Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 (60GB)

Product Introduction:

Sony DCR-SR42 is a compact, portable camcorder which comes with features like bundled dock, good quality audio, video and 60GB hard disk storage space.

Design and Features:

The camcorder has a 2.5 inch LCD screen with good resolution. We can switch to video or still mode according to our choice using the menus or the toggling buttons. The design of the camcorder is similar to the usual Sony series of camcorders. Since the screen is touch sensitive there isn’t much use of physical controls or menu settings. However a series of important controls are placed adjacent to the LCD screen and on top of the camcorder.

The menu setup has controls for digital effects, focus, spot metering, ten built in scene program modes and night shot mode. Video is recorded n MPEG-2 format. There are numerous in-camera editing options.

Specifications:

Product Type: Camcorder

Digital Zoom: 2000 x

Total Pixels: 6.8 megapixels

Optical Sensor Size: 1/6"

Optical Sensor Type: Advanced HAD CCD

Min Illumination: 0 lux

Analog Video Format: NTSC

Digital Video Format: MPEG-2

Image Stabilizer: Electronic (Super Steady Shot)

Min Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec

Max Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec

Camcorder Effective Still Resolution: 0.34 megapixels

Digital Storage Media: Hard disk drive - Built-in - 60 GB

Image Storage: 640 x 480

Media Type: Hard disk drive

Recording Speed: HQ, LP, SP

Lens Type: Zoom lens - 1.9 mm - 76 mm - F/1.8-4.1

Lens Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss

Filter Size: 30 mm

Focus Adjustment: Manual, Automatic

Zoom Adjustment: Motorized drive

Low Lux / Night Mode: Yes

Additional Features: PictBridge support, Touch-screen control, USB 2.0 compatibility

Software: Sony Picture Motion Browser

Display Type: LCD display - LCD passive matrix - 2.5 in - Color

Connector Type: 1, 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1

Expansion Slot(s):1, Memory Stick Duo

Battery type: Lithium ion

Supported Battery: Sony NP-FH40

Supported Battery: 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery (Included)

Performance:

Performance of this camcorder is fairly good in numerous ways. The video quality is fine but some long distance images are shaky and blurry. The image stabilizer features is not well built. The shortcut buttons for menu settings are quite ok, but they control very few features. Most of the navigation has to be done onscreen and the screen acts like a magnet for fingerprints.

One good responsive control in the camera is the zoom switch. Autofocus and exposure control also seem to work fairly well. The audio quality is above average but it does not have a wind filter. Hence lot of hissing could be heard at the background.

The highlight of the camcorder is its immense storage capacity. The camera comes in two models one featuring 30GB hard disk and another featuring 60GB hard disk. This makes the camcorder capable of storing videos up to 7 hours. The battery life is also fairly good.

The Good:

Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 has immense storage space. The compact, sleek design and good quality video are its main highlights. Good battery life and numerous in-built editing options are its added advantage.

The Bad:

Physical controls like joystick respond quite poorly. The touch screen attracts lot of fingerprints. A thin film on top of it would make much difference. Lack of wind filter captures audio with lot of hissing sound.

The Bottom Line:

Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 camcorder’s performance could be rated average by all means. This mediocre camcorder has all the advanced features but only a handful of them try to satisfy their purpose. The main highlight is its large memory. This is a product worth considering twice before purchasing

Rating:3 star rating ***

3 Stars (Good):

A product with 3 star rating has strengths that outweigh its weaknesses. Users should be aware that this product has some minor faults that should be taken into consideration.