3 Megapixel Image - 2 Megapixel Video - 10x Optical Zoom - 120x Digital Zoom - Electronic IS - 30 GB Hard Drive - MPN: DCRSR100
Strengths: No tapes or mini-DVD's; record onto hard drive! Many hours on the hard drive, even in HQ. Beautiful colors & resolution. Easy to delete and edit clips. Records to standard MPEG files.
Weakness: No firewire output to computer (USB only; see below.) No headphone output. Included software easy, but not powerful. Comes with cheap composite video cable; premium S-video 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-DVDs... so I looked into hard-drive camcorders. Reviews of the existing 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 high-quality DVDs was my real goal, though, ie. sharing the results with family/friends, and create 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) bucks for those. (!) Included battery lasts for almost 2 hours of use.
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TopA short story and one comment on ddoostan's review. I'm a Mac user and I've been waiting for hard drive video camera to come on the market for a little while. Like most other people looking at hard drive video cameras, I don't want the hassle of dealing with media.
I looked at the JVC hard drive cameras last year but thought it was best to wait and see what some of the other companies came out with. I was excited when Sony finally came out with their first hard drive camera earlier this year, and again with their latest new hard drive video cameras in the last couple months.
Short story long, I've been in touch with Sony customer support twice, each time after they introduced new product in this category. Both times I've been told that the Sony hard drive video cameras aren't compatible with the Mac OS. Nothing wrong with the video format obviously. The problem is something in the formatting of the hard drive on these cameras that won't let them talk to a Mac.
After reading ddoostan's post I got excited thinking I'd received the wrong steer from Customer support. So I downloaded all of the manuals from the Sony customer support site and did a search. There is nothing included in any of them explaining how to transfer video off of the Sony DCR-SR100 onto a Mac.
Just a quick whinge...Mac OS may only make up around 5-6% of the total computer market, but with the inclusion of iLife its users are disproportionally represented in favour of using their machines for multi-media including video editing. So why would Sony leave them out? Silly and frustrating.
Then again, Sony has a reputation for protecting its patch with proprietary offerings and features, like Memory Stick, and their different sized hot shoe that doesn't allow easy addition of third party gear.
Conclusion: If you're a Mac user, stay away from the Sony hard drive cameras.
Addendum to my review... some info for Mac users:
Though most of my friends think I'm crazy for continuing to use a Windows-based machine, I can share (in reply to the post on my review) that according to the supplied documentation, Mac use is indeed supported. (It comes on a little yellow addendum foldout in 10 languages, that comes with the camcorder, entitled "Connecting with your Macintosh"). It seems very easy to copy files from the camcorder to the Mac hard drive, with no additional software or whatever, based on the documentation provided... but I have no personal experience trying this.
I'm not sure if you can just take the imported footage and plug it straight into iMovie, etc. But I assume you can.
For alternative proprietary software for editing, which may or may not be necessary to Mac users (but their very presence might be reassuring), you can check out the "Pixela home page"... www.pixela.co.jp/oem/sony/e/
which is one of the resources listed on the little yellow foldout. Weird... it's almost like Sony is trying to hide the fact that the camera is supposed to work with Macs.
You can still hook up to high speed USB 2.0 by buying a USB 2.0 PCI card. These cards are pretty cheap usually around $20-$30 and very easy to install assuming you have an avaliable PCI slot. Just open up your case, put the card in the slot and follow any installation directions in the packaging (or ask your local computer geek to do it for you then buy him lunch). Hope this helps!
Strengths: Light, easy to use, plenty of storage
Weakness: No D-link, no option for "plain" stereo input sound.
I do a lot of video editing and my main concern was the possibility to convert the MPEG file from the camcorder to a AVI file for better quality editing.
In order to do that, I had to use a 3rd party software (ULEAD VIDEO STUDIO 10). I'd wished that Sony provided that option with his included Pixella Mixer software.
I found that the quality of the video is very good, even in bad lighting conditions. It also gives very good quality photos.
The 5,1 Digital sound is not recognized by some video editing softwares. Pixella allows you to convert it to ordinary stereo sound after transferrin the video file to your computer. I'd liked to have the option to record without the 5,1 sound.
I also copied the video data from the SR100 to a digital tape, using my other camcorder. The video quality remained very high (the loss was not perceivable). I do that, because I am still nervous about erasing completely my SR100 hard disk after copying it only to my computer. My main reason to buy this camcorder is the fact that I often need to tape more than one hour at the time, without the possibility to load a new cassette. The 7 hour (at HQ) of the SR100 is a blessing for me.
Excuse my poor English.
Pierre (from Quebec, Canada).
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TopStrengths: No tapes, no rewinding, no finding a blank spot to record. Quick start up to shoot. Super easy indexing of scenes and selection (organizes by date!) Easy DVD creation with supplied software.
Weakness: Not much in the way of manual controls. No external MIC plug. Not easy to adjust volume when playing back via the color monitor.
I am very impressed with this camcorder. It is definitely easy to use and very convenient. This is a consumer camcorder, not a professional model and people need to keep that in mind when comparing the features and quality. That being said, the features and quality are way better than I would have expected for a consumer HDD model camcorder. The average “home movie” maker will be highly impressed with how easy it is to operate and shoot with the camcorder as well as burn the files to DVD. Sony’s software is basic in that there is a simple one button “burn to DVD,” and then there’s a small option where you can get creative and choose backgrounds, buttons, and even background music to be on the menus for your DVD. Once burned to DVD the files still look great and the burn process was very fast (I have an 8X burner in my Compaq laptop, AMD Truion 64 ML-32 *1.8ghz processor* 512mb RAM, 80gig HD). I wasn’t’ able to take the MPG files into Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 but you’d only need to do that if you wanted to do more advanced editing. I was even impressed with the built in 3 mega pixel camera. It took decent shots and even has a built in flash.
There has been some talk of the quality when shooting in low light situations. To be honest, I have yet to see a consumer camcorder that didn’t have grain / video noise when shooting in low light. The grain / video noise present on scenes I’ve shot have not been so bad I would return the camera. I have had good quality when shooting with one 55watt bulb in my den. I purchased the Sony to film my son who was born just two weeks ago so I don’t want to flood him with lights and he doesn’t get outside much and that’s why I’ve only had the one 55watt bulb in the den. We have been very happy with the images the Sony has been able to record with this small amount of light. I’ve also read where some have complained about “hiss” from the MIC when shooting in a quiet room. Well, here again, I’ve just about always heard some kind of hiss and wouldn’t return the camcorder just for this reason either. It’s nothing I really notice and I do a lot of filming of my newborn son in rooms with low noise (tv in the background, family talking in another room). No problem and definitely not worth tossing this nice of a camcorder. Remember, you’re a consumer and this is consumer grade giving you consumer quality. If you wanted professional quality, you’d need a professional camera (3 chip, boom MIC) and pay a whopping professional price! What are you shooting? Home movies of the family and friends or are you a business shooting TV commercials, weddings and such? Home movies; this camera is great!
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TopThanks for the review, I've been researching this camcorder for a couple week now, and i am really interested in it. Is it true that if you record 8hrs of video it takes 8hrs to download, or burn to DVDs Thats the only downfall so far that I've noticed. I'm going on vacation next week, and the last thing i want is to be spending as much time downloading videos, as i am filming them. Please let me know if possible how long on average it take to down load 1hr of video. Thank you very much
No, that's incorrect. If you were to capture the video onto the PC, say like with Premiere Pro and connect the camera to the PC and "capture" the video, you'd have to play it from the camera as you record and digitize it onto the PC. Essentially making digital files of your video. The Sony DCR SR100 does this step for you. When you film, it's actually capturing video to digital files on the built in hard drive of the camcorder. You can connect the camera to your PC and simply drag off the individual video files. Every time you hit the Start/Stop button to film, you create an individual file.
The big difference (if it is really all that BIG to you) is that, the files on the Sony are compressed into MPEG2 and ready for burning onto DVD. You can even copy these files over to your computer and burn your DVD at a later time if you wanted to. If you were to "capture" video (as I described above with Premiere Pro), the video files would be in uncompressed AVI format. Roughly 5gig of hard drive space is needed for every 20 minutes you capture uncompressed. Just like editing photos with Photoshop, if you plan to do heavy editing, special effects and such, you'd want the uncompressed video files to work with to keep the up most quality. (Gonna do professional gigs like commercials and weddings and charge customers.)
If you're gonna shot home movies and such, the MPEG2 files are fine. It's like a xerox copy of a xerox copy...MPEG2 is compressed and if you work on it trying to do special effects and a whole lot of editing then re-encode it again into MPEG2, you going to see quality drop pretty bad. But for straight shooting, saving files, making home DVDs, I think this camera does great.
Sorry, forgot to say that it depends on the speed of your DVD burner and speed of the blank DVDs you use. If you have at least 4gig of movies to burn, it could take as long as an hour to burn your DVD. BUT that's not the same as backing up the movie files. You can just drag them to your computer and store them there to burn later. You really wouldn't want to burn DVD movies and try to use those files for something else. Much like a digital camera, when the flash card is full, you can drag the images to your PC and then delete the files to shoot some more. This camcorder does pretty much the same thing.
I am interested in the Sony 30GB digital camcorder. Hoever I want the AVI format to be used. The way you seem to describe getting to the AVI format is after the MPEG2 was already captured and the quality already degraded. I am confused. The recorder records in MPEG2 so haven't you already lost the detail the AVI gets you. I use Ulead software and can capture froma digital camera into AVI format - but isn't that going backwards trying to make more detail out of less?
Alan
Well, quality is a personal issue as to what is acceptable in both image and audio. But,remember that the MPEG2 format is a compresed format while the AVI, often referred to as "uncompressed AVI" is, well, uncompressed. If you plan to do detail editing and by detail editing, I mean exact frame cuts, deep color correction, and so on; you know, really work on some video, then you would want the uncompressed AVI. But if you're planning to just join some video clips together with maybe some nice transitions; simple stuff, then you can do that with the MPEG2 format and an appropiate editing software (Womble is good) but where ever you did any transitions or effects, the editing program will re-encode that portion of the video (to do the effect). And in doing the re-encodeing, you actually re-compress a compressed file. But this is only done at those points of the effect i.e. transition. If you shoot with the SR100 and want to do detailed editing, then you could connect the cam to your computer and re-capture the video via the A/V cables like you would with a tape camcorder. Play the clip on the camcorder and record on the computer to capture the AVI. MPEG2 is a lesser quality than AVI but the loss is so small you really don't see a tremendous quality loss. The problem lies in most (if not all) computer video editing software do not see the camcorder when connected. The SR100 connects to the computer via USB 2.0 and apps like Adobe Premiere do not see it and therefore cannot control the playback (pause, play, and stop) of the camera. So you would just have to hit play on the cam and manually capture the video to the computer. If you're looking for a simple, very easy, and super convenient camcorder to shoot home movies of the family and vaction, the SR100 is GREAT. I'm not sure if Ulead can edit the MPEG2 files but if not, you could get something inexpensive like Womble and edit your home movies before burning them to DVD. But if you're looking to do a little freelance video shooting, i.e. TV commercials, weddings, other events as such, then the SR100 may not give you the quality to take into a medium to high end video editor to do your edits.
One thing I would get is the wide angle lens attachement. It lets you get more into the lens especially when shooting indoors and you can't back up much. Hope I helped!
Forgot to mention, a GREAT website to get more info and help with this camcorder is CamcorderInfo.com, in the forums here -->
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/forumdisplay.php?f=161
Jeff
I have been reading alot about file format issues regarding this camcorder output (MPEG2). In fact most HDD camcorder out there today output MPEG2 as well. I myself is in the process of buying this camcorder and file format issue has to be solved before I can buy it because I will be doing alot of video editing. I use Adobe Premiere and since Adobe Premiere do accept MPEG2 file type there must be some other things I am missing out. In Adobe Forum there is a discussion thread about jittery video from MPEG2. The issue seems to be related to "Reverse Field Dominance".
Here is the link to that discussion:
http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx/.3bbdd5de
For those of you that already own this camcorder and play around with video editing, can someone tell me if editing the "Reverse Field Dominance" really solve your file type clash problem? Thanks.
Strengths: good picture quality, easy to use, light weight
Weakness: loud background sound levels, like running water. Files recorded on the internal hdd do not play on windows media player 10.
I was shocked to find out that on this otherwise nice camcorder, the mpg files created do not play in Windows Media Player v10. You can transfer the files to your computer just fine, and Windows Media Player will open and attempt to play them, but it plays very jerky, starts, stops, and crashes. I contacted Sony tech support and they said you should use the included (poor quality) software to play the video files. That does work, but unfortunately nobody else has this software, so you can't send the files to your friends and family or post them on your website as is.
The bottom line, you must edit or use some kind of conversion software before these files will play in Windows Media Player or can be posted to a web site. I have tried several and have not yet found the video conversion software that will convert it properly.
As usual, some fool at Sony decided that Sony should have a proprietary mpg file format instead of just using standard mpg1 or mpg2 encoding. This is incredibly brain dead.
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TopStrengths: Compact, fairly intuitive to use and good picture.
Weakness: Video output not compatible with windows media player or Adobe Premier Pro editing software.
Why would you design a fairly high-end camera that isn't compatible with widely used and accepted software such as Adobe Premier Pro or Windows Media Player. I am returning the unit. The Sony engineers should rethink themselves before the obsolete themselves.
It took me several days of troubleshooting before I realized it was an incompatibility issue, and not a hardware conflict on my machine. Way to go Sony, nice work!
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TopStrengths: Hard drive, 5.1 digital sound, easy to set up and use. Light in your hand, well placed controls.
Weakness: Very basic editing software, no D-link option.
I'm impressed how light and easy to use. I wanted a hard drive camcorder and waited for one I thought would fit the bill. It has surpassed my expectations. It does look a bit like a small thermos but I have adjusted to that. It has incredible 5.1digital sound, I can hear birds in the background. The video quality is good. The stills are okay for 3 megapixel but I will use my digital SLR for that. I found a bit of hesitation when using the still photo selection. Editing and deleting is a breeze although extremely basic. For a none tech geek or someone who is not into editing it will probably be okay. I however am looking at which editing software to obtain and haven't yet made that decision. It is too basic for my needs. Overall the camcorder is an overall pleasure for me. It will fit the bill for the average user who is into recording friends, family and life's fun.
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TopStrengths: Easy to use and very intuitive. The 3 gig picture quality was very outstanding when viewing our first recordings on our tv. The One touch record was also a great feature.
Weakness: None discovered yet. It could come with a stronger battery.
My wife whom is not very tech savvy even was able to use this camera with minor instructions from me. The touch screen interface was designed very thoughtfully. VERY easy to navigate and review captured footage and change settings. Finger marks are easily left on the screen ;(
The size of the camera was pleasantly small as well. The perfect size for moving around with it and the weight was also a perfect fit as well. Looking forward to capturing some great stuff on this bad boy!!
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TopStrengths: very easy to set up and use. Hard drive recording, well placed controls and compact/light to hold and carry. Quick on and off for rapid recording
Weakness: no option for stereo input sound, 5.1 only. expensive compared with others
I was excited to finally receive my camcorder. I had spent months exploring different types and settled on this one based on its features and other ratings. The direct to hard drive recording sparked my interest most. Not to have to buy discs and have a spare around was a major plus.
The image quality, ease of set up out of the box and ease of use with intuitive controls all have lived up to my expectations. No delay to onset of recording was also a huge bonus. The drawbacks to the camcorder are minimal.
The most obvious is the expense but if you shop right and take your time....you can get a good deal and its reduces the sting a little.
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TopStrengths: Picture quality, hard disk drive recording, excellent sound quality and beautiful still pictures
Weakness: none
I have had this camera for about a month now. This is my third camcorder in about ten years. All the others were Sony camcorders also. This one produces excellent pictures. Grain is nonexistent and color accuracy is wonderful. The on screen commands and the touch screen are a breeze to use. Sound quality is excellent. Low light shooting and even no light shooting are great. The weight of the camera and its size are just right. It does not bother me or my wife. The High definition version will produce better footage but to the bare eye the difference does not warrant the significant additional expense. All in all I am very pleased with this product.
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TopStrengths: Good picture quality and the heard drive is great.
Weakness: They left off the option to input your own sound. There is no MIC input at all. Sony has tried to simplify this camera with a propriatory plug that does not work.
I returned my DCRSR100 after one day when I found that Sony had eliminated the Mic input on this camera.
Its too bad because it was a really nice camcorder otherwise.
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TopStrengths: Size, Quality, HDD Storage
Weakness: None
I bought this over a year ago, I haven't been using it as much as I would like to. I took it out the other day and it works just like the day I bought it. There is also a great selection of accessories for this Sony camcorder. I recommend the miniature tripod for $10 bucks or so. It adds to the look and functionality of your camcorder. A little expensive, but you get what you pay for.
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Video is Excellent according to 15 Camcorder experts. -- "The result is superb color performance, with just the right amount of saturation to make every bit of the spectrum pop"-easycamcorders.com -- "Great video"-easycamcorders.com -- "great color performance and low noise"-easycamcorders.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Optics, Battery, Interface, etc.
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We don’t get very excited by DVD camcorders, which tend to record mediocre-looking video (and very little of it) straight to optical media. But a camcorder with a 30GB hard drive and a software package that allows one-touch DVD creation gets our attention. Sony’s $1,000 DCR-SR100 stores over seven hours of MPEG-2 video on its hard drive with simulated surround sound. The performance sometimes...
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One Word.....AWESOME!!!!
Strengths: Hard Drive, Ease of Use, No Tapes!!!
Weakness: Battery could be stronger, BE CAREFUL, GENERIC SPARES MAY NOT WORK!!
The last camcorder my family purchased was an analog Sony, probably close to 10 years ago. That being the case we expected anything to be higher quality, but were a little concerned after reading the reviews about how Mini DV was still the best quality digital available. That plus the price of the DCR-SR100 made us a little hesitant on the purchase, especially with the promise of improved technology and lower prices on the horizon.
Never the less we took the plunge and the DCR-SR100 has exceeded our every expectation! Recording is a breeze, even for those without electronics expertise. The easy mode does a VERY good job of sorting out the lighting, focus, etc and lets you enjoy the action without worrying. Plus, thanks to the hard drive you NEVER have to worry about recording over anything again!
On day two I installed the software on my laptop, it was a very straight forward process. Just for fun I tried burning a DVD using the Easy DVD button. I must say I was a little surprised when everything appeared to be working correctly, and in a few minutes I had a DVD ready to be played on any DVD player! Not only did the Easy DVD work, but it created a background and DVD menu for me! We were shocked and thrilled when we saw the output.
One other point I'd like to add, many reviews give the Sony low marks for the touch screen menu system. I've not had any issues with it at all, in fact it's very easy to use, and my wife loves it. Regarding the fingerprints, unless you are eating or very sweaty I don't think it will be an issue.
As you can tell, we are extremely happy with our purchase. The Sony is ready to go in an instant and we've been taking movies of our 5 month old pretty much every day now. Thanks to the 30Gig hard drive we've got plenty of recording room! This is definitely highly recommended in our book, even if it is a bit of an investment.
Update 9/23/06
As per weaknesses above, I found out the hard way that generic after market batteries do not work with this camcorder. The camcorder will come on and appear to be working but in about 5 seconds it will shut down and ask for an infolithium battery. Bummer, but genuine Sony batteries are closer to reasonable on Ebay.
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