Field Report
by Gary Gray
Sony Handycam HDR-SR!
How does it stack up as a travel camcorder? Read my field report and find out.
(by Gary Gray)
High Definition camcorders have been showing up in the market for a couple of years now. Sony, Canon and JVC with the most notable products, the choices have been few and as with any new technology, it takes time to get a new product firmly grounded with consumers.
The Sony HDR-SR1 uses a CMOS sensor, 30 gigabyte hard disk for video/image storage, a “Professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens” with10x optical zoom. It also boasts a 4.1 Mpix still camera mode. Images are saved in jpg format. I’ve placed the general specifications from Sony at the end of this field report.
To cover the basics, I’ve subjectively rated the following aspects based on our use in the field during a two week travel period in Costa Rica.
Price = Street price approx $1400 (US), you may be able to find a better deal online. Overpriced in my opinion, but what new toy isn't. I'm sure it will drop over time.
Ease of use = good. The controls are at your fingertips and easy to read.
Portability = good. It fit snugly in our hand and in a small waist pouch.
Reliability = good. No issues encountered, nothing lost or corrupted.
Build quality = average (it seems a bit flimsy and we were always concerned with breaking something)
Optics = excellent. The Carl Zeiss lens and the 10x zoom are exceptional for a video camera of this size and type. The CMOS sensor Sony has put in this unit is very low noise and the image stabilization works very well at all focal lengths.
Picture quality = Outstanding. We’ve never seen a consumer grade camcorder with this quality of full motion video.
Battery life = good.
Software = junk
I’ll begin with what comes in the box. You get the Camcorder, battery charger, all required cables for external connections, Software CD-Rom and instruction booklet.
The owners manual is a typical Sony manual. It adequately points out all the features, covers most of the procedures for the different functions and gives you no insight beyond what the buttons do and the sequence needed to accomplish a basic task. There is no written information included on operating the PC software included with the Camcorder, you’re on your own there.
The Camcorder is compact enough to fit snugly in the palm of my hand. The view screen flips out on the left side of the unit and is quite flexible with orientation adjustments. We liked this feature very much. The display quality is also fairly good and viewing live scenes or reviewing recordings is not a problem even in moderately bright light. The screen also serves as a touch screen control. The controls are intuitive and not overly sensitive. I found the best way to use the touch controls was to support the back of the screen with my index finger while I pressed the screen with my thumb. My lady companion was having a little more difficulty using the touch controls with long fingernails.
The grip is designed for a right handed person, so if you are a south-paw, you may want to take this into consideration. The on/off switch, zoom and main controls are easily accessible with your thumb or forefinger while your hand is in the grip around the camera. The size is just right for my hands which are fairly large and my female friend had no problems using the unit with her smaller hands.
The unit also comes with an optical view-finder for those that don’t want to rely on the LCD display for framing their shots. This is handy too, as it allows one to operate the camera without extending the LCD screen. The view-finder articulates upwards at the top-rear of the camera to about a 45 degree angle and is only active while the camcorder is powered up and the shutter cover is open. We found that using the view-finder, while not a problem, wasn’t as easy as using the LCD screen when doing general recording.
Most other controls and access points are on the left side of the camera’s body and clearly identified. The external video out jacks use different cable connectors (all supplied) and are located on the lower left side just below the LCD screen. They are protected with a jack cover that can be slid up or down using a tab on the left side body under the LCD screen. Handy and effective.
The camera battery is a 7.2v lithium rechargeable that connects at the rear of the camera with a sturdy lock. Shooting time was good on one battery charge. We carried the camera with us everywhere in Costa Rica and never ran out of juice on any single trip. We did have one instance where we ran low on battery when we were reviewing the video at dinner one evening. Still, we found that a full charge would last us through the day.
Video files are stored on a 30 gigabyte non-removable hard disk. Sony uses proprietary file formats so retrieving videos via computer hook-up require the use of Sony’s software (more on this later.) After two weeks of vacation video, we found image storage to be quite spacious and had used less than a third of the hard drive with about 2.5 hours total recordings in High Definition mode. I estimate you can achieve between 5-7 hours of High Def video and jpg images without having to clean off the hard drive.
Picture quality! This is the reason we picked this unit. High Definition Video at 1080i resolution. At home, we have two High Def television/monitors and a multitude of High Def monitors on our computers, so we were anxious to see how the images looked. In a nutshell, outstanding!
-The GOOD NEWS -
The HDR-SR1 Handycam produces full motion video with dolby surround sound that will knock your socks off. Quite simply the best consumer grade video quality I’ve ever owned. You can record in High Def mode and play back on a standard television using the component video/audio connectors. Even in composite playback mode, you’ll get the full aspect HD aspect ratio (letterbox screen) and even resolved down to normal television scan rates, the video is outstanding. When hooked up to a High-Def monitor, the quality of the video will leap out at you like nothing you’ve ever seen from a hand held camcorder. The optics in this unit are very sharp and clear. The color is vibrant and the motion is smooth as silk. The sound quality from the built in microphone is adequate and there is a jack for an external microphone if needed. While in Costa Rica we were able to record Howler Monkeys during their morning and evening ritual growls from several hundred feet away with no problem. The 10x optical zoom is very effective and smooth. With onboard image stabilization, we had no problems with camera shake unless zoomed out completely and even at the extreme end of the zoom getting steady shots was still manageable. The effective zoom focal length is 41.3 mm – 485 mm (35mm full frame SLR equivalent.) Good reach. On the wide side with a field of view at 42 mm equivalent, this isn’t really a wide-angle zoom, but the range is more than adequate for most travel video and will give you plenty of telephoto reach to capture distant wildlife and scenery, while maintaining a good intimate look of the friends and family scenes that are more near you.
The HDR-SR1 has a good range of optical controls. With full Auto-focus, manual focus, spot focus, tele macro, exposure adjustment, spot metering, programmable auto-exposure and adjustable white-balance, this camera will give you the ability to control your image as well as any top-notch digital SLR. Low light performance is pretty good. The camera has a mode called Super Night-Shot which it adjusts the sensor to 16 times the normal sensitivity. You’ll get a bit more noise in your video but you can shoot at night and get usable results.
There are also in-camera settings for special effects (who uses those?), and a built in self-timer.
As a digital camera, the unit will produce cinema screen dimensions 16:9, 4 Mpix jpg images (and smaller if need be). Overall image quality is fairly good with good saturation and detail. We made several jpg still images and the results rival any low end point & shoot camera I’ve used.
You also have the ability to record full motion video in the Sony AVCHD (High Def Video at 1080i) or in standard MPEG-2 file formats. If you intend to use this on standard television sets at a normal NTSC aspect ratio, you may want to save the hard drive space and hassle of using the AVCHD mode and record standard MPEG-2 videos. It will make editing your files and burning DVD’s a much simpler process.
Which brings me to…
-THE BAD NEWS-
Having the ability to make High Definition Digital Video images on a device that fits in the palm of your hand is an amazing thing when you consider that only a few years ago we were in the midst of the VHS/Beta wars and camcorders could be the size of a Volkswagen Mini-Bus. With the advent of personal computers, Plasma displays, and High Definition televisions, the ability to make a true High Definition home video and view it in the living room was something we could only dream about in our younger days.
But, this is 2007 and technology has improved. Expectations are high. The market is crammed with consumer products trying to be the next-best-thing. To take advantage of High Definition, one needs to be able to transfer their video images to a computer and record DVD’s. This is where Sony has fell short of the mark. The software provided with the HDR-SR1 is nothing short of a failure. For starters, they only provide software for a Windows based PC. Now I know that Microsoft dominates the world and Windows is the predominant operating system, but still, many consider the Macintosh computer to be the video/audio computer of choice and Linux/Unix operating systems are out there.
There is no Mac installation software included with this camcorder. Sony has chosen to ignore the Mac and it’s a dumb choice in my opinion.
On a Windows PC, you will find three different programs.
Picture Motion Browser; used to edit and create DVD’s from your recordings.
This software is borderline useless and needs to be fixed.
Player for AVCHD; used to play high def video files on your PC.
Also borderline useless, the video playback on every PC I’ve tried it on is jerky and choppy and not worth viewing. Sony even includes a little yellow booklet with disclaimers discussing this problem. Another waste of disk space.
HDD Handycam Utility; used to download video files from your camcorder to the PC. You’ll need this software to download your video files. They are stored and written in a proprietary format and only the software wizards and marketing people at Sony could make it this difficult to retrieve your files from what amounts to nothing more than an external hard disk.
I use both a Windows PC and a MacPro and my MacPro with the 30 inch HD display is the ideal computer to view and edit video on. If you want to painlessly edit and create high definition video with the Sony HDR-SR1 software on a Macintosh, fuggedaboudit. You’re stuck with Windows and even then the functionality of the Sony video editing/conversion software is borderline useless. The most I can reliably do with the Sony software is download the video files (and you must use this software to convert the camera's MTS files) via USB port and they aren't viewable on any media player except Sony's. This totally eliminates the ability to make High-Def video for the PC or Mac without using crippled and buggy software. Editing functions of the video files once downloaded fall far short of anything acceptable. I tried, unsuccessfully, three times to record a standard high quality DVD using the Sony software. An exercise in total frustration. I tried to keep it simple, just to get the feel for the thing. I took about 1.5 hours of video, combined them with the software and told it to burn to a DVD in the Windows PC DVD burner. The process was started about 7 PM in the evening and by 11 PM was only about 16% complete. I’d go to bed and let it run, only to wake up in the morning and find that the computer had crashed. I tried it again on my laptop PC, same results. I tried a third time on the office PC, same results. In a nutshell, Sony dropped the ball and this looks like something they slapped together without even testing it for bugs. The best I was able to do, after the fact, was convert the video files to MPG and convert them to DVD using Nero DVD burning software. I have yet to attempt to burn a dual-layer DVD on the Mac, but I’m working on it and will probably report back if and when it ever happens.
-THE SAVING GRACE-
All is not lost. Despite the poor and hastily compiled computer software that comes with the HDR-SR1, there is a saving grace to owning this camcorder and burning a DVD. You can hook the camcorder directly to a VCR or a DVD burner and make them directly. It works fine, even if you don’t get a High Def video, the converted HD images to standard format look absolutely great and will get the job done. There are even controls and menu selections on the LCD screen that allow you to do this easily and painlessly. All you need are the cables (which are included), a DVD recorder and some blank DVD’s.
-Sony HDR-SR1 Specifications-
General Specifications
Imaging Device: 1/3" 2100K Gross Pixels ClearVID™ CMOS Sensor
Pixel Gross: 2100K
Recording Media: 30GB Non-Removeable Hard Disk Drive
Video Actual: 1076K Pixels (4:3), 1434K Pixles (16:9)
Still Actual: 1991K Pixels (4:3), 1493K Pixels (16:9)
Audio
Dolby® Digital Output: N/A
Recording System: Dolby® Digital 5.1
Convenience
USB Streaming: N/A
SteadyShot® Image Stabilization: Yes (Super; Electronic)
Accessory Shoe: Yes, Active Interface Shoe
White Balance: Auto, Indoor, One-Push, Outdoor
Memory Stick PRO DUO™ Media Compatibility: Tested to support up to 2GB media capacity; does not support high speed transfer function; does not support Access Control security function
Still Image Mode(s): JPEG
Minimum Illumination: 5 Lux (0 lux with Super NightShot® Infrared System)
Low Light Capability: Super NightShot®
Inputs and Outputs
LANC Terminal: N/A
Analog Audio/Video Input(s): N/A
Analog Audio/Video Output(s): Yes (Multi A/V)
Digital Audio/Video Input(s): Yes (via USB)
Digital Audio/Video Output(s): Yes (via USB)
USB Port(s): Yes; 2.0 High Speed Compliant
i.LINK® Interface: N/A
Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Output(s): Yes
Headphone Jack: Yes (Stereo Mini)
Microphone Input: Yes (Stereo Mini)
Remote Jack: No
S-Video Output(s): Yes (via optional accessory)
HDMI™ Connection Output(s): Yes
Hardware
LCD: 3.5" (211K Pixels) Wide (16:9) Touch Panel Clear Photo™ LCD plus Display
Lens Type: Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T*
Viewfinder: Color, 123K Pixels (16:9)
Docking Station: N/A
Microphone: Yes (Built-in 5.1 Channel)
Optics/Lens
35mm Equivalent: 41.3-485mm (16:9 Camera Mode), 50.5-594mm (4:3 Camera Mode), 40.4-404mm (16:9 Memory Mode), 37-370mm (4:3 Memory Mode)
Aperture: f1.8-2.9
Exposure: Touch Panel/Ring
Filter Diameter: 30mm
Focal Distance: 5.1-51mm
Focus: Full Range Auto/Manual (Ring)/One Touch
Progressive Shutter Mode: Yes
Shutter Speed: Auto, 1/60-1/500 (AE Mode)
Optical Zoom: 10X
Digital Zoom: 80X
Resolution: 4MP; (2304 x 1728) - 4:3
Power
Power Consumption: 4.9W/5.1W (VF/LCD)
Battery Type: InfoLithium® with AccuPower™ Meter System (NP-FM50)
Power Requirements: 7.2V Battery Pack/8.4V AC Adaptor
Service and Warranty Information
Limited Warranty: 1 Year Parts; 90 Days Labor
Software
Operating System Compatibility: Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional, XP Home, XP Professional
Supplied Software: Picture Motion Browser ver. 1.0
Video
Video Recording System: AVCHD (HD) and MPEG2-PS (SD)
Video Signal System: NTSC color, EIA standards
Analog-to-Digital Converter: N/A
Format(s) Supported: AVCHD (HD), MPEG2-PS (SD) and JPEG
Dimensions
Weight: 1 lb. 9 oz. (720g) with supplied battery and media
Measurements: 3 1/14" x 3 4/13" x 6 1/2" (78 x 84 x 165mm)
Supplied Accessories
Power Adapter/In-Camera Charger (AC-L15)
InfoLithium® Rechargeable Battery (NP-FM50)
Remote Commander® Remote Control (RMT-835)
Component Video Cable
A/V Cable (Stereo)
Application CD-ROM w/ Driver
USB Cable
Features:
Boasting a generous 3.5" wide (16:9) Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo™ LCD screen and multiple connectivity options, you’ll have complete control from capture to cut. You can record high definition video directly to a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with the HDR-SR1 Handycam® camcorder. In addition, the dual HD/SD format allows you to record in standard definition as well. You will also be able to freeze time in flawless detail with a 4.0 megapixel still capture feature to the HDD or Memory Stick Pro Duo™ media.
Feature List
2.1 Megapixel (Gross) ClearVID™ CMOS Sensor
1/3" ClearVID™ CMOS Sensor with 1990K (effective) pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video (up to 1080 lines of horizontal resolution - HD; 530 lines of horizontal resolution - SD) and still image performance. The Megapixel technology enhances your digital videos and digital still (3980K) photography performance.
10X Optical/80X Digital Zoom
The optical zoom helps to bring the action close up from far away. In addition, the Digital Zoom interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms
Professional Quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* Lens
Carl Zeiss lenses have an advanced optical multi-layer coating for increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation and perfect renditions of subtle tones. The additional T coating on the lens further reduces unwanted glare and flare.
Dolby® Digital 5.1ch Recording
The HDR-SR1 will record in Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound with a built-in microphone. By recording in 5.1 channel surround sound you can now experience your home movies with active sounds coming from all directions. Enjoy your personal home movies the way you experienced them while recording.
3.5" Wide (16:9) Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo™ LCD plus Display (211K Pixels)1
The 3.5" Wide (16:9) LCD screen provides excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution. The 211K pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles providing sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback, and the widescreen format makes shooting in 16:9 mode and composing shots even easier.
Smooth Slow Record
By increasing the record rate from 60 fields per second (fps) to 240 fps for 3 seconds allowing you to capture 3 seconds of fast motion and play the video back in 12 seconds. This is great for analyzing a golf swing or a viewing a bird in flight.
Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick Pro Duo™ Media
Capture still images up to 2304x1728 (4:3) resolution, directly onto Memory Stick Pro Duo™ Media for easy transfer to PCs for emailing, printing or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick™ devices.
Super SteadyShot® Image Stabilization System
An advanced version of Sony's SteadyShot® system that controls an even higher range of shake and vibration frequencies, to achieve an even higher level of smoothness without degradation of video like some other image stabilization systems.
On Screen Zoom and Record
For additional control of the camcorder, the HDR-SR1 features Zoom and Record buttons on the frame of the LCD screen. This allows the user more flexibility when holding the camcorder, especially in
overhead or low angle shots.
USB 2.0 Interface3
USB 2.03 interface provides an easy way to connect your Hard Disk Handycam camcorder to the computer for fast transfer of video and still images to your computer for archiving and/or editing. The camcorder can also be used as an external storage device, convenient for archiving, storing and transporting your videos and still images.
One Touch Wide Angle Shooting
Easily switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios for shooting, with just the touch of a button.
Progressive Shutter System
A mechanical shutter system that provides progressive scan performance while utilizing an interlaced scanning system. Digital still images will be sharp and clear with excellent definition.
Active Interface Shoe
Provides a location directly on the camcorder on which to add optional accessories while providing power and two-way communication to those accessories.
Super NightShot® Infrared System
With Sony's NightShot Infrared System you can capture natural looking video, even when shooting in low light. Record subjects up to 20 feet away using the built-in infrared system.
Dual Record
While recording video in High Definition (HD) you have the ability to capture a 2.3 Megapixel (16:9) still image directly to Memory Stick Pro Duo™ Media. While recording in Standard Definition you have the ability to capture a 1.7 Megapixel (4:3) still image directly to Memory Stick Pro Duo media.
Easy PC Backup
Easily back up your footage (HD or SD) to your PC using the supplied software. The footage will be stored on your PCs hard drive for archiving purposes and viewing at a later time; the footage is stored by date for easy playback. In addition, only new footage is transferred to your PC each time you backup your footage.