Sony Handycam HDR-XR100 Review

Are you looking out for a Sony Handycam? If yes then take a look at the Sony Handycam HDR-XR100. This handycam from Sony has typical boxy looks and is made of plastic. The model is not attractive but it is good to use. This Sony model is hard-drive based and has simple functions. The physical design may not be sleek but it is functional. It has a good grip in hand and is sturdy. The model has 2.4 mega pixel Exmor CMOS sensor. The model has 2.7 inch LCD touch screen. This camcorder cannot be operated with single button.

The user can find ports for USB, mini HDMI, AV output on the front side. The handycam from Sony does not have a flash, mic, headphone and accessory shoe. On the back side of the hard drive, there is photo switch with zoom button. The touch screen interface responds well and the user controls the model through the touch interface. The rear side of camcorder has record button that exactly falls under the user’s thumb. There is a camcorder mode switch on the backside. A lot of buttons are seen in the LCD panel. The controls like speaker, play, display, power, Easy operation, etc. are located in this panel.

Let’s take a look at the Sony Handycam HDR-XR100:

The small size of the LCD screen hinders in the easy navigation. The screen can be viewed in sun light and does not carry finger prints. The menu system is complicated and user does not remember the settings. The home menu has three options like Smooth Slow Record, movie and photo to choose. There are features wherein the user can view images as well as edit them. There are connectors for USB and TV. The option Manage media helps the user to choose the location where the data has to be stored. The user has option of both hard disc as well as memory card.

The settings like face detection, smile shutter, stabilization for steady shot, etc. are offered by HDR-XR100. The camcorder has output settings in form of TV and HDMI. The shooting related settings like scene modes, focus, exposure, white balance and spot meter are seen in this device. These are the basic features that we find in this Sony Handycam. The model has 80GB hard disk that can record movies for nine hours. The auto focus does not work that well in this device. As the LCD is not sharp, the objects cannot be easily viewed after being focused. The battery life is not that good.

Take a look at the screen of  this camcorder:

The video quality of this Sony model is not that impressive. The videos look soft on screen as well as when viewed on television. The colors look good in the videos as well as in images. The image quality is good but some images look as if they are processed. The lens works really well. The Sony Hanycam HDR- XR100 is priced at $599. It is quite expensive and the user has a lot of alternatives in the market.