Sony HDR-XR500V

Camcorders in the high end class over $1000 are normally where Sony excel, so is the latest edition to the family, the Sony HDR-XR500V, going to live up to this reputation or is it going to be the black sheep of the family and let them down by proving that they cannot get it right all the time? This camcorder was one of a batch we are road testing for Sony this week, and we have so far found them all very different in terms of functionality but never lacking in terms of quality, which is a trait that Sony take pride in. You know the score. We review, you decide, so here is the low down on what we found when we opened that box.

Sony HDR-XR500V Camcorder

Design

We were surprised to see a rather large unit in comparison to the others we have had from Sony recently, and this is nearly double the weight of some of theirs. We are not sure why they have made a unit that is clearly so much bigger and bulkier than its competitors, measuring 2.9″x3.0″x5.5″ and weighing in at a massive 20 ounces. They certainly will not be able to use compactness as a selling point.

Sony has gone back to black on this one, and looks wise it still hits the mark. It is sleek and not crowded, with a gloss black finish which really does look posh. The extra size and the fact that there are finger grips on the barrel do make it easy to hold; however, the weight means that it isn’t really suitable for a pocket but really needs a bag. The rest of the unit is as expected, with the LED screen, the hand strap and the underside holding the memory card slot and connector points. Purely on looks alone we are giving it 7 out of 10, losing some marks mainly for the extra bulk.

Actual user review:
“The quality of the product surpassed my expectations. The clarity of the video in lower light conditions is impressive. The big problem I had with my previous camcorder was the picture would look grainy when taken indoors under normal indoor lighting conditions. This camera does a great job in lower/low light conditions. The fireworks and twilight modes are excellent. A feature that may not catch your eye at first but really adds alot to the product is the smiles shutter. While taking video, the camera will take digital stills when the camera detects a smile. The pictures taken this way lead to more natural looking smiles then pictures your subjects pose for. It is a nice treat to find some photos taken on your camera after you are done videoing. The included software and downloaded update makes is easy to transfer, store, and search downloaded content to my PC running Windows Vista 64-bit. You can easily create an AVCHD disc with direct burn through the computer (equipped with a dvd or bluray burner) without the need to tranfer anything to the computer first. Picture quality is phenomenal. Would highly recommend this product to anyone.” – V.Schmidt (USA)

Functionality

Reading through the tech spec sheet we really couldn’t see anything missing in terms of the best of Sony technology, which left us feeling reassured that we might well be road testing one of their best efforts. The Sony HDR-XR500V is one of a pair, and we have already seen the XR520V, and this is the lower memory of the two, although 120GB is still pretty outstanding. The performance just like its big brother is excellent in most conditions, although we did find it let us down slightly in the really bright conditions that said low-level light was simply stunning. The supporting technologies that work to provide crystal clear images are the 1/2.88” “Exmor R” CMOS sensor with ClearVid™ array, combined with the Professional-quality Sony® G Lens.

There is a little bit of gadgetry in this camcorder that gives it a fun edge. For some people this is going to be a real wow factor, but for others it maybe a little over rated and you won’t really see the point. The little bit of technology is called ‘Geotagging‘. This means that the camcorder has a built in GPS receiver, which means that the camera knows where in the world it is and automatically adjusts the time to reflect the country change, and can tag the images with the location if you would like it too.

Again this camera features the face detection software and the Smile Shutter™, which means that even when you are filming a video the camera can simultaneously take a still picture of your main subject when it detects a smile, and the still picture will be in 12 megapixel quality which really is top notch.

Sadly we don’t really know what has happened to Sony lately in terms of their menu navigation, and yet again we were disappointed to find ourselves testing yet another model with muddled menus that left us completely confused as to what was where, and whilst we know it doesn’t take a lot to confuse us, really we think the problem lies with Sony here.

Conclusion

The Sony HDR-XR500V does give rise to some excellent picture quality. It really is a high definition camcorder that brings home the goods, and it has a sense of fun with features like Geotagging. The only downsides are the menu, the weight, and the price which is rather hefty, but then this is Sony quality. Bottom line for us? Yes, we would like it but we don’t know if we would pay that price. It is going to come down to what you can comfortably afford, we think.

Average User Rating:

• “I fell in love with my Sony Handycam HDR-XR500V the moment I held it in my hand for the very first time. The camcorder is very sleek, lightweight and extremely steady. It took me couple of hours to get used to the control knobs especially the one meant for zooming, changing the mode from camcorder to digital camera and the one provided for taking still images. These controls are very close to each other. Sony Handycam HDR-XR500V records video of exceptionally high quality in Advanced Video Codec High Definition(AVCHD) format. These videos can be observed on any HDTV by connecting HDR-XR500V using the cable that comes with camcorder. The PMB software accompanying the camcorder is very useful in burning SD/HD DVDs. Little patience while using PMB can save you money and hassle of buying stand alone DVD Burner with AVCHD recording(SONY VRDMC6) or DVD Recorder/Player(SONY VRDMC10).” – S.N.Patankar (USA)
• “I have been using this camcorder for a month now. I liked pretty much all the features; especially still photo quality. I recommend anyone to go for it.” – S.Muthanna (CA,USA)

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