Sony HDR-SR5 Reviews, Compare, Prices
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I've been using this camera for almost 3 months now. I really like the quality for the most fraction and having the video go directly to a digitized format is awesome. However, I do have some serious problems with a few things.
1. No USB connection on the camera body.
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Now, I really don't understand why they didn't add a port as valuable as the one for the USB connection directly on the camera body. That is basically the only plan for you to transfer the video files directly to your computer. It seems like either of the ports for the A/V Out or the Component connection (which I hardly utilize) could have been left to the contemptible if it was a station relate, or perhaps even the mini-HDMI port (which I reflect they should have included an adapter to standard HDMI for) .
If they HAD included the USB port on the camera body, there wouldn't be a need for the dismal at all. The more I assume about it, the more nonsensical it seems. Of course, perhaps there was some engineering scream that made it more feasible....but for $700 bucks, I don't want to have to construct excuses for them or figure out why they made something more complicated when it could have been so simple.
Also, although the newer versions USB seem to be overtaking firewire, they could have place that type of connection on the tainted rather than additional component and A/V ports which are already on the camera body.
2. Shooting in shameful light has lots of noise.
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I understanding the CMOS sensor on this camera was supposed to eliminate noise in indecent light situations, but from what I can converse, shooting outside at night or even in sunless rooms, there's plenty of noticeable noise in the gloomy regions of the video image, even when shooting at the highest quality level, HD XP. I don't know if it's something I can have checked out, perhaps my sensor impartial isn't working properly, but in any case, that's been somewhat of a disappointment for me.
What I expected was video quality like that in the movie Collateral, which had lots of tall night shots using HD cameras. Maybe that is a bit too remarkable for a consumer camera, but detached, I expected more.
Also, another predicament that I've found with night shots, is that the auto-focus has a really hard time getting zeroed in on the factual place. I usually have to extinguish up focusing it manually if I want a consistently obvious shot at night.
3. The bundled software doesn't convert to an uncompressed format.
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Since AVCHD is a relatively novel format, I was clear that they would have a feature in the software to convert clips to some more universal uncompressed format. But the software that comes with the camera only has the option to export the video to MPEG2, which creates a determined loss in quality. So, I don't understand why they wouldn't earn it easier for us to convert the video into some more widely mature format with that losing that HD clarity. I know there are third party applications that do this, but Sony should have provided this feature with the camera.
Additionally, working with the AVCHD format is a damage in general. In order to understanding the video on your computer as a video file, you have to import it using the Sony Characterize Utility software that comes on a CD-ROM with the camera. When it imports the files to a selected destination folder, you actually pick up 3 files for every video clip you've shot. The extensions are 'm2tsm', 'modd', and 'moff'. The 'm2tsm' file is the one that actually contains the video data (I had to rob since it's always the largest) . I'm not clear what the others are for.
Even after you've installed all the provided software, you can't honest double click a video file to initiate it. You have to "Register" the folder the video files are in in the Describe Motion Browser. Only then can you opinion your video. They have a program called 'Player for AVCHD', beut it stupidly only plays the video on your camera harddrive, and doesn't even have an option to directly originate the files on your computer. Personally, I've found the software to be more cumbersome than useful. The program doesn't have an option to depart folders, so if you do recede the files, you have to re-register them and delete the primitive folders from the Portray Motion Browser yourself. While it's nice in someways to retain things organized, it's not really that apt. And the editing features made available are almost completely worthless, unless all you want to do is split a clip in two.
Despite it's shortcomings, I tranquil judge it's a decent camera, although I really wish they had better software with more editing features. Calm, I judge it's worth $700 or so for the distinct image (in daylight) and the convienice of having the video go directly to a harddrive. Despite it's shortcomings, this might actually be the best HD harddrive camcorders on the market, but having not had the opportunity to try any others, I can't say that for certain. What I can say is that it's profitable, even if it's not perfect.
*I had to edit this because I kept thinking of other things I had problems with. And the more I belief about the file format set, the more annoyed I became. So I judge I would have to modify my recommendation and say that you should impartial wait until future versions to prefer this camera when they improve the software or unbiased try out another camera altogether. Considering these other difficulties, I contemplate I would have to plunge my rating to a 2 out of 5 stars.
I moved from Hi8 directly to this so have not seen the contrast in quality between Hi8 and MiniDV but if compared to this one, I was totally blown away with the clarity and colors. This is an awesome camera for anyone looking for budget HD camera in market for average user. Though kit battery life is not that ample so probably I will pick another one soon but otherwise I have no swear till date. Go for it guys!!
The describe quality and features on the camera are immense, BUT...
Sony shot itself in the foot when it decided to push the AVCHD video format. You are forced to consume Sony's obnoxious software tools; there is no capable conversion chronicle if you want your video in MP4. WMV, or any other format. So, Adobe Premiere (which I utilize for all my home editing) is useless, as is Edius, Ulead VideoStudio, or anything else.
After reading about the quality, I bought this camera to consume video of my son's wedding. Now, about all I can do is produce a raw video onto DVD of the footage and give away copies, as opposed to putting together something nice for them.
If all you're going to do is shoot video, and play video from the camera to a TV, then go ahead and prefer it; if you have any scheme of bring the footage into a computer, then avoid this camera like the plague.
