Sony HDR-XR520V

High definition is the latest advance in camcorder technology and the Sony HDR-XR520V is part of the rush to the market by the leading manufacturers, who are keen to get you to purchase their products. Sony has released many examples of their high definition camcorders at all levels to make sure that there is something for everyone in terms of price and functionality. This is a mid to top end camcorder that is in the over $1000 category meaning that this is not a cheap option, so what exactly are you getting for your money and what target market is the Sony HDR-XR520V aimed at? We have had the camcorder here to see what we make of it, and as usual we will share our findings with you in the hope that it will make your life easier when it comes to choosing a camcorder. A small weight off your mind we know, but we are more than happy to oblige because we actually enjoy testing things and we really don’t get out much.

Sony HDR-XR520V Camcorder

Design

When we get a box arrive that has Sony on the outside we generally know that we are going to be looking at a stylish product, and the Sony HDR-XR520V high definition camcorder is no exception. Sony really know what they are doing with their designs and this is a lovely sleek black unit that has a single yellow line around the lens, and the obligatory acknowledgement branding for the supporting technologies on the case.

The flip open screen on the left has a nice two-tone black effect and is a lovely size, with a run of control buttons down the far left hand side. The hand strap is on the right and the battery pack protrudes slightly at the back, but this seems to be common with all makes across the board. Again keeping with the current trends this is a small, lightweight camera that weighs just over 1lb and is 2 7/8 x 3 x 5 1/2 inch in size, which makes it perfectly portable wherever you want to take it.

Actual user review:
“Very easy to use, picture quality is fantastic and it holds almost 30 hrs of HD-FH on the hard disc. The GPS works great outdoors but not so good indoors. The smile shutter takes some fantastic photos while recording.
The only caution I would make to prospective buyers is if your paying extra money for a HD camera you want to be able to enjoy watching your videos in HD. Which means you need a computer and programs capable of editing HD movies and a blu-ray player to watch them on. You will also need to invest in a spare battery, carry case, tripod and maybe a microphone. All these little costs really add up and make it an expensive excercise.” – N.Fisher (USA)

Functionality

The functionality is by far the most important part, and again we have to say that Sony are normally bang on and seem to be able to compete in all categories of technology, camcorders being little effort or so it seems. So are we going to find anything that disappoints us or is it all going to be good? Firstly we have to note that this is the highest capacity built in memory we have seen, at a massive 240GB, and as if that could possibly be not enough for you, it also has the expected support for its own memory stick, the Pro Duo cards, so the memory really does seem to be endless here.

In terms of picture quality and filming performance we started out very impressed. We were inside the office and the lighting level was low, but that didn’t stop the Sony HDR-XR520V, which dealt with it amazingly. Images were sharp and crystal clear and the lighting was compensated for brilliantly, so we took a walk outside. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, but we were left a little stunned when the camcorder failed to do as well as we were all expecting. Sometimes it could not cope with the bright lighting and there were patches where the clarity was lost, and on playback we all felt rather saddened, as this really wasn’t what we expected. The mood in the office turned somber, as we realized this was not the almighty of camcorders and it did actually have faults. It was a bit of a torn in two moment. We love the looks, the styling and the features and functionality. This is top of the range stuff that captures sound as well as pictures in high definition, as this is also fitted with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound recording capabilities. The lens is 12x optical zoom, and you get 1920 x 1080 high definition video recording, but maybe they have tried too hard here.

Conclusion

We are scratching our heads to find the target market here. There are issues that the pro-camcorder user is not going to find acceptable. The memory allows for well over 29 hours of continuous recording, which to be honest may be over the top. Price wise this is an expensive toy, but really not for the pro set, so we are guessing this is for the traveling type who wants to take extensive footage of their travels around the world but isn’t going to be too bothered by the bright conditions, giving rise to a slightly dubious performance from time to time.

Average User Rating:

• “About 2 weeks ago, I decided it was time to bit the bullet and buy the XR520V. I am absolutely impressed. I was very skeptical about the low light specs on the Sony site. I guess because of the larger CMOS sensor,the higher resolution and going back to an optical lens, the low light is excellent. Perfect for indoor use even in pretty low light (finally!). The one feature I like the most is the index of each section of video recorded. This indexes by date, so you can scroll through the dates and see thumbnails of each clip. I have to say overall, I will thoroughly enjoy this camcorder. We have 2 kids and this is so much easier to use and carry around than our older model. I also like the quick on, so we don’t miss their spontaneous sing alongs. It is also nice to take videos over a weekend trip and then just plug it into the TV, go to the index and pick out what we want to watch. Instant gratification! No more finding a tape and going back and forth to find the scenes we want. I only got the 520V over the 500V for the extra drive space. Normally, I never try to max out a drive or flash card in a camera to avoid loss of data. I regularly copy over from my camera and never max out the flash card, so I imagine I will do the same here, but with no option to get an extra tape when I need it, it was worth the $200 for the extra space. I would never want to get caught short here! 4 stars only due to price and “forced” cost of needed accessories. Enjoy!” – K.Burrows (NC,USA)
• “Pity the lefties, for this camera fits my right hand perfectly with all the controls in easily-learnable positions. Capacious hard drive does away with worries about storage on a 25-day vacation trip like my recent one. Tip for new users: Learn early how to use the control that lets you set exposure and focus. You’ll need it when you’re zooming or panning in a varied-lighting situation. A wide-angle adapter is a good first-accessory-purchase, though my supplier sent me the wrong one and I longed for the right one throughout my trip. Stunning video that checks out beautifully on a 46″ monitor, stunning stills that can be taken while shooting video (or independent of video) and, so far, the sound seems fine, though I haven’t checked that thoroughly at this writing.” – D.Lutz (NY,USA)

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