Sony's 2008 Handycams are flash

Sony's rejigged 2008 camcorder line-up has more cameras than are in attendance for a Paris "oops I've slipped over, how silly of me" Hilton event. We give you a run down of each new model to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

Lower prices, check. More features, check. But that's to be expected at any tech launch nowadays. The big news at Sony's launch -- and every camcorder launch this year -- is flash memory. Not just flash only models, but the ability to record video to flash on cameras using hard disk and DVD media; previously flash memory cards were only used to store still images.

High definition hard-disk/flash hybrids
As before there are three cameras in the high-def hard-disk line: one lower spec model, the SR10, and two full cream units, the SR11 and SR12, which differ only in hard-disk capacity. The latter two top-shelf models also feature a big 3.2-inch flip-out touchscreen LCD.

	HDR-SR10	HDR-SR11	HDR-SR12
Price	AU$1,499	AU$1,999	AU$2,199
Memory Stick	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hard disk	40GB	60GB	120GB
Sensor type	5.1mm CMOS	8.1mm CMOS	8.1mm CMOS
Sensor resolution	2.4-megapixel	5.6-megapixel	5.6-megapixel
Zoom	15x	12x	12x
Image stabilisation	Optical	Optical	Optical
LCD size	2.7-inch	3.2-inch	3.2-inch
Nightshot	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microhpone jack	-	Yes	Yes
Headphone jack	-	Yes	Yes
Hotshoe	Yes	Yes	Yes
HDMI	-	Mini	Mini
Zoom mic	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sound	5.1	5.1	5.1

Tape and Memory Stick
The only new cameras in Sony's '08 line-up that can't record to flash memory are the tape models, the bargain basement HC52 and the high-def HC9. Alongside them is the tall and narrow, Memory Stick only TG1, whose Canon HV10-like looks mean certain desirable features have been sacrificed.

	DCR-HC52	HDR-HC9	HDR-TG1
Price	AU$399	AU$1,699	AU$1,599
Definition	Standard	High	High
Recording medium	miniDV	HDV	Memory Stick
Sensor type	4.2mm CCD	8.8mm CMOS	5.1mm CMOS
Sensor resolution	0.8-megapixel	3.2-megapixel	2.4-megapixel
Zoom	40x	10x	10x
Image stabilisation	Electronic	Optical	Electronic
LCD size	2.5-inch	2.7-inch	2.7-inch
Nightshot	Yes	Yes	-
Microhpone jack	-	Yes	-
Headphone jack	-	Yes	-
Hotshoe	-	Yes	-
HDMI	-	Mini	Mini
Zoom mic	-	Yes	Yes
Sound	Stereo	5.1	5.1

DVD/flash hybrids
All of this season's new DVD camcorders from Sony are capable of recording to both DVD or flash memory, with the ability to burn discs from footage stored in flash. Both the high-definition UX20 and the standard-def DVD810 have 8GB of internal memory and a Memory Stick slot, while the entry-level DVD610 only has the latter.

	DCR-DVD610	DCR-DVD810	HDR-UX20
Price	AU$499	AU$699	AU$1,599
Definition	Standard	Standard	High
Memory Stick	Yes	Yes	Yes
DVD	Yes	Yes	Yes
Internal memory	-	8GB	8GB
Sensor type	3.2mm CCD	4.2mm CCD	5.1mm CMOS
Sensor resolution	0.8-megapixel	1.1-megapixel	2.4-megapixel
Zoom	40x	25x	15x
Image stabilisation	Electronic	Electronic	Optical
LCD size	2.7-inch	2.7-inch	2.7-inch
Nightshot	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microhpone jack	-	-	-
Headphone jack	-	-	-
Hotshoe	-	Yes	Yes
HDMI	-	-	Mini
Zoom mic	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sound	Stereo	5.1	5.1

Standard-def hard-disk/flash hybrids
Five new standard-def hard-disk hybrids; that sounds confusing at first but the entry-level SR45 and SR46 are the same except for hard-disk capacity, as are the mid-level SR65 and SR85.

	DCR-SR45	DCR-SR46	DCR-SR65	DCR-SR85	DCR-SR220
Price	AU$799	AU$899	AU$999	AU$1,149	AU$1,399
Memory Stick	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hard disk	30GB	40GB	40GB	60GB	60GB
Sensor type	3.2mm CCD	3.2mm CCD	4.2mm CCD	4.2mm CCD	5.1mm CMOS
Sensor resolution	0.8-megapixel	0.8-megapixel	1.1-megapixel	1.1-megapixel	2.4-megapixel
Zoom	40x	40x	25x	25x	15x
Image stabilisation	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Optical
LCD size	2.7-inch	2.7-inch	2.7-inch	2.7-inch	2.7-inch
Nightshot	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microhpone jack	-	-	-	-	-
Headphone jack	-	-	-	-	-
Hotshoe	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
HDMI	-	-	-	-	-
Zoom mic	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sound	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	5.1