|
| 
 enlarge
| Brand: Sony
Category: Photography
Buy New: Too low to display
New (16)
Avg. Customer Rating:  32 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: Yes
Monitor Size: 320
Includes Software: Yes
Optical Zoom: 12
Digital Zoom: 24
Connectivity: AV
Display Size: 3.2
Maximum Focal Length: 58.8
Minimum Focal Length: 4.9
Maximum Resolution: 3810000
Has Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 12 x 14 x 10
nv:Sensor: 10.2 Megapixel
Movie Resolution: 1920x1080
Memory Included: 120GB Internal
Storage Media: Memory Stick PRO
Storage Media: HDD
Compressed Format: MPEG4 AVC/H.264 SD: MPEG2
Optical Zoom: 12x
Digital Zoom: 150x
Focal Length: 4.9 - 58.8mm
Focus Mode: Full Range Auto/Manual
LCD Monitor: 3.2" wide touch panel
LCD Pixels: 921K Pixels
Maximum Aperture: f 1.8 - 3.1
Shutter Speed: Auto, 1/30 - 1/250 (Scene Selection Mode)
Exposure Control: Touch Panel
Movie Image Resolution: 1920 x 1080
MPN: HDR-SR12
Model: HDR-SR12
UPC: 027242727755
EAN: 0027242727755
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 The Last Camcorder you will ever need July 16, 2008
36 out of 36 found this review helpful
I've now had this camera for about a month now and I couldn't be happier. The video quality is STUNNING as well as the recording sounds. It comes with a base and proprietary power and video cords (both component-HD and composite, which means that they are not interchangable with over the counter video cords), but thats ok. It also has the software for transferring the videos and photos to your CPU. Back to the picture and sound... amazing really. The sound records in 5.1 surround which is so cool, plus you have many options on the video such as night vision, black and white, sepia, old movie mold, etc and some of them you can combine (I did night vision with black and white to make a short zombie movie, it looks wicked). There are so many possibilities with this cam. The play back is all touch screen, which the screen can get smeared by fingerprints (easy to wipe out), but I suggest buying a stylus. Of course if you hook it to your television, it does come with a remote control, and you can do everything with that remote except for deleting images. But that is a positive because you don't want to accidentally delete your images. And it does ask for you to confirm deleting so it's hard to do that accidentally.
Plus, it's a great photography camera. With the flick of a thumb you can change from filming to photographer easy and it takes crystal clear pictures in 10.5 mega pixel. Although I do find it a bit awkward to reach the photo button. Now it takes better picture in photo mode, then it do in filming mode (While filming you can snap a picture also),
Another word on the night vision, I had all the lights off and it films in that greenish color sort of like the movie Cloverfield. But even filming at night without the night vision on, it picks up everything. I had a buddy drive at night, while I was shooting and the only lights were coming from headlights and streetlamps (when we passed them) and you saw everything on the camera that you could see with you naked eye and I even thought it was better than my eye.
Now when you film and take pictures, it organizes the images according to date and when you film several scenes it will play them one after another without a bit of a pause. The camera also has little doors on the back and the side so you can hook up your cords without the base, which is good. Also inside of one of the doors are an hdmi output, a headphones output and a mic input. I ran my iPod through the mic input to make a music video and it turned out great (although be sure not to have your iPod any louder than half).
The camera also has a one touch DVD burning button on the camera and the base, but I haven't used it yet.
The only real negative is that the battery only last 90 minutes, but I bought a bigger battery, which last 14 hours. That battery weighs as much or more than the camera (the camera is really light) and it sticks out the back some but that isn't really that big of a deal.
The software is pretty smart. You hook the camcorder with the use of the provided usb cable (after loading the software) and it finds the camcorder and asks if you want to transfer all the items to your computer. But the cool thing is that you can keep those images on your camcorder after transfer, film other stuff, hook you camera back up to the computer and it will only transfer items that haven't been transferred yet. This is good because you don't have to try to figure out what has or haven't been transfer and you don't get dup copies, or that annoying message about whether you want to overwrite a file. And it organizes by date and you can do a total calendar view and see what dates you filmed on. When it organized and transfer to your CPU, it organized by date filmed, not date transfer, which is extremely helpful, especially if you visit multiple locations during multiple dates.
This is really the last camcorder you will possibly buy for many many years. The only thing is that it has so many cool accessories you can buy, like wide-angle lenses, telescopic lenses, attachable lights, and underwater case etc that you may eventually end up with a $2500-3000 total purchase when you are done. The accessories are not a necessity but they do look like a lot of fun.
Auto focusing can be a pain at times, but it does have a manual focus, which you can set to infinity and if you zoom, set it up on a tripod.
Oh and one last thing, I actually filmed something for 5 minutes that was playing on my plasma in HD and it look as if its the movie itself.
1080i and 1080p Differences June 16, 2008
20 out of 22 found this review helpful
I wanted to clear the air about a little misinformation that has been posted on hi def resolutions. There are other sites on the net that explain the same thing with but with more detail, but the link below is the reference for my information:
[...]
How 1080i and 1080p Are Both The Same and Different
1080i and 1080p are both High Definition display formats for HDTVs. 1080i and 1080p signals actually contain the same information. Both 1080i and 1080p represent a 1920x1080 pixel resolution (1,920 pixels across the screen by 1,080 pixels down the screen). The difference between 1080i and 1080p is in the way the signal is sent from a source component or displayed on an HDTV screen.
In 1080i each frame of video is sent or displayed in alternative fields. The fields in 1080i are composed of 540 rows of pixels or lines of pixels running from the top to the bottom of the screen, with the odd fields displayed first and the even fields displayed second. Together, both fields create a full frame, made up of all 1,080 pixel rows or lines, every 30th of a second.
In 1080p, each frame of video is sent or displayed progressively. This means that both the odd and even fields (all 1,080 pixel rows or pixel lines) that make up the full frame are displayed together. This results in a smoother looking image, with less motion artifacts and jagged edges.
Differences Within 1080p
1080p can also be displayed (depending on the video processing used) as a 1080p/60 (most common), 1080p/30, or in 1080p/24 formats.
1080p/60 is essentially the same frame repeated twice every 30th of a second. (enhanced video frame rate).
1080p/30 is the same frame displayed once every 30th of a second. (standard live or recorded video frame rate).
1080p/24 is the same frame displayed every 24th of a second (standard motion picture film frame rate),
The Key is in the Processing
1080p processing can be done at the source, such as on a Upscaling DVD Player, Blu-ray Disc Player, or HD-DVD player - or it can be done by the HDTV itself.
Depending on the actual video processors used, there may or may not be a difference in having the TV do the final processing (referred to as deinterlacing) step of converting 1080i to 1080p.
For instance, if the TV is utilizing a Faroudja Genesis, DVDO, Silicon Optix HQV, or homegrown processors, such as the ones used in higher-end Sony, Pioneer, Hitachi, and Panasonic sets for example, may be equal to the processors used in many source components - so the results displayed on screen should be equivalent, or very close. Any differences would be more noticable on larger screen sizes.
1080p, Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD
Also, keep in mind that with both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, the actual information on the disc itself is in the 1080p/24 format. Players, such as LG BH100 Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo player, have the ability to output 1080p/24 direct from the disc to its output.
However, since most current HDTVs cannot display 1080p/24, when you connect the LG BH100 to an HDTV that does not have 1080p/24 input and display capability but only has 1080p/60/30 or 1080i input capability, the LG BH100 automatically sends its 1080p/24 signal from the disc to its own video processor which then outputs a 1080i/60 signal. This leaves the HDTV to do the final step of deinterlacing and displaying the incoming 1080i signal in 1080p.
Another example of 1080p processing, is the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray Disc Player - what is does is even more complicated. This Blu-ray player reads the 1080p/24 signal off the disc, then it actually reinterlaces the signal to 1080i, and then deinterlaces its own internally made 1080i signal in order to create a 1080p/60 signal for output to a 1080p input capable television. However, if it detects that the HDTV cannot input a 1080p signal, the Samsung BD-P1000 just takes its own internally created 1080i signal and passes that signal through to the HDTV, letting the HDTV do the final deinterlacing step.
Just as with the previous LG BH100 example. The final 1080p display format depends what deinterlacing processor is used by the HDTV for the final step. In fact, in the Samsung case, it may that a specific HDTV has better 1080i-to-1080p deinterlacer than Samsung has, it which case you may see a better result using the deinterlacer built into the HDTV.
Final Take
In the final analysis, the proof is in the actual viewing - how the image looks to you in the real world with your specific HDTV. Short of having a tech come out and doing actual measurements, or comparing results using different TVs and source components yourself, even if you don't have a 1080p input capable Television, as long your HDTV has 1080p internal processing, you may still be able to get the benefits of 1080p. The key is in the processing, and, of course, not all HDTVs and video processors are created equal - let your eyes be your guide.
 Horrid machine, horrid service June 5, 2008
19 out of 33 found this review helpful
I was very excited about everything I'd read about this camera and happily bought one. However, the first time I used it for more than 20 minutes (which, alas, was after the time I could have returned it), the hard drive completely failed. I would get the warning "Buffer Overrun" or "Cannot Access HD" and it would shut down. After it happened once, the camera could not be used for more than 3 minutes without the same warning.
After I spent 97 minutes on the phone with various "Sony Customer Satisfaction Centers," I was allowed to return the camera -- at my expense -- to them for repair. They promptly and courteously sent it back with a nice little note saying they couldn't find anything wrong with it.
So I plugged it in and, after 20 minutes, "Buffer Overrun."
Uh, guys, it's the hard drive. It's faulty. Just replace it.
Sorry that this isn't so much a review of the camera. I'm sure it's a magical delight once the thing works. Just be warned that if you get this expecting to make a nice little video of your cat or your kids or a vacation, order it six months in advance and beef up your cell phone plan. You'll be spending a lot of time trying to get someone to make your $1400 work.
Superior Camera April 19, 2008
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
This camcorder is phenomenal! The shots are beautiful and clear - the auto focus is very intuitive. The sound is fantastic. I love this camcorder. This takes very high grade professional videos in HD. I love that it shoots in widescreen.
I haven't had any problems with the software it came with; but if you don't like it then you can rest assured that you don't have to use it much. The only thing I've used the software for is to open the videos; you can immediately and easily convert them to a different file type (using the software); then you can use any software you want to work with them.
I've seen a lot of people give bad reviews for items because they didn't like the software it came with. In my opinion that's a bit like saying you hate a cereal because you didn't like your free toy surprise. The software is a bonus; it's the company's way of insuring that the buyer is able to use every part of their new device. The free software discs aren't generally intended to be your primary video editing software - they're just included for convenience.
This camera so far is excellent; I'm beginning my career as a filmmaker and I bought this camera to help me make a high quality film portfolio for grad school. I was absolutely right to do so - this camera will definitely help me make high quality films. (I actually bought two because it's almost impossible to do an entire film with one camera, even with a dolly.) Both cameras work great!
Very nice upgrade from SR11 April 30, 2008
15 out of 18 found this review helpful
This is truly a awesome and perfect camera. Being my first camcorder it is perfect because it is easy to use. All the functions are self explanatory and there are very few buttons to confuse you. I thought taking stills by just pressing one button was pretty cool. I didn't need to switch to camera mode. I also can barely even hear the hard drive, it's as if they put 120gig onto a flash memory. They have added the USB port onto the camcorder making the docking station an option now. Which I thought was the best upgrade from the SR11. It almost seems like they took all the bad reviews they had with the SR11 and fixed them with this model (SR12). I am very satisfied with this camcorder. Sony has came through once again. In addition, you can also move hard drive data to the flash memory if you like.
|
|
|
2005-2007 Zone1electronics All rights reserved.
| |
