Sony HDR-SR12 Reviews: Sony HDD storage camcorder

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Product Features

Optical Zoom Ratio	12
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Media Format	Memory Stick
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	HDD
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	Memory Stick Pro
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Digital Zoom Ratio	150
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Image Stabilisation	Yes
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
resolution (Megapixel)	5.6
Resolution (Pixels)	3810x2860
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Manual Focus	Yes
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Dimensions (mm)	83x76x138
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
Battery Life in Hours	1.7
Battery life is important if you travel a lot. Long train journeys can be a pain if you don’t get more than 3 hours of life out of your laptop. It’s worth remembering that a lot of trains offer power sockets now so don’t be put off by a low battery life unless your lifestyle demands ultra portability.
Filter Diameter (mm) Lens 1	37
If you want to protect your camera or camcorder lens from getting scratched you will need a filter. A filter screws on to the front of the lens. The filter diameter is the distance across the lens.
Weight (g)	560
The weight of the product in grams.
Docking Station	Yes
A docking station, also known as a cradle, is used to rest your equipment whilst it charges and also allows transfer of data to a computer.
Monitor Resolution (pixels)	921600
Screen Size in Inches	3.2
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
16:9 Recording Format	Yes
USB Port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components
Hard Disk Capacity in GB	120
Hard Disk capacity is measured in GBs which stands for Gigabytes. A gigabyte is 1000 MB or megabytes. The more GB you have the more info like photos and music you can store.
Remote Control	Yes
Waterproof	No
If your camcorder is waterproof you will be able to film under water which is perfect for diving and snorkeling.
Digital Still Photography	Yes
A Digital Still Photography function on a camcorder allows you to use the camcorder as if it was a digital camera. Camcorders with photo function often save to a separate memory card such as an SD Card.
Night Recording	Yes
Night Recording is a special mode that allows you to record in low light situations.

Also known as: SONY SR12E, Sony HDRSR12E, HDR-SR12

Complete the picture. The HDR-SR12 Handycam® camcorder delivers an incredible, Full HD 1920 × 1080 high definition video package built around an internal 120GB hard disk drive. A professional-quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* lens and ClearVid™ CMOS sensor (with Exmor™ technology) and BIONZ™ image processor let you capture crisp, detailed video and still images. Additionally, Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization and Face Detection technology help reduce blur, increase color and contrast, and make everyone look their best.

Note: Most camcorders will not fit in ACC-FH50A case when the large (NP-FH100) battery is attached to camcorder.

1920×1080 Recording
Record stunning, incredibly detailed video footage in the clarity of 1920 × 1080 Full HD resolution.

Face Detection for Video Footage and Digital Still Photos
Made possible by the BIONZ™ image processing engine, Face Detection technology recognizes up to 8 faces anywhere in the frame and automatically controls focus, exposure, and color to help capture smiling faces brightly and clearly. Face Detection also helps make skin tones look natural without affecting other colors in the image.

5 Megapixel ClearVid™ CMOS Sensor (with Exmor™ Technology) and BIONZ™ Image Processor
Sony’s newly designed CMOS image sensor delivers bright, vivid, and spectacularly detailed 5 megapixel (effective) video footage, as well as 10.2 megapixel still images — all with prolonged battery life. Exmor™ technology captures images with high resolution and high sensitivity. In addition, the advanced Sony BIONZ™ image processor improves camera response time and screens out noise so the signal from each pixel is as pure as possible.

BIONZ™ Image Processor
The advanced Sony BIONZ™ Image Processor uses hardware-based Large Scale Integrated (LSI) circuitry that improves camera response time, screens out noise before RAW data conversion, handles Dynamic Range Optimization processing, and prolongs battery life.

Exmor™ Imaging Sensor
Exmor™ technology captures video and still photo images with high resolution, high sensitivity, and exceptional detail. Advanced on-sensor A/D conversion yields rich tonal reproduction with high signal-to-noise ratio.

Hybrid Recording to Hard Disk Drive or Memory Stick® Media
Hybrid recording technology delivers a new level of flexibility for transferring your video footage and digital photos from the camcorder to compatible viewing devices. Record to the camcorder’s internal hard disk drive, or choose instead to record to removable Memory Stick Duo™ media or Memory Stick PRO Duo™ media. You can even select from various dubbing functions to easily copy video or still images from the hard disk drive to Memory Stick media — without using a PC. Images recorded or transferred to Memory Stick media can then be played directly on a PS3 or PC to share your memories with friends and family.

Dual Record
While recording video in High Definition you have the ability to capture still images directly to Memory Stick Duo™ media (sold separately).

12X Optical / 150X Digital Zoom
The optical zoom helps to bring the action close up from far away. In addition, Digital Zoom Interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zoom.

3.2" Wide1 (16:9) Touch Panel XtraFine LCD™ Display (921K pixels)
The 3.2" Wide1 (16:9) XtraFine™ LCD screen displays sharp, bright, photo-quality images, letting you compose and share video and still images more easily — even outdoors. With nearly 1 megapixel (921K pixels) resolution and a wide viewing angle, the XtraFine LCD™ screen is like having a high-resolution video and photo viewer built into your camcorder.

Built-in zoom microphone with 5.1ch recording
Featuring Dolby® Ditigal 5.1 Creator, the built-in zoom microphone focuses audio recording on your subjects in sync with the camera’s zoom lens, helping memories ring true with clear dialogue and crisp, discrete sounds.

Dolby® Digital 5.1ch Recording
Record in Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound with the camcorder’s built-in microphone. Recording in 5.1 channel surround sound allows you to experience your home movies with active sounds coming from all directions, so you can enjoy your personal home movies the way you experienced them while recording.

Dynamic Range Optimizer
Powered by the exclusive Sony’s BIONZ™ high-speed processing engine, D-Range Optimization preserves image data in bright highlights, such as suppressing “whiteout” in skies. When shooting in backlit settings, D-Range Optimization reveals more detail in shadows, preventing “blackout.” As a result, the captured image appears as natural as the original scene.

Tele Macro Function
Images shot in the Tele Macro Mode help your subject stand out by properly focusing the subject while leaving the background unfocussed. The Tele Macro Mode is useful for shooting close-up shots, especially when you need to prevent the camcorder from casting a shadow on the subject.

Switchable HD/SD Format Recording
Record and play back both High Definition (HD)4 and Standard Definition (SD) video.

Professional Quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T Lens
Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T lenses use highly advanced optics to deliver vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation, and perfect renditions of subtle tones. The additional T coating further reduces unwanted glare and flare for increased contrast and color.

Active Interface Shoe
Sony’s proprietary hot shoe makes it easy to use Intelligent Accessories, such as external lights and microphones, by providing power and on/off capability directly from the camcorder.

HDMI™ Connection with BRAVIA® Sync™ (CEC) Technology
HDMI™ connectivity provides a simple, high-quality video and audio connection, with the ability to transmit HD video and 5.1 channel audio directly from the camcorder to compatible HDTVs via a single cable. With BRAVIA® Sync™ (CEC) technology, the HDMI connection also delivers the ability to control both the camcorder and HDTV using a single BRAVIA TV remote.

USB 2.0 Interface
The USB 2.0 interface provides an easy way to connect your camcorderto a PC for fast transfer of video and still images for editing.

InfoLITHIUM® Battery with AccuPower™ Meter System
Unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) batteries, Sony’s rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries are not subjected to a life shortening “Memory Effect,” so you’re free to charge the battery at any time. Additionally, Sony’s exclusive AccuPower™ meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, in either the viewfinder or on the LCD screen.

Stamina® Battery Power Management System
When using the Sony InfoLITHIUM® Battery, the Stamina® Battery Power Management System helps the camcorder prolong battery life for extra long continuous recording times from a single charge.

Battery Information
At the touch of a button, battery information is displayed on the LCD screen when charging and when the camcorder is turned off. When using the LCD screen or viewfinder, the display will show how much the battery is charged — in 10% increments — and the recordable time left.

Built-in Intelligent Flash
For added clarity and detail when taking pictures in low-light situations, the built-in flash improves pictures and reduces shadows.

Easy Handycam Button
Using a camcorder can be intimidating for some people. With a press of the Easy Handycam Button, most of the advanced features of the camcorder are “locked out,” letting you focus only the buttons essential for recording.

Date Index Function
Search recorded content by shooting date to quickly and easily find a specific scene.

• More info at Sony's website
• User manual