The video picture function:
- What does one say, in the best video mode (FX) succeed already fantastic shots. The image stabilizer is really excellent and by the built-in video light capture images in dim lighting up to a distance of 2-3 meters. The noise characteristics in low light are good. But, these are not a night vision device, the more light, the better the recordings.
- Anything else for video light: a recorded person might be a little squinting his eyes or the light could be reflected in the glasses.
- In the best video mode FX can be recorded with 50i or 25p frames. 50p goes only in PS mode or with the video resolution of 720/576 pixels.
- The 32 GB offer in FX mode 180 minutes, in FH mode 220 minutes in HQ mode and 400 minutes in LP mode recording time 700 minutes. I can recommend only the FX and the FH mode. At HQ or LP you will notice at first glance no difference, but filming a moving in the wind flower meadow or the currents of a river make unsightly pixel blocks noticeable. The mp4 recording function I can only recommend, if you want to publish via the Internet the same videos. They take up very little space.
- The sound recording can be made in 5.1, but also be switched to stereo. Level adjustments can be made manually and also shown on the display as a level indicator. Otherwise, there are plenty of other Toneinstellungsmöglichkeiten. The recorded sound sounds good, but has always some noise with it. Wind comes to the quality must clearly suffer here, which provides in commentaries outdoors always for scrap material. Sorry! Here help remains only: The commentator is a separate microphone with windscreen (fur) equipped, which is connected to the camcorder with a cable. I use now a recording device with a memory function. The sound I synchronize later with a video software for video material. Too bad that the producers themselves have today found no solution to this really annoying problem within the camcorder. Unless you invest a lot of money.
- In Intelligent Auto mode, the camcorder decide themselves on the settings and the focus. For the amateur, this mode works very well. The camcorder displays but only in manual mode, what he's got, if you can handle with the functions.
- Manual can be set: brightness, focus, white balance, aperture, shutter speed, sound mode, flash intensity, AGC (Auto Gain Control).
- Provides you the Auto Gain Control example on 12db, is displayed and recorded the actual brightness in a dark living room and not the artificial generated by the camcorder brightness. For many people it will probably be better to turn this feature off, otherwise they wonder about underexposed. I help this setting to decide when I have to work with additional light sources to achieve a possibly noise-free result.
- Sharpness and brightness can be set accurately by pressing the display for a shot.
- Remain Manual settings like sharpness and brightness received and will not be readjusted.
- The optics shows no darkening the edges and wide angle hardly bends
- The focus in automatic mode very precise, even in the zoom range.
- The Cinema Effect: images are something more contrast. I like this effect well. So far I have this display option always reacted with a video editing program (Vegas Pro), I can save me now.
- The slow motion function slows the image fourfold. Unfortunately here lost some HD resolution.
- The images are quite good and should itself still provide enough resolution for an 9x13 deduction. I'm using the photo function whenever a video recording already not worth just because of the higher memory requirements. A recording in which nothing moves, such as. In a landscape a building or a space I'm building The photos then in the video. Once there, they make it appear as if it was a video capture. For correct photos I use but then a real camera.
The Hardware
- The camcorder is with its about 550 grams comfortably in your hand.
- The zoom range is not bad. Especially gratifying is here that even with 12x (optical) still takes place a great focus and image stabilization. At wide angle, I noticed that it is somewhat larger without image stabilization than the setting active.
- Shutters on connections are a bit rickety, but it was good.
- In addition to Memory Stick also commercially available SD HC, SD-SX are supported memory cards.
- On the hot shoe accessories such as microphones and video lights can be attached
- A USB cable to the wrist strap can be used to connect to the computer. An extension is included.
- The monitor displays an excellent image with more than 900 000. pixels. Since manages a really good sharpness evaluation.
- The viewfinder is a real drawback with this camcorder. It is extremely small and does not have eyecup. For eyeglass wearers like me he is absolutely useless. He also does not allow for sharpness evaluation and must be held close to the eye, that it can go literally in the eye while jockeying for the best shots sometimes so so close. The viewfinder could have been omitted quiet. I would not have been missing him. It is switched on by the way like that. You pull it out, fold it up and then it works to the large monitor on. (Had I really read in the instructions).
- When the image stabilizer, the optics move like an eyeball in the housing. If you want to clean the lens should turn the image stabilizer necessarily.
- I always prefer UV filter as protection for the optics, so the cleaning can be carried out solely on this protection filter. Here, it is strongly advisable to use really good UV filter. I highly recommend the B + W 46 010 UV - Haze F-Pro. Cheap are not as good antireflective coating and then show the appearance of your camcorder as a mirrored rings in UV filters.
- The dial on the front is actually a terrific way to make manual adjustments. Personally, I have selected here the exposure as a shortcut. Further go: focus, iris, shutter speed, Auto exposure, white balance and. For this purpose it is necessary to hold the small button on the wheel for several seconds.
- The Beamer: At first I thought, oh dear, what are you doing now. But! I'm surprised. At a distance of 2 meters and a darkened room is a about 1 meter large screen (40 inch TV) actually get on the diagonal, which is impressive. In addition I have really only uses a white wall. So you can, if you have no TV, they want to introduce quickly in a bar or at lunchtime his films. Here, an external player device can be connected via HDMI, so that the TV can be watched. The special HDMI cable is even supplied.
- The camcorder has a microphone input and a headphone output. Very commendable.
- Unfortunately, it is always an operation noise, which can be heard even when the audio recordings.
- An adapter ring of 46 to 37 mm is. So also conversion lenses with 37mm can be grown.
- The lens hood does not have me so confident. She makes the camcorder much bulkier, the Blend function almost no meaning.
- Unfortunately, there is no way to connect a cable remote control. But it's a remote control here.
Operation:
- The menu is very tidy and was probably reworked from scratch. One can create three custom shortcuts on the touch screen. The operation works well with your fingers. But it is necessary a bit firmer pressure on modern smartphones.
- If one uses an accessory for the accessory shoe is holding the movie camera not quite as optimal. But this one will probably shoot more with a tripod.
- Switched on and ready to receive the camcorder is in 2 to 4 seconds. Sometimes it goes fast, sometimes not so fast. Why is that I can not say.
- Can connect the camcorder to the TV to watch a movie or talk about photos made. This provides the HDMI cable included with the best way.
- If you change the frame rate in the menu, it is important to make the point command NEXT on, otherwise, it will not be accepted.
- With the Sony Software PlayMemories, which one however only gets over the Internet, you can transfer the movies and photos to his computer, manage, and burn to a DVD or Blu-ray. On the box, although a logo is applied that the Sony camcorder also works with Mac. However, this software does not unfortunately.
- GPS: With this function you can determine its exact recording location at Google. Even in the camcorder, there is a world map indicating the exact location. So great scenery or special Location can be found again. The GPS recognition took with me on the terrace for about 2 minutes. In a building the detection is hardly possible.
- Instruction manual in printed form is attached.
- WiFi: Only with a 100 euro expensive wireless kit for the accessory shoe, the camcorder WLAN
Battery features:
- The attached battery pack NP-FV50 is sufficient in the receiving mode for about 100 minutes.
- Older models such as battery NP-FH are no longer supported. The purchase of new batteries is so forced. This procedure uses Sony for many years to Akkunachbauern hard to make life (which does not appear to work so because they exist anyway). What Sony but not taken into account, Sony regulars are upset again.
- The battery can be charged only on the camcorder. The power supply comes here on the supplied AC adapter or via a USB port, and the charging via the USB port takes much longer. Akkuaufladegeräte there are optional Sony.
Conclusion:
Image quality and image stabilization work excellently. The Beamer is a real asset and lets fly with some nostalgic Super 8 movie night again flourish. The equipment is very good and connections leave no wish unfulfilled. Unfortunately, the audio recording can not convince quite. Also the viewfinder is probably only an advertising campaign to people who want something urgently to satisfy. But for a really good viewfinder you have to purchase camcorder, which are located in a completely different price segment. I give 5 stars with a minus. Less is often more. The money for the viewfinder would have done better to put into the microphone.
Addendum April 12, 2013
Since I always read because so much criticism. Here is my assessment to the eternal theme:
Why the sharpness, contrast and saturation can not be adjusted in Sony camcorders?
I film a lot already gathered together with camcorders, both professionally and privately, and have the 20 terabytes of footage over the years. These functions I've never missed in a camcorder. Mir is the correct white balance and sharpness important, which can be implemented solely by the optics. All these extra features in a camcorder actually only distort the original image and you can do with an editing software in hindsight but much more effective and accurate. I use this example Vegas Pro or Premiere. The cheap software for 79 euros from the Media Markt mastered these functions. A real pro will probably work with an editing software his films and as these functions are abundantly available. Because then you can change the colors at will and blurring ev. Still save by Sharpen.
I imagine the front just so. There's just feeding on the polar bear and then I put the camcorder until the color is different from that, because the polar bear is so gray and even then the focus, because sometimes the focus of town and then a little more contrast here and effects and filters here and since and already feeding is finished and I have no scene in the box. Do you understand what I mean?
