Sony DCR-SR100 3MP 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
by Sony
Our Price: $150.00
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SonyRelease Date: 2006-05-08
Model: K08134
Product features:
- 30-gigabyte hard drive stores over 20 hours of long-play video or over 7 hours of high-quality video
- Built-in microphone for Dolby Digital 5.1channel surround sound recording
- Features 3.3-megapixel 1/3-inch advanced HAD CCD and Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lenses with advanced optical multi-layer coating
- Several automatic exposure modes, including NightShot for video capture in total darkness
- Measures 3.16 x 2.87 x 5.86 inches (H x W x L) and weighs 22 ounces with battery
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony DCR-SR100 3MP 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: I'm liberated from tapes and other messy media!
Summary: 5 Stars
Advantages:
1. No tapes or mini-DVD's; record straight onto hard drive
2. Many hours on the hard drive, even in HQ
3. Beautiful colors & resolution
4. Easy to delete and edit clips
5. Records standard MPEG video (easily edited/manipulated)
Disadvantages:
1. No firewire output to computer (USB only; see below.)
2. No headphone output
3. Included software easy, but not powerful
4. Comes with cheap composite video cable; premium S-video cable addn'l cost
I've sorely needed a camcorder for some time now, but I also wanted to avoid a future of buying and storing and fiddling with drawers full of tapes or mini-DVs... so I looked into hard-drive camcorders. Reviews of the exisiting hard-drive camcorders out there were quite mixed, at best - problems with image quality, compression, adaptability to video editing software, etc. So I held on, (unfortunately missing the opportunity to film my kid's first birthday and first steps, etc.) and I bought this machine as soon as it was finally released (initially only to Sony stores) in mid-April. It is surpassing my expectations thus far.
I really do like shooting video directly onto a hard drive. I don't have to worry about wasting tape/miniDVD space, running out of tape, or finding the right spot on the right tape, etc., so I find that it really frees me up to shoot video whenever I'm inspired - and just delete (immediately or later) if the clip isn't interesting. Very liberating. Deleting segments is very easy, just as easy as on a typical digital camera. The clips are organized automatically into folders based on date/time, and within each folder, clips are selected for viewing on the touch screen (or via included remote control), referenced graphically by the first frame of each clip. Simple. One can watch/listen to clips on the 2.7" screen (and speaker) integrated into the camcorder, or hook the camcorder up to TV or computer for playback/preview of unedited footage - resolution is excellent on my 40" LCD TV. I was wondering if I'd be disappointed in the resolution on my big screen, especially considering that nice compact high-def camcorders are now in the $1500 and less range (none with hard disk drives, though), but I'm not disappointed at all; video looks great and crisp straight out of the camcorder - especially since using the "premium" S-video cable I bought for about $35 (which should really be included in the package, I think.)
Creating quality DVDs was my real goal, though, ie. sharing the results with family/friends, and creating a long-lasting archive. Using the included software, I've created a first DVD of about 25 minutes of various length segments of video, mostly of my 15-month old daughter running around and being extremely cute. The DVD looks and sounds surprisingly clear and colorful and vibrant, even on my 40" LCD. The included software makes it fairly straightforward to import video from the camcorder's hard drive onto my computer's hard drive, for editing and authoring DVDs of video. It knows which clips have been imported already, and imports only those that are new. One you've decided what you want on the DVD, it comes out with menus and all, very cool. I haven't yet tried the even simpler "easy-DVD" burn feature, as I've been into editing the clips somewhat before putting them on DVD; I don't know what those results look like. Also, for Mac users, the instructions do include some comments about using the footage with Macintosh computers (I haven't tried that yet.)
Shooting with the camcorder is a breeze. Nice slow smooth zooms are possible, and become easy once you get the hang of it. I was worried that there would be a lag time to initiate recording (after pressing the "record" button) but there is none really. It feels pretty good in my hand. I haven't dropped it, and don't plan to, so I can't comment on whether the hard drive fails with trauma.
Some comments:
1. My computer doesn't have USB 2.0 input (which is the standard for the past three yrs or so), and I've had no luck with various adapters, so the lack of firewire output is rather annoying to me personally, and causes importing of clips to my computer to be rather time-consuming (though easy). It seems silly that Sony is abandoning firewire output on this machine, just like Apple has abandoned it on the newest Ipods. Sucks for me; though my computer is a great but oldish HP with fast Pentium 4 processing, it only has USB 1.1 support. For most of you, though, importing via USB 2.0, it should be quite fast.
2. Sound recording is very good, but I wish the camcorder had a headphone port. Oh, well. Perhaps it's a blessing, as now I have no reason to plug my head into headphones all the time.
3. The included software is really nice for getting the video from camcorder to computer, but editing is primitive at best. I'm waiting for my video editing software suite to arrive at my door (I chose Sony Vegas Platinum, based on reviews); I hope it works well. Compatibility should not be a problem, as the video files are saved, on my computer, as MPEG video files, which are a fairly standard platform.
4. You'll be tempted (like me) to start buying software and accessories (mic, extra battery, new computer with superfast processing speeds, etc.) so save a few hundred (or thousand) for those. Included battery lasts for almost 2 hours of use.
Overall a very nice machine, with a lot going for it. I'm very happy to own it, and I'm using it frequently with minimal problems thus far. I wish it had firewire output and a headphone jack, but it's great even without it.
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Description of Sony DCR-SR100 3MP 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
Why place a limit on the number of memories you can record? Instead, try the DCR-SR100 Handycam camcorder, which offers up enough storage space for nearly 10,000 still pictures on its 30GB Hard Drive and a longer battery life with up to 21 hours of recording time. Add to that the ultra high quality recording capability youâve come to expect, with a 3.0 Megapixel Imager and Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound recording, and your home videos and digital stills are both magnificent and many. 30GB of storage space on hard disk drive 3MP Imager w/ Primary Color Filter for superb detail Professional 30mm Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* Lens 2.7" wide SwivelScreen& 120x Digital Zoom 3MP still image capture w/ PictBridge® Infrared System for low-light DVD Burning / Backup Software protects your memories 1/3" Advanced HAD® Vario-Sonnar® T* Lens: An advanced optical multi-layer coating that offers less glare and flare with increased Contrast, resulting in vivid image brilliance. The additional T* coating on the lens further reduces unwanted glare andThe compact Sony DCR-SR100 30 GB Handycam Camcorder represents a breakthrough in digital home recording. With a 30 gigabyte hard disk drive that stores hours of video and hundreds of high-quality stills, a 10x optical/120x digital zoom, a built-in microphone that allows you to record in Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound, and many other features you'd only expect to find in the hands of professionals, Sony's DCR-SR100 will turn your home videos into instant classics ready for the big screen.
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With the Sony DCR-SR100, your worries about storage capacity are over. Featuring an unbelievable 30 gigabyte hard disk drive, this camcorder can store up to 440 minutes of high quality video, and an amazing 1250 minutes (that's over 20 hours) of video in long play mode. That's practically your whole vacation! If you want to take digital stills, you can capture images up to 2016 x 1512 resolution directly onto your hard drive for easy transfer to your PC. Simply connect you camcorder to a PictBridge-enabled printer and print your 3.0-megapixel stills instantly. A USB 2.0 interface provides an easy way to connect your camcorder to your computer for fast transfer of video and still images to your computer for editing. You can also use the camcorder as an external storage device, for convenient archiving, storing, and transporting of your videos and still images.
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At the heart to the DCR-SR100 is a 3.0-megapixel, 1/3-inch advanced Hole Accumulation Diode (HAD) CCD with a total of 2048 megapixels. Add to this the camcorder's professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lenses with advanced optical multi-layer coating, and the result will be some of the finest video performance you'll find in any camcorder device. The multi-coated lenses mean that your videos won't suffer from unwanted glare and flare that lesser quality optics give you. Sony has also added an advanced version of its SteadyShot system that controls an even higher range of shake and vibration frequencies, so that you can achieve increased smoothness in your shots without unwanted video degradation. The overall results of these features are vivid and brilliant images and video with true-to-life color saturation and tones.
All these professional-level features, however, don't mean that you need to have an advanced degree to operate the DCR-SR100. Not by a long shot. The camcorder features zoom and record buttons directly on the frame of the LCD screen. The locations of the buttons gives you more flexibility and a higher level of convenience when you're holding the camcorder, especially during overhead or low-angle shots. The 1200x total zoom means that you can keep your distance as you archive up-close and personal shots. One-touch wide-angle shooting gives you single-button convenience when you want to switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios for shooting. The camcorder's manual focus allows you to adjust the focus via the touchpanel, giving you greater control over situations where either the environment or the subject does not allow the camcorder's autofocus to perform optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.
With Sony's NightShot infrared system, you also have the ability to capture video in total darkness (0 Lux) up to 10 feet away. Super NightShot recording mode automatically adjusts the shutter speed to increase picture brightness and clarity. The camcorder's Color Slow Shutter mode allows you to record in low light situations with full-color detail by slowing down the shutter speed. And, of course, for the easiest and most convenient recording, the DCR-SR100 also features several auto-exposure modes, such as beach and ski, landscape portrait, sunset and moon, sports, and much more. Just choose a mode and begin shooting. It couldn't be any easier.
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With Dolby Digital 5.1-channel recording, the DCR-SR100 will record in surround sound via its built-in microphone. By recording in 5.1-channel surround sound, you can experience your home movies with active sounds coming from all directions, just as if you were at the movies.
The camcorder's 2.7-inch LCD display screen provides excellent viewing clarity for when its time to review your video. The high-resolution 123 kilobyte pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles and provides sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback. The display's widescreen format makes shooting in 16:9 mode and composing shots even easier. And at a mere 22 ounces with the battery, and measuring 3.16 by 2.87 by 5.86 inches (H x W x L), the DCR-SR100 is ready to go wherever your filming takes you.
What's in the Box
DCR-SR100 camcorder, power adapter/in-camera charger (ACL200), InfoLithium rechargeable battery (NPFP60), remote commander remote control (RMT-835), AV cable (stereo), software, USB cable, and ImageMixer software.
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