Sony HDR-XR500V

February 23rd, 2010 | Tags: , , , ,

During the holidays I searched for a full HD camcorder. The first one I bought was the Sony HDR-CX100, but I returned it because the video quality wasn’t much better than my Canon PowerShot SD780 camera. Future Shop had good Boxing Day deals on some camcorders. I got the Sony HDR-XR500V camcorder for $350 off the original price. I tested it for about a week before returning it. Please read the full review for more details.

PROS

  • “Exmor R” CMOS sensor takes great quality videos in low light
  • Strong build quality
  • Night vision (NightShot)
  • Manual focus
  • Viewfinder
  • 120GB hard drive
  • Charge battery and use camcorder simultaneously

CONS

  • Poor photo quality considering the sensor size
  • Poor life with the included battery
  • No manual shutter speed or aperture settings
  • GPS features only supported with supplied PC software
  • Touchscreen user interface and menu layout

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