Sony Handycam HDR-XR520VE Camcorder Review

by Kaitlyn Chantry
Published on Apr 25, 2009 8:20 AM

 
Intro
 Product Tour
Colour & Noise Performance Motion & Sharpness Performance
Low Light Performance Compression & Media
Manual Controls Still Features
Handling & Use Playback & Connectivity
Audio & Other Features Canon HF S100 Comparison
Panasonic HDC-HS300 Comparison Sanyo VPC-HD2000 Comparison
Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings


Introduction
The Sony HDR-XR520VE (£1,199) is a rather compact consumer camcorder with big features: a retractable viewfinder, a manual control dial, a 240GB hard drive, and a built-in GPS. In addition the XR520 has excellent noise levels and the motion is clear and smooth.

There are are few drawbacks to the camcorder. Some rather basic manual controls are missing for a camcorder this expensive. It lacks a 25p frame rate. There are too many switches and buttons, and the menus are confusing. Beginners may find it confusing, and advanced users may find themselves wanting more control. It does, however, offer excellent video performance, and some of the remaining features are pretty great.
    (Page 1 of 17) Product Tour




Section The Good The Bad
Product Tour 1/2.88-inch Exmor-R sensor is supposed to improve low light performance
 design is more practical than elegant
Colour & Noise Performance Noise is surprisingly low, footage clearer than the competition Colours are less accurate and vivid than Canon and Panasonic
Motion & Sharpness Performance Exceptionally sharp and smooth recording
 Compared to the Canon slightly more artefacting and trailing
Low Light Performance Noise performance is impressive, colour accuracy and saturation good Average low light sensitivity; no option for 25p frame rate to help improve performance
Compression & Media Capability to record HD and SD video at several bit rates; large 240GB HDD
 Editing software holds no surprises; 16Mbps the highest bit rate
Manual Controls Manual control dial is perfect to adjust focus, exposure, WB or AE shift Not many colour or images controls; no manual aperture, shutter speed, or gain 
Still Features Concurrent still capture during video recording
 Few extras (no burst mode, ISO, etc.)
Handling & Use Easy mode is really easy; movable viewfinder
 Confusing menu system, and clustered LCD cavity not very user-friendly; bad battery life
Playback & Connectivity Plenty of ports, including microphone and headphone jacks, plus an accessory shoe Intricate playback interface; port covers are weak
Audio & Other Features Drop sensor protects hard drive, records 5.1-channel or 2-channel audio Microphone poorly positioned; just basic audio controls



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