The Sony Handycam HDR-CX150 is a compact camcorder with relatively fast focusing capability.

Thumbs Down:

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX150’s video quality is just OK and the lens flare problem is way worse than expected, especially in bright sunlight.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Sony

Part Number: HDR-CX150

Price: $499.95 – $549.99

Product Type: Camcorder – 1080i

Weight: 7.4 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 2 x 4.5 x 2.2 inches

Optical Sensor Type: Exmor R CMOS

Operating System Support: Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows XP SP3 and Microsoft Windows Vista

Shooting Modes: Digital photo mode

White balance: Automatic, Presets and Custom

White Balance Presets: Outdoor and Indoor

Exposure Modes: Automatic and Program

Peripheral Devices: USB port and CD-ROM drive

Software: Sony Picture Motion Browser and Drivers & Utilities

Cables Included: USB cable, A/V cable and Component video cable

Connector Type: Composite audio/video output, Component video output, USB, S-Video output, HDMI output and Remote control

Additional Features: USB 2.0 compatibility ,   Face detection ,   Scene Detection Technology ,  Dynamic Range Optimizer ,   Takes photos while movie recording ,   Smile Detection technology and Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording

Shooting Programs: Beach, Snow, Sunset, Candle, Fireworks, Sunrise, Spotlight, Landscape, Twilight mode and Portrait mode

Focus: Manual, Automatic

Search Modes: Face index search and Index search

Supported Battery: Sony NP-FV50

Battery Type: Sony NP-FV50 Li-ion rechargeable

Razzle Dazzle:

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX150 fits easily in a jacket pocket or in a pants pocket, like the CX100 and CX110. But there are quite a number of features that are missing from this costly and bigger than mini-camcorder, and the one that we missed here was the 25x zoom lens and camcorders ability to capture 3 megapixel stills. Though, in terms of build and design the HDR-CX150 and HDR-CX110 are way more attractive than the XR150, which had a strange upward projection placed in its right side. But this strange projection also becomes an advantage for XR150, as it provides extra grip on the camera which clearly is missing from its rather smaller siblings. Like most of the other ultracompact camcorders that we’ve seen, the HDR-CX150 also is optimized for shooting under the eye level.

Inside Dope:

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX150, HDR-CX110 and XR150 they all belongs to Sony’s budget-priced HD triumvirate. All the aforementioned camcorder models differs by their storage media and color, the HDR-CX110 doesn’t have any en suite memory, while the HDR-CX150 comes with an integrated 16GB memory and the XR150 comes with a humongous 120GB hard disk. Apart from this the HDR-CX150 and the other models mentioned above belongs to the first generation of Sony’s camcorder to support approximately all SD cards. While the HDR-CX150 comes in red and black, the only color choice for XR150 is black and the same for CX110 is blue choice.

The screen in Sony Handycam HDR-CX150 is almost the same that we saw CX100, and as a matter of fact we think it’s the same from that camera, but it works well here considering the size of the camera. But using it under direct sunlight is a real tricky job. The button set used here is pretty common with buttons including direct DVD burn through software when it is connected to a PC, Power, iAuto and playback buttons. In spite of giving physical buttons for virtual zoom and record buttons, the HDR-CX150 has virtual record and zoom buttons on the touch screen. Though, the virtual record button is not a problem here, but we don’t like using touch screen for zoom. The camera also has the traditional touch-screen minutiae, like the spot focus and spot metering.

Situated under a door are the mini-HDMI and USB connectors; the proprietary AV jack and charging connector, on the body of the camcorder. A lens for in-built lens cover is given on the right side of the camera lens. Positioned next to the tripod mount of The SD/Memory Stick Duo slot sits in a door right next to the tripod mount is HDR-CX150, so if you are about to do plenty of tripod shooting it can be a problem for you and for that you can go for the hard-disk-based XR150.

The performance delivered by Sony Handycam HDR-CX150 is the biggest disappointment we had with this system. Though, the performance is satisfactory in the uppermost quality, the 24 megabit-per-second mode, but once to turn off this mode you will find yourself wondering why I have paid HD prices to get the performance just a tad better than the standard-definition quality. The video shot from the camcorder, regardless of the output device is a bit soft and has plethora of artifacts. The video quality worsens in dim video light, and hence its better you expect nothing exceptional from the camcorder considering the price of the camcorder.

Nitty Gritty:

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX150’s catchy price and appealing design might fetch your attention, but this fundamental camcorder barely delivers on the HD quality promise.

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR68 comes with a 120 GB hard drive, straightforward operation, a compact size and in that small size it has a 60x Zoom lens.

Thumbs Down:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR68 has apparent fringing on subjects and delivers soft and noisy video. The only image stabilization for the camera is the electronic image stabilization, the camera doesn’t even have mic and headphone jacks.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Sony

Price range: $349.00 – $349.99

Part Number: DCR-SR68

Dimensions (H x W x D): 2.6 x 2.2 x 4.2 inches

Weight: 9.9 oz

Operating System Support: MS Windows 7, MS Windows XP SP3 and MS Windows Vista

Media Type: Flash card &   Hard disk drive

Resolution: 720 x 480 megapixels

Shooting Programs: Beach, Snow, Sunset, Candle, Fireworks, Sunrise, Portrait mode, Landscape, Twilight portrait and Twilight mode

Image Stabilizer: Electronic (Steady Shot)

Digital Video Format: MPEG-2

Exposure Modes: Automatic & Program

White Balance Presets: Outdoor and Indoor

Still Image Format: JPEG

Supported Flash Memory: SD Memory Card

Features: Touch-screen control,   PictBridge support,   Backlight compensation,   USB 2.0 compatibility and Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording

Software: Sony Picture Motion Browser and Drivers & Utilities

Cables Included: A/V cable and USB cable

Power Device: Power adapter External

Supported Battery: Sony NP-FV30

Razzle Dazzle:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR68 is available in three color choices of red, silver and blue, but its counterpart the DCR-SR88 is only available in silver color. The overall design of DCR-SR68 is pretty small and catchy. The control layout on DCR-SR68 is trademark camcorder pattern with the start/stop button positioned at the rear end of the camera and the zoom rocker situated on the top of the camera. In general terms the size of the camera is equivalent to the size of a cola can. The positioning of hand strap is something that looks like can cause a little bit of problem, but it actually did not. One another interesting thing about the camera is that despite having such huge storage space of 120 GB the camera doesn’t have a single bump. Though, this could be attributed to the light and small hard drives available these days. Located on the top left of the camera is the power input of the camera, besides the hard drive. The battery of the camera can only be charged inside the camcorder.

Inside Dope:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR68 the hard drive based entry-level standard-definition camcorder by Sony. The camcorder comes with plethora of catchy features, but the some that caught our attention includes its big size Megazoom lens, reasonably small size and humongous storage capacity, but more than anything else the fact that all this comes at a price tag of $400 was the thing that got our attention. Even operating the DCR-SR68 is pretty easy, mentioned that you are familiar with the operation of digital cameras. Though, there is endless menu system for DCR-SR68, but there are not sufficient shooting options for the operators. Just like most of the other camcorders from its class the video quality result for the camera is pretty usual, particularly if you are planning to watch them on full screen large HDTV or if you are a high-definition content fanatic.

The controls on the body of the DCR-SR68 include a button to switch between video and photo modes positioned at the top of the battery cabin. Then there is the memory card slot positioned under the battery cover and battery and at the base of the camcorder. The memory slot here is compatible with both the Memory Stick Pro Duo and SD/SDHC cards. Located right at  the front and under the lens of the camera there is a small door which covers the proprietary AV output; although there only is composite cable included with the camera, but still you can get a S-Video cable. For the operation of lens cover there is a slider located on the right side of the camera, but if you are trying to operate it while your hand is in the strap then it can be really tricky.

The performance delivered by Sony Handycam DCR-SR68, considering the low status of the camcorder is pretty imposing. There is an instant option for the camera, which enhances the performance of the camera by turning the camera on and off pretty fast. The battery for Sony Handycam DCR-SR68 offers continuous shooting of 100 minutes, although the time may vary depending upon the number of times you turn the camera on and off. The video quality of the camera is pretty noisy and soft.

Nitty Gritty:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR68 comes with humongous storage space, huge Megazoom lens and all that at reasonable price. But to cut down the price, a little compromise has been made here and there, and once you take a deep look at the camera you will find that spending a little more on an HD model would have been a more sensible decision.

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 has a small size, easy operation, extended 120 GB storage device and 60x zoom lens.

Thumbs Down:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 doesn’t have mic or headphone jacks, has only electronic image stabilization, apparent fringing on objects and most importantly the camcorder offers noisy and soft video.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Sony

Price range: $365.00 – $399.99

Part Number: DCR-SR88

Dimensions (H x W x D): 2.6 x 4.2 x 2.2 inches

Weight: 9.9 oz

Operating System Support: Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP SP3

Media Type: Hard disk drive and Flash card

Resolution: 720 x 480 megapixels

Shooting Programs: Beach, Snow, Sunset, Candle, Fireworks, Sunrise, Portrait mode, Landscape, Twilight portrait and Twilight mode

Image Stabilizer: Electronic (Steady Shot)

Digital Video Format: MPEG-2

Exposure Modes: Program and Automatic

White Balance Presets: Outdoor and Indoor

White Balance Presets: Indoor and Outdoor

Digital Video Format: MPEG-2

Still Image Format: JPEG

Supported Flash Memory: SD Memory Card

Features: Built-in lens shield, Touch-screen control,   PictBridge support,   Backlight compensation,   USB 2.0 compatibility and Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording

Software: Sony Picture Motion Browser and Drivers & Utilities

Cables Included: USB cable and A/V cable

Power Device: External Power adapter

Supported Battery: Sony NP-FV30

Razzle Dazzle:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 is available in silver version only. The overall built of DCR-SR88 is pretty small and catchy, but despite its small size the camcorder has sufficient physical design and has been designed just as a camcorder should be. The primary attraction for DCR-SR88 includes its small size, Megazoom lens and hefty storage space and that entire in well under the price tag of $400.

Inside Dope:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 is the standard definition entry level camcorder by Sony. The DCR-SR88 flaunts a small size, but despite its small size the camcorder offers plenty of useful features such as large storage capacity and huge Megazoom lens. But the most important thing that we liked here is that despite so many features the camera is reasonably pried well under $400.

The operation of the camera is again pretty simple and despite the immeasurable menu systems in the camera, the operation is simple even for the first time users (mentioned that you are familiar with the operation of digital cameras). We won’t say that the DCR-SR88 delivers awful performance, but at the same time we can’t say that the performance here is exceptional. So to make things simpler lets put it in this way, the DCR-SR88 offers video quality just as you would get from any of the camcorder, and in a general the performance is good but if you watch it on HDTV it would be a bit disappointing.

But if you are ready to do a bit if compromising with the quality then the camcorder is just awesome, because firstly it comes at a reasonable price and on top of it the camera has a decent feature set as well. The controls for the camcorder are neatly laid. Located right above the battery cabin is the button which will let you switch in between the video and photo modes. Positioned underneath the back cover and battery is the memory card slot which supports both Memory Stick Pro Duo and SDHC/SD cards.

Located at the front portion of the camera and under the lens is the proprietary AV output slot covered under a door; although the camcorder comes with a composite cable, but still you can get an S-Video cable. A slider positioned at the right side of the camera, although it’s fine in general, but if you are operating it while your hand is still in the strap it can be tricky

The performance offered by Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 is pretty decent, especially if you consider the low status of the camcorder. The battery life of DCR-SR88 is of 100 minutes for constant shoot, and to make the operation fast for the camcorder there is an instant on-option. If you want to get the best battery performance then make sure that you don’t turn the camera on and off pretty frequently. The video shot from DCR-SR88 is a bit soft in general and the best video quality we got during our testing was in the Tele Macro mode. So in general there is no severe problem with the performance of DCR-SR88, but still the performance will not please the quality freaks. But if you are ready to sacrifice a little bit of quality to get decent feature set, extra space and all that in reasonable price then this is just the perfect camera.

Nitty Gritty:

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 comes with plethora of storage space, Megazoom lens and all that in a reasonable price. But if you are a quality freak then you definitely should spend a little extra on getting a HD model, but if you are not then go for it.

Thumbs Up:

Great video quality, decent manual controls, still photos too look good,

Thumbs Down:

Lacks wind filter, no viewfinder, tiny LCD.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 is a 1080i camcorder, with 150x digital zoom, has 5.6 megapixels, optical sensor size is 1/3”, videos are stored in MPEG-2, AVCHD format, special effects Monotone, Pastel, Sepia, minimum shutter speed is 1/30 second, maximum shutter speed 1/250 seconds, shooting programs include Sports lesson, Portrait mode, Spotlight, Landscape, Fireworks, Sunrise, Sunset, Candle, Beach. Camcorder sensor resolution is 5.66 mega pixels, camcorder effective video resolution is 3.81 mega pixels, camcorder effective still resolution is 5.08 mega pixels, camcorder interpolated still resolution is 10.2 mega pixels. Images are stored in JPEG format.

There is no internal memory but Sony gives a 4 GB Flash – Memory Stick PRO Duo card. The camcorder has Zoom lens – 5.9 mm – 58.8 mm – F/1.8-3.1, Focal length is 5.9 mm – 58.8 mm, lens aperture is F/1.8-3.1, has 12x optical zoom, minimal focal length is 5.9 mm, maximum focal length is 58.8 mm, filter size is 37mm, macro focus range is 47 cm. Additional features include Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording, Takes photos while movie recording, Progressive Shutter System, Dynamic Range Optimizer, Backlight compensation, Smile detection technology, USB 2.0 compatiblity, Touch-screen control, Accessories hot-shoe, PictBridge support, Face detection. Connectors include 1 x Headphones, 1 x S-Video output, 1 x HDMI output, 1 x Component video output, 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output.

Supported Operating Systems are MS Windows 2000 Professional, MS Windows XP Professional, MS Windows XP Home Edition, MS Windows Vista. Included cables are USB cable, 1 x A/V cable, 1 x Component video cable. The device is powered by Sony NP-FH60 1000 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery.

Razzle Dazzle:

Design of the HDR-CX12 is quite similar to Canon’s HF10/HF11/HF100 models, it looks slimmer, rounder and more elegant. There is a gentle upward curve which lets you use the photo button, zoom switch and power/mode switch comfortably as compared to other flash based camcorders.

Inside Dope:

Performance wise, this camcorder is similar to its hard disk based HDR-SR11 sibling. It gives excellent HD video quality and has the same midlevel set of features. The body of is compact because there is no hard disk inside. Presence of the flash based drive makes the body smaller and although it is easier to carry, the small size also means a relatively smaller LCD. We aren’t fond of such small touch screen because the buttons are too tiny and hence give the fingers a hard time. The bezel has same controls of calling up the menu systems, recording and zooming. Beneath the screen, there play, infodisplay, Easy (full auto) and backlight compensation button. There is also a NightShot switch for toggling through Sony’s infrared mode. The media slot is covered by a small door on the bottom. On the top of the device, there is a 5 channel microphone and Active Interface Shoe along with a sliding cover.

The component output proprietary connector and a mini-HDMI connector are located underneath the plastic door. The camcorder doesn’t come with an HDMI cable but there is a component cable bundled. There is a Quick On which, as the name suggests, boots up the device pretty quickly. With a partially filled 4 gig card, our booting time was cut down from 5 seconds to 2 seconds. Battery is a bit large for such a camcorder fortunately it doesn’t protrude out too much from the body. There is no room for mic input or headphone jacks, eye-level viewfinder, or video light. There is no USB connector either; you have to use the bundled Handycam Station for transferring the videos.

The 12x zoom lens is protected by an electronic cover and there is photo flash right next to it. CAM CTL dial is located below which lets you activate shutter speed, white balance shift, exposure compensation and manual focus but you can only program the button for one of these features at a time. For assigning, you will have to hold the button down for a bit and then choose from the menu which pops-up. If you don’t like fiddling too much with the settings, there is auto feature which includes D-Range Optimizer and face detection along with smile shutter. The latter can be used only in stills. There are also a couple of scene modes to choose from.

There is no internal memory, but we are not complaining about this. Sony gives you a 4 GB card along with the camcorder. At the highest quality of 16Mbps 1,920×1,080/60i AVCHD format it can store 25 minutes of video. The device can also shoot at lower HD quality of 1440×1080/60i and there are 3 standard definition options as well.

We didn’t have any issues with the performance of the CX12, in low light it struggled a bit to focus but that is not uncommon in camcorders. In bright light, the autofocus was accurate and quick. Operating zoom was easy too. SteadyShot optical stabilizer does good job in minimizing the jitter all the way to the zoom range end. Sony gives a rated battery life of 3 hours and it takes 2.5 hours to charge it. There are higher capacity batteries available.

Just like the SR11, it has the same five-MP ClearVid Exmor CMOS sensor along with f1.8-3.1 40-480mm-equivalent lens which gives sharp videos, less clipping in highlights and excellent exposures as compared to most camcorders. The white balance is solid and colors look accurate. In low light, the videos showed a bit of noise but the shots are still usable and there is not much loss of detail. Photos too look good. Audio recording is good as long as there is no wind.

Nitty Gritty:

Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 has to be one of the best camcorder we’ve ever had in our test centers. It has excellent video and photo quality which makes it a very good buy.

Thumbs Up:

Good quality videos, has built in GPS.

Thumbs Down:

Old school menu system, no control for audio, iris or manual shutter speed, lack wind filter, expensive.

Inside the Trunk:

Bundled remote control. Included cables are USB cable, Component video cable, A/V cable.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

HDR-500V  is a 1080i resolution camcorder, it has 150x digital zoom, optical sensor size is 1/2.88″, videos are stored AVCHD and MPEG 2 format. Minimum shutter speed is 1/8 second, maximum shutter speed 1/800 second. For storing videos the camcorders has a 120 GB hard disk, lens is Zoom lens – 5.5 mm – 66 mm – F/1.8-3.4, focal length is 5.5 mm – 66 mm, lens aperture is F/1.8-3.4, has 12x optical zoom, minimum focal length is 5.5 mm, maximum focal length is 66 mm.

Shooting programs include twilight mode, portrait mode, spotlight, landscape, fireworks, sunrise, sunset, candle, beach, snow. Camcorder sensor resolution is 6.631 megapixels and camcorder effective video resolution is 4.15 megapixels, camcorder effective still resolution 6 megapixels, camcorder interpolated still resolution 12 megapixels, images are stored in JPEG format. The camcorder has 3.2 inch TFT LCD touch screen.

Additional features include Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording, Takes photos while movie recording, Dynamic Range Optimizer, Smile Detection technology, Touch-screen control, Face detection, Built-in GPS. Connectors on the device include Microphone, Headphones, Remote control, S-Video output, HDMI output, Component video output, USB, Composite video/audio output. There is a card slot for Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

The device is powered by Sony NP-FH60 li-ion rechargeable battery.

Razzle Dazzle:

We found the HDR-500V a bit heavy than other camcorders and it is also a bit bigger. The heaviness can be attributed to the hard disk in side and because of the size it is easy to hold and shoot. One we really liked about the build is that the ports have door covers attached to them to keep away dust.

Inside Dope:

This camcorder from Sony has GPS built in and it is something that surprised us when we got the product in our test centers. Other than that is has the new Exmor-R back-illuminated CMOS sensor inside. You cannot use the GPS feature for heavy use since it lacks features that you find in dedicated GPS systems but we thought this was a really cool thing to have in a camcorder. Sony also puts in a lot of new technology in to the camcorder to make it one of the best in its class.

This series offers two camcorders, HDR-XR500V which has a 120 GB hard drive and stores 14.5 hours of video in best quality and there is XR520V which has a 240 GB hard drive and gives you 29.3 hours of video recording in best quality.

We were glad that the record button was very close to the thumb hence making it easy to operate. However the mode button which toggles between video and photograph mode is positioned in such a way that it is difficult to reach. We had to use our left hand to reach to the button and hence it is bad ergonomics. The best part about the camcorder has to be the presence of electronic viewfinder which manufacturers are dumping these days. You can tilt the viewfinder up for a clearer view.

There are lots of connectors and ports on the camcorder like component and composite input, mini HDMI and USB. Apart from this there are mic jacks and a 3.5 mm jack for headphone.

The manual dial on the camcorder lets you control WB shift, AE shift, exposure and focus, there is a central button which you will have to press and hold. We need to refer the reference manual of the device in order to figure out all this. The dial is good and easy to use but there is no control for audio levels, iris or shutter speed, which camcorders in this price range are known to have.

Presence of a 3.2 display LCD was a relief, most camcorders have 2.7 inch LCD and it is really cramped to use if it has a touch screen interface. The buttons on this screen are adequately spaced from one another and hence they are easy to touch. However Sony gives us old school menu system is old school and outdated. The menu is divided in to sections of Options and Home. The latter is used for newbies who don’t know much about camcorders and just want to push button and start shooting. It contains the settings that cannot be changed when you are shooting like choosing between SteadyShot Active/Standard/Off, 2-channel or 5.1-channel audio, HD/SD quality. The Options is for settings that you can change when you are shooting. It includes toggling flash, program scene modes, exposure adjustments or spot/meter focus. We were frustrated with the placement of some of the features like smile shutter and face detection are housed in Home instead of Menu.

Next to the screen there are a few physical buttons like Easy operation key, direct-to-DVD key, display toggle and there is also a card slot for putting in Memory Stick Duo Pro cards.

The camcorder has GPS software but don’t expect this camcorder to support full fledged features for GPS. We tried using the GPS and it was really fun to see tag our photos and videos to the location in which they were shot. Geotagging isn’t supported in all cities so make sure you check out the support before you travel. We were disappointed to find that the GPS doesn’t supported landmarks or street names on it. When you store the data on the computer you will have to use bundled software called Picture Motion Browser software which is really frustrating.

The camcorder has the new G-series lens which give better results in video capture than Zeiss products. The videos looked sharp and there was no aberration or visible fringing. The focus of the lens is also good and but we wished for faster focus while panning. The auto exposure and AF are really fast however like most camcorders the auto focus got confused between objects in background and foreground. The shot stabilization features (SteadyShot) worked really well in our tests, the videos were steady even when we were walking but don’t expect rock steady clips. You can choose to turn it off because it reverts to an inferior resolution and the low quality can be seen in the edges of the videos. We will once again praise Sony for putting in a great 3.2 inch LCD which is a welcome change from the tiny 2.7 inch screens.

Video quality, though not the best, is really good considering this is a consumer class model. The colors are accurate, saturated and bright but it showed tendency of highlight blowing.

Back-illuminated sensor promises to give better looking videos in dim light conditions. We tested the camcorder in low light environments and we found that this is the best a camcorder can perform in such conditions. We haven’t seen better videos from any other camcorder in dim light.

Audio quality of the camcorder is good and the photo quality is strictly OK. The camera can take photos in 12 MP but we recommend a 6 MP mode for pictures. Photos will look as long as you keep the prints to less than 8×10.

Nitty Gritty:

We were happy with the onboard features that Sony Handycam HDR-XR500V had to offer but the high price is a turn off. You can sacrifice some of these features, save some money if you buy something cheaper.