Sony announced during CES 2010 a refresh to their HDD Handycam line of camcorders – similar to the HDR-XR models of 2009. The new models (HDR-XR550V, HDR-XR350V and HDR-XR150) have some great additions inside and out compared to last year and range from $700 to $1400. All of these camcorders will be available in February and are compatible with PC and Mac. We’re really excited about these new models because it is the first time Sony has included the ability to HD video at 24Mbps, which other manufacturers have had in their AVCHD-based camcorders for a while. For those of you tired of limited options in the past, I’m also pleased to inform you that Sony put Memory Stick PRO Duo, Secure Digital (SD), and SDHC storage card slots on each model. We’re also seeing mention of the ability to down-convert from AVCHD to MPEG2, and are seeking clarification on this feature and if its built-in to the device or something external.
The Sony HDR-XR550V High-Definition HDD Handycam Camcorder will be the flagship model at $1400, and features full 1920×1080 high-definition video recording at up to 24Mbps and 12-megapixel still image capture. Sony has also included the 240GB hard drive again this year, which is enormous and probably more than sufficient for most consumers. Within, you’ll have confidence in every shot as the lens is a masterful “Exmor-R” CMOS sensor with accelerated auto focus and is also a Wide Angle G-lens for a 2x larger shooting area. And speaking of shooting area, you will never miss a detail on the extremely large 3.5” touchscreen Xtra Fine TruBlack LCD (921K) with a newer, improved interface.
Like other Handycams this year, the XR550V has Optical Steady Shot with Active Mode, from wide to telephoto end. The high-speed BIONZ imaging processor enables some new advanced features such as Golf Shot (renders two seconds of motion into sequence of up to 22 still images) and iAuto (11 optimized settings depending on the scene). Incredible face detection, Smile Shutter, and Face Touch recognizes up to eight faces to auto correct and prioritize a subject with one touch, while also taking photos. To ensure you remember where you took your video, the XR550V has a built-in GPS receiver with integrated Navteq maps technology that automatically geo-tags content for you.
Aside from the mini HDMI port, USB, and excellent storage card compatibility the XR550V has mic and headphone inputs as well as an assignable dial for manual control (Iris/Shutter/Exposure/WB/Focus).
For nearly four hundred dollars less, the HDR-XR350V High-Definition HDD Handycam Camcorder is a good alternative that still packs solid features in comparison to the XR550V. It has full 1920×1080 high-definition video recording at up to 24Mbps and 7-megapixel still image capture. Sony has also included a 160GB hard drive in this model, which is about 90GB less than the XR550V but I find it hard to believe that this will be considered a limitation by most people – its a lot of hard drive space.
Within, you’ll have confidence in every shot as the lens is a masterful “Exmor-R” CMOS sensor with accelerated auto focus that also is a Wide Angle G-lens for a 2x larger shooting area. A powerful 12X optical zoom and higher digital zoom allow you to crop that perfect frame, or simply peer far off into the distance. And speaking of shooting area, it will be hard to miss a detail on the nice touchscreen 2.7” Clear Photo LCD Plus screen (230K) with a newer, improved interface.
Like other Handycams this year, the XR350V has Optical Steady Shot with Active Mode, from wide to telephoto end. The high-speed BIONZ imaging processor enables some new advanced features such as Golf Shot (renders two seconds of motion into sequence of up to 22 still images) and iAuto (11 optimized settings depending on the scene). Incredible face detection, Smile Shutter, and Face Touch recognizes up to eight faces to auto correct and prioritize a subject with one touch, while also taking photos. It however does not have the GPS option like the XR550V.
And lastly, we have the $700 HDR-XR150 High-Definition HDD Handycam Camcorder that does an impressive full 1920×1080 high-definition video recording at up to 24Mbps, but is far lower than the other models with only the ability to do 3-megapixel still image capture. Sony has also included a 120GB hard drive in this model and a 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus screen (230K). The high quality “Exmor-R” CMOS sensor with accelerated auto focus and Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 25X optical zoom lens will make this camcorder a strong contender in its price range.
Like other Handycams this year, the XR550V has Optical Steady Shot with Active Mode, from wide to telephoto end. The high-speed BIONZ imaging processor enables some new advanced features such as Golf Shot (renders two seconds of motion into sequence of up to 22 still images) and iAuto (11 optimized settings depending on the scene). Incredible face detection, Smile Shutter, and Face Touch recognizes up to eight faces to auto correct and prioritize a subject with one touch, while also taking photos. It however does not have the GPS option like the XR550V.
