Sony Handycam HDR-XR520VE

Low Light Sensitivity (6.92)

The Sony HDR-XR520VE is part of the 2009 trend toward higher resolution sensors and decreased low light sensitivity. In our lab test, the XR520 required a whopping 15 lux in order to output 50 IRE. In truth, this is not much worse than the 14 lux required by last year's Sony HDR-SR12. We expect that the new back-illuminated Exmor-R sensor enabled Sony to squeeze a little more sensitivity out of a slightly higher resolution sensor—the two essentially cancelled each other out.  (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

The XR520 has a distinct disadvantage, however, in not offering a 25p shooting mode. Many consumers shoot in these slower frame rates in order to boost low light sensitivity—the Canon HF S100 can output 50 IRE at just 6 lux when shooting in its 25p mode. There is not much improvement in Panasonic's low light sensitivity, while shooting in the 25p mode. The HDC-HS300 and the Sanyo VPC/HD2000, however, already have incredibly good low light sensitivity,. Both reach 50 IRE with just 9 lux when you shoot in the default 50i/60p mode. If you plan to shoot in a lot of dim lighting conditions, the Panasonic and the Sanyo offer a lot more versatility, offering excellent sensitivity no matter what your chosen frame rate. If you don't mind the slow, film-like aesthetic of 25p video, the Canon performs well as long as it's not shooting in 50i. As for the Sony HDR-XR520VE... unfortunately, the sensitivity at 50i is not very good and there are no alternate frame rates available to improve this performance.

Low Light Colour (6.92)

The Sony HDR-XR520VE has good colour performance in low lighting conditions, particularly considering the poor sensitivity and lack of a 25p frame rate option. The overall darkness of the image has a negative impact on colour accuracy, but the camcorder fares better than the Canon HF S100, which had a similarly dark image in our low light tests. According to Imatest, the XR520 had a colour error of 5.30 and a saturation of 85.14%. As in bright light, the XR520 skews greens and pinks the most. In low light, however, the range of hues affected is much wider than in bright light.  (More on how we test low light colour.)

Auto Low Light Colour Performance
Colour Test Chart (above), Colour Error Map (right)
The Sony HDR-XR520VE produced a colour error of 5.3 and a saturation level of 85.14% in our low light colour testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the colour error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular colour.)

As you can see in the crops below, the XR520 is far less vibrant than the impressive Sanyo VPC-HD2000.  The Sanyo has better colour performance in low light than just about any camcorder we've tested—largely due to the superior sensitivity. The image below was taken from the Sanyo's 60p frame rate, which is so good that it almost rivals the camcorder's 30p mode. The Sanyo's colour error in low light was just 2.84, while the saturation measured 104.9%.

Low Light Comparison
Sony HDR-XR520VE	Canon HF S100
Panasonic HDC-HS300	Sanyo VPC-HD2000

While the Sony can't quite keep up with the Sanyo for low light performance, there are few that can. The excellent Panasonic HDC-HS300 had superior sensitivity to the XR520, but the colour accuracy was actually worse. Remember, however, that we score camcorders based on their 50i performance. The Panasonic has better colour accuracy when shooting in 25p mode—an option that is not available on the Sony HDR-XR520VE. The Canon HF S100, which had about the same colour accuracy and an image about as dark as the Sony, also has 25p shooting modes. The ability to shoot at these slower frame rates really improves a camcorder's versatility in low light—a versatility that the XR520 could really use, given its mediocre low light performance.

Low Light Colour Score Comparison

Low Light Noise (11.02)

Low light noise is one area in which the Sony is able to surpass much of the competition. As was the case in bright light, the HDR-XR520VE does an excellent job of producing a clear, nearly noise-free image. This is especially impressive given the mediocre sensitivity in low light. It's possible that the darker image simply masked a lot of the noise, but we think the camcorder is producing a genuinely clear image, given the XR520's performance in bright light. Again, this may be a result of Sony's new Exmor-R sensor.  (More on how we test low light noise.)

Noise at 60 lux Auto
Sony HDR-XR520VE 100% Crop	Canon HF S100 100% Crop	Panasonic HDC-HS300 100% Crop	Sanyo VPC-HD2000 100% Crop

As you can see from the crops above, the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 is really the worst of the lot, producing a splotchy, dark image. The Sony has a good, clear image with very little noise. What noise is there is of a fine grain and and less discoloured than that of the Panasonic HDC-HS300, the Sony's nearest competition in the noise department.

Low Light Noise Score Comparisons