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SONY - No Baloney

This Handycam has everything needed to be the most versatile of all of Sony’s models with up-to-the-minute technology.

I originally hesitated because this only has an internal flash memory of 16 GB. However, I have a few of the sony memory sticks (4GB) Sony MSMT4G 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2) Media and having them as an option allows me to record as much time on this unit as I could usually want. It is true that with the internal flash memory your recording time is restricted to about 11 hours. However, each 4GB of memory stick prolongs that limit by about 3.5 hours and supplements the internal flash memory.

I find the flash medium (and the memory sticks) to be preferrable to an internal hard drive (which can store 60 GB, but, are subject to mechanical failure). Although the hard drives will store 60GB, I rarely have that much to accumulate in digital footage before I dump it to my notebook, or, an external USB hard drive. 11 hours of storage is about perfect for a day of interviews and miscellaneous recording.

This unit is a very nice, attractive, two-tone gunmetal and silver finish. It is slightly larger than the (very compact) DCR 47-87 series.Sony DCR-SR47 Hard Disk Drive Handycam® Camcorder (Silver) However, it will still almost fit in the palm of your hand.

The images are sharp quality, indoors or out. It is true (for a change) that the unit allows for one-button record to DVD. You can just slip a mini DVD (3″) in the unit by lifting the cover and placing the DVD in the unit. This will burn about an hour to the 3″ DVD so you can share it immediately. You need to use Sony’s proprietary 3″ disc Sony 3″ Rewritable DVD+RW for Camcorders - 3pk but they are reasonably priced and reasonably available. The advantage of the searchable .mpg2 CODEC on disc should be obvious (as opposed to DV tapes).

If you need larger DVD burns, with the USB connection, it is possible to burn DVD’s on the spot (I use this for interviews) for copies and distribution from your notebook computer. In addition, the internal file configuration can be converted to .wma or .mpg using Sony’s proprietary software (included). (You will need to download the software updates to be able to edit the files using, for instance, Vista movie maker or other OS based video editing programs). The CODEC format is .mpg2 (not very efficient, but, allows for high resolution and editability (with updates to Sony’s sofware).

This unit is sturdy and made as well as any of the Sony handycams. The chassis is, in fact, a proven design that has been around the SONY marketplace for over five years.

Another very useful feature is the 5.1 surround sound microphone. When you want to accurately record both audio and visual, directional stereo mic’s will often pickup background noise and hiss, but, little else other than sound (such as voices talking at the camera) aimed at the mic. With the surround sound, you pick up everyting omnidirectionally. This is not only useful for picking up the voice of the person making the recording (as well as the subject) but has many other uses as well. When video’ing nature, the omnidirectional mike tends to attenuate the background hiss from all directions, yet, still pickup the sounds of birds and other nature sounds.

The digital quality is excellent (680,000 pixels translates to almost (about 75%) HD), and, with proper care in setting up your shots (being careful to avoid reflected or (too much) polarized light) you can make professional recordings.

After reviewing all of the available options out there, I think this is the unit with the most reliable and versatile features that is on the market.

Here are the specs from Sony’s website:

Specifications

Recording Format DVD Video Codec MPEG-2

Media Storage Type 8cm DVD (DVD+R DL / DVD+RW / DVD-RW / DVD-R) HYBRID / HYBRID Plus HYBRID Plus
(16GB Built-in Flash Memory and Movie recording on Memory Stick) Image Sensor Type 1/8″ CCD

Audio Format Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator (5.1ch.)

Zoom Mic Yes

Carl Zeiss Lens / Filter Diameter Vario-Tessar / 30mm Optical / Digital Zoom 60x / 2000x Maximum Still Image Resolution (Photo Mode) 720 x 576 Image Stabiliser SteadyShot LCD Screen Size &

Type 2.7″ Wide LCD (123K / 16:9) with

Touch Panel Face Index Yes

Film Roll Index Yes

Memory Stick Duo Slot Yes

USB Terminal Yes (USB 2.0 High Speed)

Dimensions (W x H x D) 55 x 89 x 130mm Mass (w/o Tape, Battery, etc.) Approx. 390g

Supplied Accessories
AC Adaptor AC-L200 Rechargeable Battery Pack NP-FH30 AV Cable Yes Application Software Picture Motion Browser USB Cable Yes

Update (5/19/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen. I also found some auctions for this item here.

The featured review for this product, Sony Handycam DCRDVD850 DVD Hybrid Camcorder with 60X Optical Zoom Silver Electronics, was written by J. Preston.

The average rating for this item is 5 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.