Photo gallery: Sony Handycam DCR-SR100Hard disk drive camcorders have the potential to offer perhaps the easiest image capture of all cameras, after all, users never need to find a fresh tape or DVD to begin recording, never have to wait for rewind or fast-forward, and never risk recording over something by accident.
Little wonder Sony extended its "Easy" operation feature to the DCR-SR100. Nearly all settings are controlled by the computer on automatic anyway, but Easy mode turns off access to manual controls for focus, backlight and access to anything on the menu. The user can feel some safety in that they won't be able to adjust anything that might ruin a shot.
Because the camera stores footage internally, however, it's very important for buyers to consider compatibility with their computer -- the sometimes not-so-easy part of the equation -- since this is how they will get images "out". The camera itself has a very easy-looking single button to initiate DVD burning, but the software provided only works with Windows XP and 2000 (via a USB connection).
The DCR-SR100 offers a Carl Zeiss lens, 3.3-megapixel CCD and an acceptable image quality. There's also image stabilisation and support for 5.1 channel surround sound. But its main claim to fame is the 30GB disk, which can record more than seven hours of footage at "high quality" setting. Most consumers would be hard pressed to film more than that in one go, before needing to download recordings.
A built in drop sensor is essential for camera with hard disk recording, in order to preserve the quality of the disk and images stored. The camera even has a buffering system so it can continue recording and write to the hard disk drive once stable.
The nature of hard drives is such that deleting data is not always enough to completely remove it. Sony has provided an "empty" feature that writes data over the hard drive to better obliterate unwanted images so that they are harder to recover -- useful if lending a camera to a friend but not wanting them to find your previous footage.
This camcorder has a visual index, so you can look up a scene from the LCD and play it back quickly. The LCD is also a touch screen -- one of the best features of this Sony range. Pick up another camera and you might start poking a dormant screen out of sheer habit.
All manual image controls on the DCR-SR100 are, however, menu driven, so the touch screen is the only way to fine-tune an image. This is adequate for the consumer who just wants to point and shoot, but a downer for more advanced videographers. Either way, users no doubt will end up turning the menu sounds off -- adjusting exposure sounds like you are playing a video game.
LCDs are, of course, indispensable features of camcorders these days, for shooting and camera control. But with so much footage now stored internally, playback is no longer just to see if a shot "worked". It's quite likely the camera will be passed around friends at the BBQ. Closing the LCD panel with the screen facing out is great for this sort of playback.
The camera has a pleasing lightweight, round shape and looks as good as any competitor (again, a factor for consumers who like to show off around the BBQ). But there are aspects that could use a more substantial touch.
This reviewer dislikes Sony's accessory shoes, which are sunken, with a cover attached by the weakest of plastic straps, destined to break or at least rub against a microphone. Perhaps there's the expectation that most consumers will rarely use accessories with these cameras. And again, Sony has the user charging the battery on the camera itself, so no external charger for extra batteries.
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