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Sony DCR-SR80 Camcorder Review
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The DCR-SR80 (USD800 MSRP)
rests at the peak of Sonys fresh average-priced hard disk drive (HDD)
camcorder series. The budget follows up to the dear DCR-SR100 (USD999),
this camcorder, along the DCR-SR40 (USD470) and SR60 are balanced to
criticize JVC out of pole position in the developing HDD market. Being
the macro--corporation that they are, Sonys probabilities are full. But
our objections with the JVC Everios line receive no remedy here. Worse
video quality disproportional to the high-flown costs looks to be the
name of the game in below USD1000 HDD camcorders.
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Features
The Sony DCR-SR80 (USD700)
shoots still images to the HDD. Still photographs can be shot in two
qualities, Fine and Standard, also in two resolution sizes, 640 x 480
and 1152 x 864. The camcorder is not able to photograph broad angle,
16:9 stills. The larger resolution size is not offered on the bottom-end
DCR-SR40 (USD470).
Most of the manual
functions observed in video mode are also received in still mode. These
features include exposure, white balance control, focusing control, the
Spot Meter and Spot Focus controls, Program AE modes, and few more.
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Extra characteristics,
such as bracket and uninterrupted shooting styles are both provided,
although the manual yields no particulars as to the speed of the
uninterrupted recording of the EV derivatives in the bracketing style
(it is probably +1/3EV, 0EV, and +1/3EV). There is no integral flash,
but if you determine to buy an extraneous flash, there are commands in
the main menu, which can adjust it to red-eye reduction, force-on,
force-off, and a flash strength of +/-1.
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However replay (playback)
is tremendously uncomplicated. Thumbnails come out on display screen,
and you can enlarge them to fill the display screen. You are also able
to produce slideshows in camera yourself.
Performance
The Sony DCR-SR80, similar
to most low and middle-level Sony camcorders, generated bad quality
still images. At a maximal size of 1152 x 864 of approximately 1 mega
pixel, the camcorder builds a fairly furious challenger for a digital
camera from 1998. In the year 2006, though, these still images do not
cut down it. It is not just an issue of size. The color functioning is
very bad, and not amazingly so. This is basically matching to every
under-USD1000 Sony camcorder. The photograph is noisy, both fine grain
black noise and blue stains. The whole green -yellow range is a
yellowish green mush. No red to talk of. In spite of a manual white
balance control, the whites stay a bluish chromaticity. In brief, you
would not attach these photographs in the family album. The DCR-SR80 is
a bad selection for a fusion camcorder / still camera.
Relatively, the Sony
DCR-DVD305 seemed just the similar, and provided the equal maximal
resolution. The JVC GZ-MG77 developed bigger still images, at a maximal
1632 x 1224. It demonstrated less noise and improved color performance.
The Sony DCR-SR100 did not bear quite the color balance control and
strength control that the JVC presented, but the resolution was more in
high spirits (2016 x 1512). The larger imagery demonstrates a marked
betterment over the SR80s 1/5.5inches Charge-coupled device. The
Panasonic SDR-S150 was perhaps the most beneficial of this gang as a
fusion camcorder. The pictures were a little granular, but the color
balance was well (dull in the greens) and the resolution was richly
(2048 x 1512). The photograph sharper appearing than the other,
finishing out a best overall functioning.
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