimum Illumination

• 0.3 lx (Night mode)

Image Stabilization

• SuperRange Optical (lens shift)

Filter Diameter

• 58mm

LCD Screen

• 2.7-inch Multi-Angle Vivid widescreen color LCD (Approx. 211,000 dots)

Flash

• Built-in

Recording Media

• SDHC Memory Card

USB Terminal

• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed

Video Terminal

• component (output), composite (output)

Audio

• Dolby Digital 2 channels (AC-3 2 ch)
• Accessory Shoe
• mini Advanced
• Supplied Video Editing Software
• Pixela ImageMixer 3SE
• HDMI Terminal
• HDMI Mini Connector (output), CEC and x.v. Color
• Microphone Terminal
• 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack
• AV Mini Terminal/Headphone Terminal
• 3.5 mm 4 pole mini-jack (video/audio output only)

Other recently reviewed camcorders:

Sony HDR-XR520V, Panasonic HDC-HS300, Panasonic HDC-SD20.

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

Overview:
The new Panasonic HDC-HS300 features a quite large touchscreen display and a viewfinder. The camcorder is made of high quality, durable materials and has god performance. The built-in 120 HDD will assure that you do not need to take memory cards and you should always have enough space to record your movies. However, the battery life is merely average and so for longer clips you will have to record plugged in.

Panasonic HDC-HS300 pros:
+ 120 GB hard disc drive
+ Full HD 1920 x 1080 recording
+ 2.7 inch touchscreen display and a viewfinder
+ Easy to use
+ Very good handling
+ 12x optical zoom
+ 9 megapixel still images
+ Manual ring
+ Excellent HD pictures and sound

Panasonic HDC-HS300 cons:
- Average battery life
- Light wind affects 5.1ch built-in mic on top
- Rather high price

The design:
Panasonic HDC-HS300 measures 70 x 73 x 141 mm and weighs 460 grams. The front of the Panasonic camcorder features the 12x Leica lens and the lend ring, flash (for still photos) and the AF assist lamp. The left side of the Panasonic HDC-HS300 houses LCD chamber with plenty of buttons and ports: optical image stabilization on/off, playback controls, USB port, AV-out port, whereas the right side houses the hand strap. At the top of the Panasonic HDC-HS300 you will find the accessory shoe, zoom toggle, still photo button, intelligent auto mode and the 5.1 channel built-in microphone ( which can easily get obscured by fingers, thus distorting the audio). At the bottom of Panasonic HDC-HS300 is the tripod mount.

Performance:
The Panasonic HDC-HS300 renders very accurate colors in bright light. Also noise levels in good light are reasonable thus making the Panasonic HDC-HS300 quite a good overall performer in bright light. When you add to it that the camcorder has tro frame tares: 60i and 24p and that the Panasonic HDC-HS300 produces sharp image the general impression is really good. In lower light the camcorder scores.. almost equally well. The colors are rendered well and the noise is not too intrusive.
The Panasonic HDC-HS300 has a few shooting modes to choose from so no matter the weather conditions you should be able to shoot videos easily. The automatic white balance does a good job and so does the Intelligent Auto mode which will be suitable for beginners. So the image quality is really superb in most conditions and on the rare occasions when it is not superb it is at least very good. With 12x optical zoom you can make videos of even very distant subjects and thanks to the number next to the zoom bar on the screen you can easily repeat the shot.

Still photos:
Panasonic HDC-HS300 can take still photos in up to 3984 x 2656 (9 megapixels) when in still mode and 3 megapixel photos while recording a video. The camera has a bunch of options for still images, like: self-times, red-eye reduction, shooting modes. The photos are generally sharp, with plenty of detail and good color reproductions.

Menus / ease of use:
Although the Panasonic HDC-HS300 offers a wide range of manual options the camcorder remains fairly easy to use. The menus sometimes seem a bit too long, but navigating through them is generally easy. The Intelligent Auto mode (which works just like in the Panasonic HDC-SD20) follows faces and takes care of the white balance, scene mode, image stabilization making the camcorder perfect for beginners.
Selected Panasonic HDC-HS300 features and specifications:
IMAGE SENSOR

• Image Sensor    1/4.1″ MOS x 3
• Total Pixels      9.15 megapixels　（3.05 megapixels x 3）
• Effective Pixels
• Motion Image    6.21 megapixels （2.07 megapixels x 3）[16:9]
• Still Image    7.95 megapixels （2.65 megapixels x 3 ） [3:2] / 7.53 megapixels （2.51 megapixels x 3） [16:9] / 6.96 megapixels （2.32 megapixels x 3 ） [4:3]

LENS SECTION

• Lens Brand     Leica Dicomar Lens
• F Value    F1.8(WIDE)/2.8(TELE)
• Optical Zoom     12x
• Digital Zoom     30x- 700x
• Focal Length    4-48mm
• Filter Diameter   43mm
• 35mm Film camera Equivalent
• 44.9-539mm (16:9) [Motion Image] / 41.3-496mm (3:2), 40.8-490mm (16:9), 45.0-540mm (4:3) [Still Image]

CAMERA SECTION

• Standard illumination    1400 lx
• Minimum Illumination    1.6 lx (1/25 Low Light Mode) / 1 lx (Colour Night View Mode)
• Image Stabilizer    Advanced O.I.S. [Optical Image Stabilizer]
• Focus     Auto / Manual
• White Balance    Auto / Indoor1 / Indoor2 / Sunny / Cloudy / White set
• Shutter Speed    Motion Image
• [50i] Auto Slow Shutter ON : 1/25-1/8000 , video flash: 1/25-1/500 OFF : 1/50-1/8000, video flash: 1/50-1/500 [25P] Auto Slow Shutter ON : 1/25-1/8000 , video flash: 1/25-1/500 OFF : 1/50-1/8000, video flash: 1/50-1/500
• Still Image     1/2-1/2000, video flash: 1/2-1/500
• Iris     Auto / Manual
• Backlight Compensation     Yes

MONITOR

• EVF
• Monitor(LCD)     2.7 Wide LCD ( 230,400 pixels)

STILL IMAGE SECTION

• Recording Format     JPEG
• Rcording Image Size
• Creating still picture from motion picture
• 2.1 megapixels (1920 x 1080) [16:9]
• Simultaneous Recording
• 8.3 megapixels (3840 x 2160) , 2.1 megapixels (1920×1080) [16:9]
• Still Picture
• 10.6 megapixels （3984 x 2656), 7.0 megapixels (3264 x 2176), 4.5 megapixels (2592 x 1728) [3:2] / 10.0 megapixels （4224 x 2376), 6.0 megapixels (3328 x 1872), 3.5 megapixels (2560 x 1440) [16:9] / 9.0 megapixels （3520 x 2640), 8.0 megapixels (3264 x 2448), 5.0 megapixels (2560 x 1920), 0.3 megapixels (640 x 480) [4:3]
• Flash
• DPOF
• Max. 999 images
• Pict Bridge

RECORDING SECTION

• Signal System  1080 / 50i
• Recording Format
• MPEG4-AVC/H.264 (AVCHD standard compliant)
• Recording Mode
• HA (17Mbps / VBR) , (1920 x 1080) / HG (13Mbps / VBR) , (1920 x 1080) / HX (9Mbps / VBR) , (1920 x 1080) / HE (6Mbps / VBR) , (1440 x 1080)
• Playback Mode
• HA (17Mbps / VBR) , (1920 x 1080) / HG (13Mbps / VBR) , (1920 x 1080) / HX (9Mbps / VBR) , (1920 x 1080) / HE (6Mbps / VBR) , (1440 x 1080)
• Audio Recording System
• Dolby Digital (5.1ch) Microphone 5.1ch Surround, Zoom and Focus Microphone
• Speaker
• Dynamic type
• Media Remaining Indication
• INTERFACE, AV, Out, HDMI
• Microphones (stereo mini)
• Headphones (stereo mini)
• USB
• 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Video component

OTHERS

• Accessory Shoe
• Yes (Cold)
• STANDARD ACCESSORIES
• AC Adaptor, AC Cable, DC Cable, Rechargeable Battery Pack min. 1250 mAh / Lithium-Ion, Video Component Cable, AV Cable, IR Remote, USB Cable
• Included Software, HD Writer AE 1.0

GENERAL

• Media
• HDD (120GB), SD/SDHC Memory Card
• On-Screen Display Language
• English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Netherlandic, Turkish, Swedish
• Power Supply – DC7.2V / 9.3V
• Power Consumption (W) – 7.8

Other recently reviewed camcorders:

Panasonic HDC-SD20

Overview:
Panasonic HDC-SD20 has a very nice feature called Intelligent Auto mode perfect for beginners. The camcorder also features optical image stabilization system, 16x optical zoom, good color performance, touch screen interface and much, much more.

Panasonic HDC-SD20 pros:
+ Good color performance
+ 16x optical zoom
+ Low noise levels
+ Plenty of manual settings (if not in auto mode)
+ Overall good video quality

Panasonic HDC-SD20 cons:
- Poor focus performance in low lighting conditions
- Rather high noise in low light
- Microphone at the top might easily get obscured by fingers
- Average battery performance

The design:
The Panasonic HDC-SD20 measures 64 x 127 x 67 mm and weighs 272 grams. The front of the camcorder features, of course, the Leica lens, Led light and flash for taking still photos. The right side of the camcorder features only a thin, comfy hand strap, whereas the left side houses the screen chamber and within it the USB and SDHC ports (with covers), and a Fe buttons controlling manual mode, LED light, image stabilization, menu. The back of Panasonic HDC-SD20 features the battery pack, record on/off button, and mode switch for video and stills. At the top of the camcorder you can see the 5.1 microphone, zoom toggle, pre-record button and Intelligent Auto mode button. The bottom of Panasonic HDC-SD20 houses oly the tripod mount and the battery release switch.

Performance:
The Panasonic HDC-SD20 is a very good performer in most respects. The camcorder renders very good color and thanks to some options you can manually adjust color depth. Should that not be enough you can also choose one of the Soft Skin modes to make your life even easier. The Panasonic HDC-SD20 has also very good noise performance, in that it has little noise in most lighting conditions. Yet, the camcorder has surprisingly bad sharpness and in fact worse than any of its competitors released in 2009, like Canon Vixia HF S100, Panasonic HDC-HS300, or Sony HDR-XR520V, but still it performs better that any standard definition camcorder.
The Panasonic HDC-SD20 uses the AVCHD coded which is already quite usual for high definition camcorders. The highest quality setting in this camcorder will allow you to record movies at 17Mbps.

Still photos:
The Panasonic HDC-SD20 can also take 2.1 megapixel pictures. The camcorder comes with a standard set of features for stills like self-times, red-eye reduction and burst mode. Yet, the 2.1 megapixel photos look just average and so we cannot advise their use for various purposes as they seem only useable as an e-mail attachment, but not for print.

Menus / ease of use:
The Panasonic HDC-SD20 is very easy to use as it features a great auto mode which blocks access to any settings in the menus so that you cannot spoil anything and can focus on making movies. It that is not enough, however, the Panasonic HDC-SD20 has also the Intelligent Auto mode which not only makes all necessary adjustments to the image, but also detects faces, selects appropriate scene mode, and contrast.
However, the Auto modes black access to the menus and so if you do want to change something you have to switch the the manual mode. So you cannot change merely the white balance in auto mode – you have to set everything manually.
All in all, he Panasonic HDC-SD20 is a good camcorder for either amateurs who would rely in the auto mode, or for people well-acquainted with all the features. The semi-professionals might have to spend much time learning all the features. But still, the Panasonic HDC-SD20 is worth its price.
Selected Panasonic HDC-SD20 features and specifications:

Cameras with hard disks are the most practical solution for camcorder’s fans, because they do not have to worry about miniDV cassettes or DVDs, which cost money. The hard disk provides recording space and requires no extra cost.

Sony DCR – SR210E is an advanced camera with a hard drive. First of all, it comes with a ClearVid CMOS chip (2.3-megapixels), which provides a greater sensitivity, extended dynamic range and less blur. The display has a better contrast and it has a wider range of colors.

New processor ensures better quality films and photos.

The 60 GB drive allows you to record films up to 41 hours.
The lens comes from the most advanced optical Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T. The range of focal length in the camcorder mode: 40-600 mm (16:9), 49-735 mm (4:3), in the camera mode: 40.4-404 mm (16:9), 37-555 mm (4:3).

Handycam Station allows for copying recordings to the computer, editing or viewing films and photos on a TV. Thanks to Sony Super NightShot Plus you can record films in total darkness.

The manufacturer has decided to introduce a new series of batteries, which are also used in Sony SR210E. Construction of new models of batteries (NP-FH100, NP-FH70 and NP-FH50, NP-FH30) is based on the hybrid cells and ActiFORCE. Technology. These solutions increase the capacity of batteries, reduce the charging time, and improve the accuracy of battery indicator.

Key features of the product

• 60 GB hard drive for a maximum of 41 hours of standard definition video and high-quality image
• HYBRID mode – the possibility of recording on separate cards
• ClearVid CMOS technology Exmor: excellent image, high sensitivity and low distortion
• Fast image processor BIONZ
• Lens Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T * 15x optical zoom / 180x digital zoom
• Optical Super SteadyShot image stabilizer
• Facial recognition system – a better picture of the human face
• Optimizing the dynamic range (D-Range Optimiser) – correcting exposure and contrast in order to ensure adequate highlight shots
• Record-resolution photographs of 4 megapixels on the internal hard drive or removable memory cards, Memory Stick
• Advanced Dual Rec
• Panoramic touch screen
• “Quick ON”
• Recording 5.1 channel surround sound and directional microphone
• Continuous recording for up to seven hours

In the box

• Camcorder
• The docking station
• Remote control
• Power supply
• Battery NP-FH60
• AV cable
• USB cable
• Software
• Manual