|
| 
 enlarge
| Brand: Sony
Category: Photography
Buy New: Too low to display
New (14)
Avg. Customer Rating:  42 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Monitor Size: 320
Includes Software: Yes
Optical Zoom: 12
Digital Zoom: 150
Connectivity: AV
Display Size: 3.2
Maximum Focal Length: 58.8
Minimum Focal Length: 4.9
Maximum Resolution: 3810000
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 8 x 10 x 6
MPN: HDR-SR11
Model: HDR-SR11
UPC: 027242727762
EAN: 0027242727762
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Sony HDR-SR11 v.s. Canon Vixia HF-11 October 9, 2008
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
I have purchased both camcorders (I admit via BestBuy since returns are a breeze) to compare quality for about a week, and I must say Sony wins hands down. I was actually hoping the Canon will be the winner since I own the Canon 40D dSLR and wanted to stay within brand, but I've made my choice and purchased the SR11 from Amazon. For the record, I was using iMac 3.06GHz intel proc with iMovie/QuickTimePro - none of the cameras offer any software for the Mac, but that did not seem a problem:
Sony won me over in the following areas:
1. Autofocus: Sony seemed more responsive. I have a 2yr old, which can't seem to stay put for more than a second and the Sony seemed to obtain better focus on him. Canon sometimes took over 2seconds to obtain focus outdoors at about 5x zoom.
2. white balance: For some reason the Canon did not look natural to me. The colours were off, with my son's pale skin looking greenish indoors at low light.
3. LCD + viewfinder. The Canon does not have a viewfinder, which I suppose contributes to its light weight. I found the LCD to be more than enough in overcast weather, but Sony's 3.2" screen is a pleasure to work with. It's larger(2.7" v.s 3.2") and much smoother LCD. The display is simply gorgeous. Videos show amazing on it and shooting is very pleasant. I found the touch screen to sometimes need a second push, but fingerprints were never a problem - I got the same amount on the Canon too. The Canon has the joystick/func button which I found was a bit clumsy to use.
4. compression & low light performance. Since I was shooting mostly indoors, I found Sony to work slightly better in low light, focusing a bit faster and producing less noise. I was comparing Sony's 60i v.s. Canon's 30p mode. Canon in 60i indoors at low light looked too alien green for my liking. Sony produced a bit less artifacts too.
5. Storage: 60G v.s. 32G of space. Both are extendible via memory card, sony requires the card if you want to shoot still photos while filming.
6. Build quality. This was a big one. I'd like my camera for which I paid a good chunk of cash to look good and feel good. It is very sad to see Canon produce those cheap feeling and looking cameras, when their SLRs are built like tanks. Sony was impecable with every detail very well thought through.
7 Sound quality. This was also quite noticeable. Sony's sound was much clearer indoors. It also offers a zoom function on the mic, so that when you use the optical zoom, the mic will also "zoom-in" on the conversation.
8. Price. As it stands, HF11 is 150 bucks more and I can't justify it.
9. Both camcorders can be hooked with cables directly, but only the Sony includes a cradle, and it is much easier to work with - just drop it in and pick it up when done. On the other hand, with the Canon I had to plug 2 cables each time I wanted to connect it to my Mac - one for power and one USB (you can't connect to PC without the camcorder being powered by the adaptor).
10. Button operation. Canon has a bad design flaw in their quick start function. You see, if you stop filming, and just close the LCD, the cam goes into standby mode. However, by pressing the start button, you can begin filming again without opening the LCD. On the Sony, the start button is embeded in the middle of the on/off/mode ring. The Canon's button is a big blob sticking out the back. It is very easy to accidentally start filming. It was quite anoying to find that my battery has runout in the car because I've depressed the button. On the bright side I now have 30min of footage of my jacket's pocket.
11. better stills. Canon's 3.2Mpixel shots can't compare to Sony's 10.2MP. Also, Sony's flash is well centered over the lens. Canon's is offset and the light looks off in pictures.
12. Better OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). I found that Sony performs better while walking.
Now some people keep whining about 30p/24p etc. I am no pro, and to me 24p looked a bit blocky, and 30p providing very similar quality to Sony's 60i mode. I found the 60i mode to look very movie-like too (It kept reminding me of an episode of "The Office" for some reason.)
To keep things fair, the Canon's Pros were:
1. Lighter weight and more centered zoom lever position. Sony's HDD,3.2" screen and viewfinder seem to add a bit of weight and the lever seems to go too far back.
2. flash-based recording medium should keep things more durable, though I'm not sure flash can sustain as many writes as a regular HDD.
 Doesn't thrill me! May 14, 2008
17 out of 38 found this review helpful
Too large for modern day video cameras. I recently compared the Canon Vixia HF10 (HF100) and believe both to be a better choice to the SR11. Although Sony offers 24p and 30p modes on their high-end broadcast equipment, Canon offers it both on the high end and the consumer line. The ability to record in 24p and 30p offers stunning video that has the feel and sense of motion when your kid is moving as opposed to the stark feel of 60i video.
Design wise, the Canon is significantly smaller and lacks the obnoxious branding on the outside. The backside of the LCD of the Sony is littered with names and tags. One of which is the 10 Megapixel tag. This camcorder features a 5 megapixel sensor. Therefore, they are interpolating in the camera to try and claim 10 megapixel images.
Last, for a $1200 camcorder, they are sure stingy on the software. They ship the SR11 with the same software that ships on their $249 camcorder the HC52. I personally don't think it is very good software for a $249 product much less $1200.
No Good May 20, 2008
17 out of 34 found this review helpful
It is a very good camera. BUT the editing software that came with it is lame. You cannot edit and save in HD on a hard drive unless you burn a dvd. You can edit and save in mpeg! So what is the purpose of HD camera. I tried many third party editing software, all had the same problems.
Great Camcorder! April 6, 2008
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I have had this camcorder for 2 weeks now and have shot hd video indoors and out in low and average lighting conditions. The video is superb. Stunning clarity. It is a huge step up from the Sony DCR-TRV 530 I used to use. The Touchscreen is easy to use, large, clear, and bright. Battery life could be better, but other batteries are available. The digital stills in some cases are better than with my canon s3is. Face detection and image stabilization work well. Viewing the stills or the footage on the computer or a tv are a snap. Burning archives to dvd was also. Itching to buy a blu ray player for my hdtv and home theater now!
I would purchase an extra battery and charger. Got mine from us1camera for $1k, case, camera, extra battery and charger, 2 lenses, 3 filters, bag, tripod and more. Free shipping. Excellent camera, deal and service.
 Best consumer level video camera on the market July 20, 2008
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
As the title states, I feel this is about the best you can expect from a consumer level camera on the market today.
I have been experimenting and putting it through it's paces for a month now, and am pretty familiar with it's capabilities and quality. I am currently on my family's second vacation trip of the year and and have taken some footage ranging from indoor/outdoor pet shots, the mountains and waterfalls of western Colorado, night-time 4th of July fireworks, indoor, well-lit cousin/family members and an indoor shot of mom covering a chocolate cake with meringue icing. Lots of good, typical, casual-user type footage.
With the recent purchase of a mini HDMI to standard HDMI cable, I was finally able to view all of this footage on a 45" Sony BRAVIA LCD TV in all of it's HD glory. Before, I had been getting by with the AV/Component cables and there is a night and day difference between those and the digital signal of HDMI.
A good part of my footage was shot in the lowest quality possible. I also shot a substantial bit in full HD. Honestly, the low quality looks darn near as good as the full quality, so for those who somehow shoot hours of footage on end without access to their computer to dump the material to, you can vastly extend your shooting time if necessary with minimal compromise. Besides, even at full quality HD, a 60 GB hard drive is like having a camera with SEVEN 60 minute tapes spooled end to end. At the lowest quality (HD) recording time is just under 23 hours. There's really no reason to upgrade to the SR12 unless you are some kind of shoot-a-holic, but shooting 120 GB of footage would be an editing nightmare anyway.
Viewing the full HD footage on the BRAVIA TV via HDMI, it looks about as sharp and clean as you could possibly ask for. You can pick out the individual strands of fur on animals cleanly.
I cannot comment on 5.1 surround sound, as I am not yet home from this trip, but as soon as we return (tomorrow) I will definitely test it out.
I recently handled the Canon HV30 in CC and was not very impressed with the build quality or the viewfinder - poor refresh rate and everything plastic. The Sony SR11 gives you a hefty chrome metal push-dial for adjusting focus/white balance shift and aperture. It's very effective for controlling focus when in low-light/indoor situations or the aperture. I find that the camera DOES lean toward cool colors by default, so I have the White Balance Shift set to maximum (+4) to bring a warmer, more natural tone to things. You may find that you need to do the same. Thankfully, when adjusting parameters manually, they are retained, meaning you can set White Balance Shift, Focus, AND Aperture all at the same time. It's about as good as it gets without jumping into the $3000 dollar camera range.
The x.v. color is a new, wider color gamut that is supposed to give more life-like coloration to subjects. If you shoot in this mode, you will only see the difference when played back on an x.v color compliant product (new Sony BRAVIA TV sets). Otherwise, from what I can tell, it seems to produce a somewhat less saturated image. I am still trying to decide which look I prefer. I feel the normal colors look pretty accurate under most conditions. Occasionally, greens seem a little too bright (trees, grass), but overall, color reproduction is very good.
One thing I love about Sony video cameras is their smooth operation. The zoom is smooth but agile if you need to punch it in our out fast. The viewfinders are also very smooth, unlike many other video cameras. (I say 'video camera' because 'camcorder' just sounds too consumerish and cheap for my taste).
The build quality feels very solid, has substantial weight, and feels very secure in the hand, thanks to being able to get a grip on the top of the camera. I think people who lament over the weight of the camera and wish for something lighter are foolish. The WEIGHT adds INERTIA which means more RESISTANCE to SHAKING of the hand. This is a vital fact that most consumers seem ignorant of, and trust me, watching footage on a big screen, you better pray that your footage is as close to tripod-steady as possible.
This camera comes with a fun and cute DVD that goes through some of the basic filming techniques. Several of these concepts are taught in a typical introductory Film & Video class, so it is actually quite a useful video, and it is amusing (to me at least).
I think I could not have bought a better camera for what I desired in a camera, the price point, and what is currently available. I would have PREFERRED to save up and purchase a Canon XHA1 for the pristine optics, better manual controls, and extremely good light gathering (very low low noise even in challenging lighting situations), but I do not want to mess with tapes and the 1:1 tape transfer process again. Hard disk recording with a 3k HDV video camera is possible but expensive. This camera and it's accessories/cables fits perfectly in the very nice leather bag I already own, and is very well protected therein, so for me it was nice to not need to buy a new carrying case.
If you need to see some online footage of this camera in action, check out Vimeo and search 'sr11':
http://vimeo.com/1316737
Further comments/notes pending...
|
|
|
2005-2007 Zone1electronics All rights reserved.
| |
