I purchased this camcorder from Argos for �349.95, or rather my insurance company did after my Canon DVD camcorder came to an untimely end. Having previously owned a Mini DVD camcorder I was drawn to the idea of a hard drive recording system. I will run through the features of the camcorder that I have found to be of benefit and some of the few minor irritations I have found in practical use. Hopefully this will be of some use to anyone in the market for purchasing this type of product. Personally I find one review by someone who has actually used the product to be worth twenty sales brochures.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Brief Description >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The main feature of the camcorder is the recording system it uses. The SR32E uses a hard drive to record images in exactly the same way a computer or laptop does. Essentially with this type of system the need for messing around with tapes or disks becomes a thing of the past. The camcorder itself is small and fits very comfortably into the palm of your hand. If you don't want the burden of carrying extra bags around, the camcorder is compact enough to fit into a coat pocket. Even with the battery connected the camcorder is surprisingly lightweight. Zoom features on the camera are offered by a combination of optical and digital features.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HDD PRO'S AND CONS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
As previously stated the SR32E uses a 30Gb HDD (hard disk drive) to store the images rather than tape or disk. On the highest quality settings, up to 7, 1/2hrs recording time are available. Using the lowest quality settings, the camcorder offers up to 20hrs of recording. The Pro's and Cons for this system are in my opinion as follows:
ADVANTAGES =============: 1) Long term operating costs of the camcorder are significantly reduced as there are no additional purchase. Even when recording on the highest resolution settings, the HDD will store over 7,1/2 hours worth of material. As a comparison, the equivalent recording time with disk or tape would require purchasing over 21 mini DVD's or 15 tapes. 2) As there are no compartments needed on the side to insert cassettes or disks, the overall size of the camcorder is significantly reduced. 3) As there are no opening doors or trays to load disks, there are less chances of the camcorder requiring repairs due to objects entering the internal workings. This is very very useful if you are using the camcorder on a family holiday, especially when using it on a beach where despite your best efforts, the sand appears to get everywhere. 4) As there are no high power drain motors to operate cassette drives or high power consumption lasers to to burn DVD images, the battery life is dramatically increased.
DISADVANTAGES ============== 1) Mini DVD has the advantage that your recorded disk can be taken out and put straight into virtually any DVD player without needing to hook up cables from the camcorder to the TV. Because the hard drive is not removable, to view playback of your recordings you either have to connect the camcorder to your TV via cable, or transfer the images via a PC or laptop and then burn to DVD. 2) Because the HDD is not removable, upgrading to a larger capacity drive is not a viable option. However with 30Gb of recording to start with, unless you often take and use 20+ DVD disks or 15+ tapes on holiday with you this is not a major problem.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ZOOM FEATURES >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The camcorder uses a dual zoom feature. The optical zoom offers 40x magnification which in itself is very powerful. In addition to this there is a very powerful 2000x digital zoom. The camcorder is equipped with a digital image stabilizer that reduces camera vibration or jerky pictures on playback. I did have this on my old Canon camcorder, however whilst it performed quite well,its capabilities when using full zoom were limited. In contrast to this the image stabilizer on my Sony performs very well, even at the full 40x optical zoom. The digital zoom as stated allows up to 2000x magnification. I believe this to somewhat of a "playing a numbers game" with the opposition. Unless you are using a high quality tripod, magnification at this level is totally impractical to use. However, should you wish to try and locate Neil Armstrong's flag on the moon the zoom is there if you need it. Fortunately the digital zoom can be switched off, when you try using this sort of magnification, the reasons for this become very apparent.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PICTURE QUALITY >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The picture / recording quality is very good producing crisp and clear quality recordings. Whilst there is a noticeable difference using the lower quality settings, the end result is still quite acceptable. The camcorder also has the ability to store still images. It must be said that although it's video recording capabilities are outstanding, it's performance as a digital still camera leaves a lot to be desired. It performs a function, but that is about as far as the praise would go. Picture quality is actually less than that of most newer mobile phones. Rather than using the hard drive to store photo's. The camcorder has a memory card slot enabling you to use a memory stick duo card for additional storage.
Additional recording features include a superb macro facility. The image quality when using this feature for close ups, is nothing less than superb. I believe this is helped by the Carl Zeiss lenses that are used. These lenses are well known for there quality and have a long history in producing high quality photographic equipment.
The camcorder also offers a "nightshot plus" feature. This allows you to film in total darkness by using the built in infra red lights. I have to say that I have had a play with this simply for the novelty aspect. Picture quality in my opinion was not great and the picture on the view finder did seem to be somewhat jumpy. However no doubt if you want to make your own version of "Most Haunted" or if you want to join the Stan Colimore car park club, this feature could provide you with a few hours of entertainment.
>>>>>>>>>>>> EASE OF USE >>>>>>>>>>>>
In a word "Simple". The camcorder offers a range of usage options to suit all tastes. If you want the most simplistic option, than this is covered. All settings are available as "automatic". With this option it is quite simply a case of point and shoot. If on the other hand you consider yourself to be a budding Lord Lichfield, all settings including focus, white balance, exposure etc etc, can all be set manually. Viewing your recordings is made via an LCD panel that pulls out to the side. The only thing noticeably missing compared to other makes, is the traditional centre view finder. Although this is not a major problem, it may be something to bare in mind if replacing an existing camcorder and a central viewfinder is your preferred choice. The side LCD panel is where all the settings for the camcorder are made. The menu features on the camera are well laid out and very easy to become familiar with. The various features are selected by means of touch control on the LCD panel. My only criticism here is that the actual touch control can be a little fiddly to operate and does take some getting used to.
For transferring your recorded material, Sony have provided a handy little docking station. This I have found to be particularly useful as it allows you to permanently leave all the transfer cables connected whilst still leaving the actual camcorder free to use. The mains and USB lead plugs into a base station which the camera simply sits on top of providing instant connection.
>>>>>>> EXTRAS >>>>>>>
Sony provide quite a neat little software package to go with the camcorder. Apart from allowing you to edit your recordings, it also offers a very simple "Burn DVD" feature. Once the software and docking station are set up, transferring to DVD (assuming you don't want to edit anything) is simply a matter of popping a blank DVD into your PC and pressing one button on the base station. The software will then do all the rest for you.
For the benefit of those wishing to get more into photography, there is the option to add additional filters and lenses to the front of the camera for a variety of different effects. Surprisingly enough, this is not actually available on all camcorders.
A variety of other useful features include backlight compensation, for filming against bright light, Dolby digital stereo recording, various digital effects and fade in and out facilities. A useful feature is the drop sensor fitted top the camcorder. If it detects a sudden jerk of the camera, it immediately saves all the data that has been stored on the hard drive. Presumably the idea behind this is that should the camcorder be severely damaged as a result of being dropped, the images on the hard drive will still be recoverable.
>>>>>>>>> SUMMARY >>>>>>>>>
To summarise, would I recommend this product? Definitely yes! It is a superb piece of kit that will suit both the amateur and semi pro user alike. Very easy to use and provides superb results. Finally do shop around as prices do vary tremendously. I paid just under �350 from Argos, however prices for the same equipment can obtained on-line for as little as �300. Ciao have listed the full spec for the camera for those requiring the information. However to save navigating your way to this, I pasted the information below. Finally thankyou for taking the time to read my review, hopefully it will be of some use.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SPECIFICATIONS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
General
MPN: DCRSR32E.CEH
Product Type: Camcorder
Width: 7.3 cm
Depth: 10.9 cm
Height: 7.2 cm
Weight: 340 g
Main features
Camcorder Sensor Resolution: 800 Kpix
Camcorder Effective Still Resolution: 0.3 Mpix
Widescreen Video Capture: Widescreen Video Capture
Additional Features: USB 2.0 compatibility, touch-screen control, demonstration mode, backlight compensation, auto power save, PictBridge support Display
Type: LCD display - 2.5" - colour
Display Form Factor: Rotating
Display Format: 123,200 pixels Microphone
Type: Microphone - built-in
Microphone Operation Mode: Stereo Connections
Connector Type:
* 1 x USB * 1 x composite video/audio output * 1 x S-Video output
Expansion Slot(s): 1 x Memory Stick PRO Duo Software
Software: Drivers & Utilities, Sony Picture Motion Browser Miscellaneous
videos. With 40x Optical/2000x Digital Zoom and a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® Lens, everything will be as clear as you remember it. With DVDirect? recorder compat...
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